“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” ~ Toni Morrison

Holding Each Other in the Wake of the Election

Many in the our community — CrashPad cast and crew included — are overcome with intense emotions following the results of the presidential election. In this time of uncertainty and hostility, we encourage performers, employees, members, everyone, to continue to uplift and protect one another. 

The work we do at Pink and White might be said to be the antithesis to the values the former president / president elect represents: queer, trans, people of color loving each other! Our company’s founder and director is a queer Black filmmaker. Our small team is employed of people who are queer, people who are trans/gender-variant, and people of color. We are anti-racist and culturally inclusive, body-positive and anti-ableist, sex-positive and welcoming of kink/BDSM, and pro-sex worker and labor rights. We strive to create a safe and sustainable work environment where our desires are not only respected, but celebrated. Queer and marginalized adults are capable and deserving of happy and healthy sexuality.

And we plan to continue doing just that.

We share the below list, compiled by the individuals of our small team, for those in need of organizations for support, and for those who can support these organizations through donation and involvement. We also encourage, if possible, to get involved in LOCAL and IRL communities, with direct actions and mutual support makes the biggest impact. 

10 Organizations Supporting Queer, Trans, & BIPOC Communities

1. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Mission: To defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the constitution and laws of the United States.

2. Planned Parenthood
Mission: A nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health services both in the United States and globally.

3. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Mission: A Muslim advocacy group working to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America.

4. TransLifeLine
Mission: Trans Lifeline works to end transgender suicide and improve overall mental health of transgender people through education, advocacy, and direct service. We empower trans people to help one another, and to shape our collective efforts by drawing upon our wealth of individual experiences.

5. Inclusive Therapists
Mission: Inclusive Therapists is a social justice and liberation-oriented mental health directory, community, and resource hub. We offer a safer, simpler way to find a therapist, counselor or coach committed to collective liberation and healing: Racial, 2SLGBTQIA+, Neurodivergence, and Disability Justice. 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT HOTLINES: Services such as the national hotline 988 LifeLine and affiliated Trevor Project have been reported to summon emergency responders (often police) without callers’ knowledge or consent. Please be aware that police are not equipped to offer mental health support for crisis/emergency care, and their involvement may pose danger to Black, indigenous, and people of color, transgender, mentally ill, neurodivergent, and disabled people. See Inclusive Therapists’s CRISIS LIST for hotline resources that do not involve police intervention.

6. Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
Mission: SURJ organizes white people for racial justice, through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, to act as part of a multi-racial majority with passion and accountability.

7. NAACP 
Mission: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

8. Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Mission: The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.

9. Transgender Law Center
Mission: Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.

10. Campaign Zero
Mission: Campaign ZERO was developed with contributions from activists, protesters and researchers across the nation. This data-informed platform presents comprehensive solutions to end police violence in America.

Additional resources we recommend:

• Plan C Pills connects people to information about ordering abortion pills by mail.
• Prison Culture on BlueSky has shared links to resources and organizations providing information and support.
• Resources for Getting Involved Beyond Election Day” offers advice on how to get started with mutual aid, direct action, and on-the-ground work. 
• Free Speech Coalition is the adult film industry’s trade organization and advocacy committee. They provide Porn-Industry specific resources for mental health services, conflict resolution, and more. 

Do you have more organizations to recommend? Are there places you turn to for up-to-the-minute news and calls to action? Please share in the comments below. Thank you and wishing us safety in solidarity, from all of us to all of you. 

Editor note: Originally posted on November 12, 2016, this article has been updated for relevancy.