Dear Cousin Butchie,

I looked forward to this month's election because it was the first time I have ever been old enough to vote. My hopes and dreams were shattered when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote to Donald Trump. During the debates I thought this man was both rude and ill-informed.

Now, some of my friends and I are more than depressed. No one has fully explained how Hillary Clinton could have had one million more votes and was still defeated.

Disappointed Dan


Hi, Dan!

I share your pain and disappointment. I'm not sure where it appeared but there was one picture of a gay couple with signs endorsing Trump.

I have met people who said they were voting for Trump. Heterosexual people (both Democrats and Republicans) tried to say that the LGBTQ residents in the United States would be treated fairly by Trump. Some also continued their eight year mission to derail anything President Obama tried to accomplish. I don't know when Hillary Clinton first expressed her approval for LGBTQ marriage. She wasn't the first supporter but she did go on to create an example others followed.

Your Cousin Butchie (moi) hopes, even prays, that we have a safe and peaceful four years with Trump. Possibly he will have a positive influence on all of us in the United Sates and those abroad.

We now await the agonizing speculation about who will be in the new Cabinet and on the Supreme Court.

I was talking to Uncle RJ about this entire situation, and he said that we have survived worse possibilities with our elected Presidents. When I asked him to name a few he shut up like a clam.  But he did say something sensible.  Most of us (LGBTQ people) have concentrated a great deal on same sex marriage but that many of us have not shown much solidarity in working with each other with respect and even some loving support. Uncle RJ has told me many times how lesbians stepped forward and cared for gay men with AIDS long before lifesaving anti-viral medications were developed.

Maybe we can get over some of the attitude and divisions we ourselves have created in the LGBTQ community.

In the meantime, I was initially impressed by the protestors against Trump in so many cities, near and far, but there is no way to turn back the clock.

As a Catholic (and obviously an extremely liberal one) I have been mortified by the way the hierarchy have banded together in a low key but definitive teaching that we should not elect anyone who is Pro-Choice.  This has happened in  total disregard for one of the first things Pope Francis has told us-- that we should pay less attention to the subjects of abortion and gay marriage and begin to work for the many social issues we have ignored for so long.

God willing, 2020 will arrive and we will do damage control.

I conclude by saying that I sincerely hope that I have been wrong and that America will become great again.