For the past couple of weeks, millions of people across the nation have taken to the streets to protest the controversial president-elect Donald Trump. These very protestors are the diverse America—the America that is scared that their future president won’t stand up for them.

These gatherings are not meant to be disruptive, but allow for a space for people to express the way that they are feeling about our future president. The fear they feel does not stem from nowhere, it comes from the disgusting, horrific rhetoric that Trump has offered throughout not only his campaign, but also his entire career.

They are protesting so that all Americans are reminded that this is not normal. A man  who is endorsed by the KKK and is so blatantly racist and sexist should not have been the Republican nominee.           

Many media outlets have tried so hard to normalize the supremacist thoughts of Trump. Leaders of Neo-Nazi groups are even being given their own spotlights in the Los Angeles Times. We cannot allow our focus to be centered on groups of people that only believe in hate. These protestors believe they must fight to move forward in history instead of moving backward.

Many Trump supporters who were upset about this outbreak of protests. Do these rejecters forget that the very reason we no longer read “no coloreds allowed” over restrooms and restaurants is due to protest? We see change by fighting for change. Change is not given, it is earned.

When a future president promises to build a wall to keep away the Mexicans (you know, the raping, murdering, drug-dealing hombres), there has to be a call for change. Trump supporters say that he “isn’t serious” about these claims, but if so, why would they have voted for a candidate who doesn’t follow through on his promises?

The protests are filled with groups of people that have been oppressed for generations. They are protesting so that the rights their ancestors fought so hard for are not abruptly taken away. Instead of sitting around accepting their fate, they are fighting for a different, better future.  

Being a woman, African-American and Mexican-American, I fully support every individual’s right to stand up for the things they believe in. So yes, I stand behind all the nasty women and bad hombres that are protesting the bigot that is Donald Trump.