I am living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, COPD and am now getting ready to battle Stage 1 cancer – and after a lifetime of working and paying taxes since 1964, I am facing a Government that would like to limit my income, my access to medical care and criminalize me for who I am and for the woman I love.  I want to thank all of the women who are marching and want you to know that you all are the bright spot of this week for me and so many like me.  

As an older gay woman with health problems who was just able to marry her partner of 18 years last year,  it is stressful wondering if we’ll be imprisoned or find ourselves stripped of our home and savings and kicked to the street. Our new President’s choice of VP, his picks for Cabinet posts and other appointments, his possible pick for the Supreme Court of a man who under 15 years ago wrote a brief stating his opinion that all gays should be considered criminals and imprisoned for any intimacy in their own homes, are all of the upmost concern to me.  I feel that now he has attained office, we have gone from “oh that will never happen” to “watch your back cause they could come for you any day now” – and none of these feelings are conducive to improving my health or a peaceful old age and retirement.  NONE of the people he is surrounding himself with have a good record when it comes to women’s rights – or actually anyone’s rights that aren’t white, older, wealthy, males.

And to my utter shame and bewilderment, I know women who voted for this man.  I feel like a lifetime of stepping up and being a strong women who took care of herself is slowly being washed down the drain – and other women are helping it to happen – I will never understand or comprehend this.