With the results of the presidential election announced today, we now know that millions of Americans across the country have come together to say no more to carelessness, cruelty, and dishonesty.

The election of Joe Biden and the historic election of Kamala Harris, the first woman, first Black woman and first South Asian woman to be elected Vice President, are the result of hard, tireless work that organizers, volunteers, ballot counters, and everyday Americans have put in to make our democracy work. These contributions offer profound hope for the direction of our country.

But today is only the next step in putting our nation on a path toward true equity, liberation and justice for all. The damage done during the years of the Trump administration – the racist rhetoric and policies that have hurt immigrants, Muslims, Black Americans and so many people of color; the complete failure to address the COVID-19 pandemic that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and livelihoods; the relentless attacks on the LGBTQ community that have not let up from day one – this damage won’t be reversed overnight.

This fight was never just about one election. Our work continues.

President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris have stated their commitment to equality and justice, and to governing with reason, fairness, and compassion. We look forward to working with the new administration to undo the harms done to the LGBTQ community under the Trump administration, and to joining with all who care about equity to hold the incoming administration accountable to their commitment.

From creating a world with real lived equality for LGBTQ people, to charting a path to true racial equity and justice, today more than ever we have not just the opportunity but the responsibility to move our country closer to the nation of equals we aspire to be. Our nation has voted, volunteered, and worked hard for this moment. Now, we must make sure we seize that opportunity and rise to that responsibility.