Trump's Victory Causes Solidarity with Victims of Homophobia, Racism

In the wake of Donald Trump's win as president of the United States, Americans around the country are wearing safety pins and in solidarity with (and providing refuge for) victims of hate crime and abuse.

The support originates from a surge of homophobic, racist and religious crimes throughout the country immediately following the announcement of president-elect Trump - at least 201 incidents, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center in a recent report.

"Often times, types of harassment overlapped and many incidents, though not all, involved direct references to the Trump campaign," the website reports, noting that not every incident could be immediately verified.

Trump's presidential campaign was widely supported by minority-hating people, groups and organizations, such as the official newspaper of the Ku Klux Klan.

"While Trump wants to make America great again, we have to ask ourselves, 'What made America great in the first place?'" Pastor Thomas Robb wrote in The Crusader. "America was great not because of what our forefathers did - but because of who our forefathers were. America was founded as a White Christian Republic. And as a White Christian Republic it became great."

Former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke also publicly voiced his support for Trump.

The president-elect's newly appointed Senior Adviser, Steve Bannon is CEO of Breitbart, an alt-right publication known for misogynistic headlines such as "The Solution to Online 'Harassment' is Simple: Women Should Log Off" and anti-transgender stories like "Trannies Whine About Hilarious Bruce Jenner Billboard."

Trump's vice president, Mike Pence also has an anti-gay past. He penned a letter arguing against openly-LGBT members of the military.

"Homosexuals are not as a group able bodied," he wrote at the time. "They are known to carry extremely high rates of disease brought on because of the nature of their sexual practices and the promiscuity which is a hallmark of their lifestyle."

The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, is promoting his state as a refuge for those who feel they could become victims as a result of Trump's presidency.

"As New Yorkers, we have fundamentally different philosophies than what Donald Trump laid out in his campaign," he stated in an email to members of the New York State Democratic Committee, and later posted as an open letter on Facebook. "Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, black or white or brown, we respect all people in the state of New York."

Cuomo highlighted New York State's actions in promoting respect for all people.

"It's the very core of what we believe and who we are. But it's not just what we say, we passed laws that reflect it, and we will continue to do so, no matter what happens nationally. We won't allow a federal government that attacks immigrants to do so in our state."

He closed the letter with a message of strength and protection.

"We are a state of immigrants. We are the state that raised the minimum wage to $15. We are the state that passed Paid Family Leave. We are the state that passed marriage equality. We are New York, and we will stand up for you. And on that, I will never compromise. Count on it."