SAN DIEGO – Allyson Robinson, the new OutServe-SLDN executive director and well-known transgender activist, will join other LGBT veterans who will be marching this morning in San Diego’s annual Veterans Day parade.

Robinson has been visiting the West Coast over the past few days in her leadership role with the newly merged organization that serves LGBT troops and veterans. On Friday, she was the guest of honor at a San Diego fundraiser for OutServe-SLDN, and on Tuesday will be in San Francisco for another such event.

While the victors in the local and national elections move on with implementing their policies and dreams, the candidates and parties that were not elected face some deep existential questions.

The Republican Party had a wake-up call to look afresh at the diversity of America and reframe their political ideology in a way that can be understood and perhaps be accepted by more people.

President Barack Obama was re-elected Tuesday night after a long and grueling campaign against Republican opponent Mitt Romney. He was declared the winner at 8:13 pm PT.

Obama won the Electoral College handily, according to preliminary results.

The President crafted together a strong base on the liberal West Coast and Northeast, and won critical swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, Virginia and Minnesota. It is now clear that Obama's declaration in support of marriage equality and LGBT rights did not harm his re-election chances.

Tomorrow, Election Day, we have an extraordinarily important decision to make. Many look at the economy and wish the recovery were happening more rapidly. Some would like to see a larger return on their stocks. And a select few look at their families and hope each day for the same protections that almost every other family in the country currently has.