These Women Kissing at a Protest Prove That Love Stands Out Above Everything Else

In times of turmoil, it's easy to get completely bogged down in bad news. Don't get me wrong — I firmly believe we all need to be more informed and on our toes than ever. But amid the constant flood of disheartening information — increases in violence, threats to human rights, and blatant discrimination — we can't help but seek out stories that shine a little bit of light on a whole lot of darkness.

Photographer Hennessy Vandheur was covering the events of an anti-Trump protest in New York when he captured a quiet, beautiful moment between two women. Laura Hetherington and her girlfriend, Giovanna "Jo" Barba, shared a sweet kiss against the backdrop of shouting protesters and political unrest. The photo was shared on Twitter and quickly went viral. Vandheur reflected on the moment on his Instagram page, saying:

"walking in the trump protests last night in manhattan was absolutely incredible. this was probably my favorite moment from the entire night and i'm happy to have been there to capture it. love in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. we stand together, against the hate in this country right now — and nothing will put out the fire in our hearts. i stand with our brothers and sisters, POC and LGBTQ, women, immigrants, and everyone else whose lives and well-beings trump endangers. #lovetrumpshate"

People were understandably moved by the images, which are visual affirmation that no matter what kind of chaos is around us, love still stands out above all else.

In the middle of a Trump protest in Manhattan — so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/ItKfmuOUwf

— 🌹 (@killfemme) November 12, 2016