What Trump's Presidency Means For Minorities | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

What Trump's Presidency Means For Minorities

Hope always dies last. We will survive this.

16
What Trump's Presidency Means For Minorities
ConservativeReview.com

As of November 8, Donald Trump was elected president. For many intersectionalized groups, this was the worst possible outcome of the election. The Trump and Pence duo has expressed quite a few anti-lgbt and anti-immigrant ideals. Among these are Trump’s immense desire to build a wall on the Mexican border to keep out immigrants, and Pence’s claim that electrocution could be used to help queer-identifying individuals “curb sexual desires.”

Among a sea of schemes so outrageous they nearly sound humorous, Trump has actually made some genuinely terrifying statements during his campaign. Trump has said that he plans to make Muslims wear badges in public and force them to register to a database. For anyone who remembers learning about World War II, this sounds strikingly similar to Jews in Nazi Germany being registered as Jewish and wearing stars of David.

His running mate and Vice President-Elect, Mike Pence, has a years-long record of supporting anti-woman and anti-LGBT policies. Pence has stated before that he believes that abortion and marriage equality have no place in the United States, but perhaps his most dangerous quality is his support of conversion therapy.

For anyone who has been spared the gritty details of conversion therapy, it is intended to “fix” a gay or transgender individual. Although sometimes it’s as harmless as forcing people to go to church, conversion therapy can also include inhumane practices such as feeding patients human feces while showing them gay porn. Of course this so-called “treatment” has been shown to be ineffective in curing queer identifying individuals, and it can also lead to depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

So, what will this all mean for minority groups?

A lot of people seem to think that Trump’s election means the start of a second Holocaust, but we have policies in place to prevent that sort of thing. The United Nations are meant to prevent another world war, and United States congress is meant to keep the President from doing anything unconstitutional.

The main issue isn’t that our president would send all LGBT citizens to concentration camps and make abortions punishable by the same jail sentences as murder. The problem is that people have seen Trump making racist, sexist, and homophobic comments, but he’s still won the presidency. This sends the message that you can be a sexual predator or commit violent hate The nation’s choice in this election has shown that the public hasn’t become as open as we’ve thought in the past eight years. A good portion of the United States still oppose women’s, LGBT, and transgender rights.

So, what can you do if you want to combat this hate? The first step is to look out for any minorities; use your privileges to your advantage. Watch out for women, people of color, and gay couples, and defend them if someone seems like they may become violent. Don’t think that you’re overreacting. Call the authorities if someone is becoming violent, and do not leave the victim alone. Videotape the assailant if possible.

You can also sign a petition persuading the electoral college to give the presidency to Hillary on December 19th, but it’s a long shot, and even with Hillary in the Whitehouse, it won’t fix the hatred of individuals.

The easiest way to combat this, though, is peaceful protests. Don’t become complacent. If Trump and Pence try to take our rights away, fight back. Don’t stop creating and spreading peace and knowledge. Above all else, remember that hope always dies last. We will be okay, and we will survive the next four years.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

2102
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16750
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3569
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments