I know that as a straight, white, Christian female I have many privileges. I have privileges over people of different sexualities, people of different races and people of different religions, and that should make them afraid. I wish that these people had the same rights as me. But, I also know that straight, white, Christian men have privileges over me, and that makes me afraid.
I’ve never been the type of person to bite my tongue. Anyone who knows me is most likely not surprised I chose to write about this. I made it obvious as to whom I was voting for, and I wasn’t scared of what people thought about that. If the topic was brought up, I said who I was voting for, and backed myself up with several reasons. I liked and shared several posts supporting one candidate and opposing the other. This however doesn't mean that I support everything Hillary Clinton has done and continues to do. If she was elected president, I would still have many concerns for myself and this country. When it came down to it, I voted for her because of my personal beliefs when it came to politics.
Recommended for you
I realize that this article will upset many people, but I’m not trying to bash anyone’s opinions or ideas, I’m just trying to explain mine. I’m trying my very best to move on and support our new president as of January 20, 2017, but I’m having a very hard time with that. Most of the opinions and ideas I’ve developed throughout my life have been defeated and bashed with his campaign. I respect the opinions and ideas of others, I just don't agree with them.
I learned about the Women’s Rights Movement in school, and I’ve seen women gain more and more equality in the past several years. Women are finally getting the equality we deserve with our bodies, our minds and how we live our life. I lived to see the day that same-sex marriage became legal. I witnessed two of my favorite teachers hug in joy because of this progressive news. I’ve grown up with friends who are intellectually disabled, never even questioning whether or not they are equal to me. I’ve worked for years to “Spread the Word to End the Word,” because nothing hurts more than being made fun of or being called names. So why have I observed everything I and millions of other people have worked so hard to fight for, regress in the past several months?
The things that Trump has said about women in the past should not be dismissed because it was in his past, or because it was “locker room talk.” That is NOT locker room talk, that is talk coming from a man who doesn’t respect women and the rights they have to their bodies. Although Trump was much younger when he said those things, it is still not okay. My dad has raised me to believe that his three sisters, and my two sisters and I deserve respect and are just as equal as men. Even as a young and dumb college student, my dad would have never said the things about women that Donald Trump has said. We have the rights to our own bodies, which means that men can’t tell us what we can do with them, and they certainly can’t do whatever they would like to them.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, and I respect that, but I do not respect people who judge and condemn others for loving differently than them. Donald Trump came out and said he would stick up for the LGBT community, but that doesn’t mean people of this community still aren't afraid. Our future vice-president Mike Pence is a huge advocate for anti-LGBT, and that’s no secret. He has admitted to believing in conversion therapy and electroshock therapy. Although there are some Hillary Clinton supporters who don’t believe in marriage equality, I have met far more people who support Trump and don’t believe in marriage equality. If Donald Trump said he would be a supporter of the LGBT community, why are so many of his supporters against it?
After everything I have read and watched over the past year, nothing surprised me more than when I watched a video of Trump making fun of a reporter with a disability. I wasn't surprised to hear about all the degrading things he has said about women. I wasn't surprised to hear about his beliefs when it came to some people with different religious beliefs. I was surprised by this. I read several articles about what happened. Some articles claimed he wasn’t making fun of the reporter, and some articles claimed he was. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that he was still being a bully. Non-bullies do not mock people the way Donald Trump does. I don’t think it’s wrong that people voted for Donald Trump because of their beliefs when it comes to politics, I think it’s wrong that people voted for him because of the way he used fear tactics and bullying to fuel his campaign.
The truth is, I hope that I am wrong about Donald Trump. I hope that he will make an excellent president. I hope that he can prove me wrong about the kind of person I think he is. I am rooting now more than ever that he will turn out to be someone who cares about the future of America, and EVERYONE in it. I hope the bullying and fear tactics stop. I hope people of all genders, sexualities, races, religions, and social classes can find their voice again, without feeling unsafe or afraid.
