As everyone knows by now, Republican Donald Trump has become the president-elect of the United States of America. This past election season has had not just Trump, but many of the other Republican candidates and other politicians make an array of comments that are discriminatory or hateful to one or more minorities. In contrast, America has made great strides to provide equal rights and opportunities with President Obama permanently protecting Planned Parenthood and the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision. The real question is: how will America continue to make this progression with Trump and a highly conservative Congress coming into power in just two months?
Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote is the best example that a majority of America is feminist, whether they openly identify as it or not. Most of the country does not want the policies that our currently elected government (as well as those who will be entering office next January) support and have promised to make. In addition to this majority disapproval, many politicians like President-Elect Trump have made promises that they cannot possibly keep—especially when it comes to bringing back jobs to fields like coal mining and areas that our country has been phasing out. Our country is built on the foundation not just for feminism to be voiced (through the First Amendment) but also for everyone to have equal rights (Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments) and to fight discriminatory language, slander, and lies to the American people (First Amendment again).
As a double major in women, gender, and sexuality studies as well as psychology, I am not just studying about global diversity and how the mind works, but I am working endlessly towards my goal of being a clinical psychologist and therapist to those in need. As I discussed with one of my professors here at Bowling Green State University, now is a better time than ever to learn. Similarly to how current President Barack Obama said "Don't boo: vote," I believe we need to learn, speak out, and peacefully protest more than ever like our lives depend on it: because they do.
