Millenial conservatives are a fresh new take on an old party. We want freedom from the government’s control, and we want to be able to live with as little restrictions as possible. If you are a law abiding, tax paying citizen, the government should have no say in who you marry, what you do with your uterus, where you pee, how many guns you own, etc. Being conservative isn’t what it used to be, and it’s time we took back the narrative and quieted the assumptions.

1. You’re a racist

Expecting immigrants to come into our country legally is not racist, it’s a desire to ensure that everyone in this great country of ours has fulfilled all the steps laid out by the government. Just because the current GOP nominee has made some inflammatory, racist statements does not mean we all agree with them. In fact, I know plenty of conservatives who did NOT vote for Trump in the primary because of those remarks.

2. You’re a bigot

Fun Fact: I am a Republican who is in support of gay marriage, all kinds of marriage in fact. As long as you are a tax paying citizen I don’t care who/what you want to marry. It’s none of my business. Similar to how I don’t care what bathroom you use (I frequent the men’s room when the line in the women’s is too long), what gender you identify with is once again, none of my business. You express to me what pronouns you’re comfortable with me using and I will use them.

3. You’re spoiled

GOP stands for Grand Old Party and yes, our representation typically has been stodgy, old white men. Think old southern money. But that doesn’t mean I’m spoiled. It means I think the government should have less control in my day to day decisions.

4. You Think Women are Second Class Citizens

As a female conservative, I can say this isn’t true. Many aggressive conservatives think that abortion should be against the law, but most conservatives I know think that what anyone wants to do with their uterus is their own business. I don’t necessarily agree with abortion, and I personally would never get one, but I do not think I nor anyone else have any right to tell you whether or not it’s right for you.

5. You’re gun-crazy

Woah-ho-ho there. My second amendment right gives me “the right to bear arms”. If I go the legal route, become licensed, buy my guns legally, and use them legally, then who the heck cares if I have a gun? Half the time you wouldn’t know I have a gun. This is not to negate the tragedy of people with guns who choose to shoot up schools, or innocent people, that is wrong. But that is a people problem, not a gun problem. People will be violent regardless of what kind of guidelines the government sets for them. And Mentally ill people need help from mental health professionals. We should focus on the underlying issues, not the guns.

It’s hard being able to express your political opinion these days without being attacked by someone who feels differently, and lately I have felt that my more liberal friends have become dismissive of my thoughts because of my political affiliation, so I wanted to clarify the differences between the stereotypes of the party, and the actuality of the beliefs of our generation in the conservative party.