Trust me, if you know me, you'd know that I have an overwhelmingly strong dislike for Trump as much as the next young person. With that in mind, I have a strong adoration for Bernie Sanders and cried a little when he didn't make it. I don't consider myself anything close to Republican and I am all for gay rights and being pro-choice. Not only that, but I am more than supportive of the fact that we need more funding for programs such as Medicaid and federal/state grants for college students. I guess you could call me a more “traditional” liberal.

However, there are some new ultra-liberal ideas, if you will, that I just can't get with, most of which likely originated straight out of Tumblr. Based off of my opinions on these certain ideas, I would best describe myself as possibly more independent-leaning, at least under today's political terms. Perhaps the halfway point between liberal and independent. Here's why:

First of all, this may evoke some outrage, but I just cannot get with all these different gender and sexuality labels that basically didn't even exist prior to 2012. To be blunt, I feel that there are only two genders and that's just the way it is. Gender (unlike sexuality, but I'll touch upon that later) is truly black and white. Male or female. You can't be both, and you can't be neither. There's no room for a “spectrum.” I believe that individuals struggling with legitimate gender dysphoria issues are welcome to transition from one gender to the other, but that is really the only feasible, realistic extent in my eyes.

When we start introducing “gender fluidity,” or “agender,” or whatever other new-age ideas, I start to cringe a little. Oh, and in regards to the growing array of gender pronouns...where do I begin? One example is the they/them pronouns. They/them is meant to be reserved for the pronouns you use when a person's gender has not yet been distinguished, for example. Ze, zihr, etc. are even worse. You cannot expect the majority of people to abide by your pronoun demands if those demands include being called a “ze.”

I believe this way of thinking is the product of having too much time on one's hands. Sometimes, when you over think something so much, beyond the point of how much you really should think about it, you begin to question what doesn't need questioning. Just because you do not relate to 100% of the stereotypes your gender possesses in society, that does not automatically mean you should go ahead and sway back and forth between being a male or a female. It just can't, and doesn't need, to work that way. Only 1% of the population is legitimately transgender. With this in mind, it's safe to say that any confusion on “what you identify as” will likely soon pass, because you are more than likely the gender you were born as. End of discussion.

Now for sexuality, this is slightly trickier, but only slightly. It has been proven for many years (long before Tumblr, at that!) that you can experience attraction towards the same gender, opposite gender, or both genders. Common sense would suggest that the concept of who you like has a little more “wiggle room” than who you are, where gender is concerned. Being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual are all very valid and reasonable claims.

However, I came across an article the other day that wanted to turn the concept of sexuality in a different, nonsensical direction. I read a Cosmopolitan article all about being “demisexual.” According to Cosmopolitan, someone who is “demisexual” feels as though they must develop an emotional connection with a person before jumping into sex. Well, is that not just called being safe/smart and waiting until you're feeling comfortable enough to have sex? Is that really going to be given a sexuality label? Sigh.

There are several other ultra-liberal ideas and movements that I don't agree with either, such as the extreme hatred and racism seen from Black Lives Matter rioters. I like how social justice warriors preach tolerance, acceptance, and anti-racism, yet they turn around and commit the opposite of those virtues. If you're hating ALL white people and believing that the entire Caucasian race is the scum of the earth, you are only contributing to the racial divide.

How am I supposed to want to strive for racial equality and unity when I am being attacked for my own race in the process of you trying to build up your race? Sounds to me like this is more of a matter of achieving domination, rather than any form of genuine equality. The phrase “black lives matter” itself obviously holds truth. Every life matters. However, when you start acting like the lives from your race are the ONLY lives that matter, how can I get on board with that? Ironic, to say the least, and something that I definitely can't see myself supporting.

Furthermore, I want to encourage everyone to think outside the box and really question what we are being fed through the media. While I previously mentioned that there are some traditional constructs that don't need questioning because they already make perfect sense, it is the newer ideas that definitely warrant some questioning. It is almost becoming healthy to be entirely left or entirely right, without any question about whether all these ideas are truly helpful to society.

No matter what, you are judged by others for your political opinion, so you might as well stick to what you believe in instead of conforming to what one side of society wants you to believe in. Think for yourself, form your own opinions, and don't be afraid anymore.