We watched in fear as the election for the 45th United States president took place. As a woman living in this country, I am deeply heartbroken and simultaneously terrified that Donald Trump and Mike Pence will be running this country. Women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant and minority rights, and many others will be affected when they step into office. It is a shame that we are a country that has come so far in terms of equality and we are now taking the chance of setting our country back to a darker time.
How does it feel to know that many people watched the election results and actually cried because they are so terrified of what is to come from this country? Women have worked entirely too hard to be seen as equals in this country. As a feminist, no matter what race or ethnicity you are, we are women, and we deserve the same equal rights as men. This is America, this is supposed to be the land of the free. To me, it does not seem as if any of us are going to be very free after Donald walks into office.
I have heard men say "Now that Trump is president I can do whatever I want to women." Is that someone you want to be in charge of this country? Is America going to be a place that you're going to want to raise your children? Young boys should not think that it is socially acceptable to treat women objectively, and young girls should not grow up thinking that it is okay for boys to do whatever they please.
Not only that, but Mike Pence wants to take away rights to abortion. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, it is ultimately a woman's right to choose if she wishes to have an abortion. Now that rape culture is going to be in the spotlight with a man like Trump in office, do you think statistically that rape is going to increase? If so, if a woman is raped and becomes impregnated, now she won't have the right to have that baby aborted?
Not just women are affected by this election. People of color, people of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants and minorities, and those to be considered poor are now living in fear of what is to come. Mike Pence also stated that shock therapy will be useful for homosexuals.
It is a shame that we are currently living in a country where everything that Americans have worked hard for is now crumbling beneath our feet. I do not want to live in a country where the president is sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and believes that bigotry and money is the answer to anything.
Although we are looking into the eye of the storm, the only option we have is to remain strong in these trying times. This is going to create much more advocacy on the things that we care about most in this country, and I encourage you to stand up for what you believe in and do not stop fighting for it.
