As a queer, disabled, woman I have been exposed to much of this world’s ugliness from a very young age. I feel as though this election is heavily indicative of my own personal strife as with the strife of others. Silencing tactics are the primary correlation. As a woman, I am always expected to be silent in the presence of a man. I am expected to be submissive, complaisant, and to keep my commentary short, sweet, and non obtrusive. But I am an obtrusive woman, as is Hillary Clinton. She, like me, is a woman who doesn’t shut up or quiet down or even tone it down because a man told her so. She, like me, is a woman who is unapologetic for her competitive, winner nature. I remember debates in high school being hell not because I had to debate, but because I was always told to tone it down by the boys and men around me. While the girls and women were interested and ready to rebuttal, the men likely felt their masculinity threatened and would retaliate against me with body language and verbal cues such as rolling their eyes, saying “make it short this time”, or waving their hands to try to get me to finish up.
But I wouldn’t stop. I will never make it shorter, I will never pick up the pace to allow a man to talk in my place so he can drone on for as long as he likes with no criticism as he says the exact same things I just said but with a much more attentive and receptive audience. I’m done being told that I’m “too passionate” or “too intense” when the same things aren’t said to my male counterparts who are equally passionate and intense. This can also be said of Hillary Clinton’s entire career. Hillary has been told throughout her career to sit down, sit back, and let the men take over. Her fashion choices have been at the forefront of her media attention in the past as opposed to her humanitarian work and duties as Secretary of State. Hillary has been called various misogynistic slurs throughout her campaign for president and was automatically distrusted not because of her past, but because she is a woman. Many Trump supporters will deny their own misogyny because they think it’s somehow founded in their one rallying call - the damned emails, of which have already been proven to be unfounded worry. They call Hillary a liar but Donald Trump has lied 71% of the time, according to Politifact, and has told the complete honest truth only 4% of the time that he has talked (or god forbid tweeted). Why is it that even when the facts tell all of us that Trump is a bigot and a liar and a failure as a businessman, some are still choosing to vote for him?
Internalized misogyny folks. Let us not forget that famous map showing how if only men voted in this election, Trump would win. If majorities are rooting for one side while minorities and oppressed groups, such as women, are saying otherwise, the majority is probably, actually definitely, in the wrong. Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate ever to be President with her years of political experience, smooth temperament, and progressive policies that will benefit all Americans, not just the niche few that Donald Trump deems worthy. So, if you’re a woman who’s tired of being silenced, tired of being told that you’re less by people like Donald Trump (because yes, he’s gone there and back again) then I recommend you vote Hillary for all of our sakes. Don’t let misogyny cloud your judgement. A vote for Trump is a vote for the death of our nation. A vote for Hillary is a vote for hope.
