I am a liberal in many senses of the word. I believe in most of the economic politics that come with it, and I believe in almost all of the social politics as well. I am an LGBTQ+ ally, I will stand by feminism and gender equality until I die, and I fully support a woman's right to her body and reproductive healthcare rights. I believe in all of these things because I believe that they are right, both logically and morally. However, I realize and understand that other people feel the exact same way about opposing beliefs. Because of this, I do my best to listen to what others have to say.

There have been many times where I have been talked over, my beliefs pushed to the side and made to feel small. I grew up in a relatively conservative small town in the midwest. Given this, most of the people I knew and went to school with held opposite beliefs than I did. When Trump won the election, my close friends and I cried while the rest of my school celebrated and ran through the hallways shouting, "Make America Great Again!" I would like to believe that the people I went to school with did not understand how their words and actions hurt others. I would like to believe that 14- to 18-year-old students would not knowingly oppress others for what they believe or who they are.

With this background, I moved on to a very liberal university housed in a relatively liberal state. My beliefs are now the majority of people's beliefs. Despite this, I know that there are still other people that I interact with regularly with different views from mine.

After what I went through growing up with the people I did, I would never knowingly put someone else through that. I would never make someone feel inferior for their beliefs because they are still people.

I think the thing that most people don't completely grasp is that just because someone is different from you, it does not mean that they are wrong. Everyone has their reasons for their beliefs, just like you have yours. What kind of person would I be if I said that I believed in equality so strongly, but made some people feel inferior anyway?

I enjoy sitting around with people and listening to why they believe what they believe. I like to put myself in their shoes, listen to their stories, and educate myself on the other side of the story. I will most likely never change my opinions, but I will always keep an open mind when it comes to the political spectrum. I will always treat people with the respect that they deserve as individuals because someone's political opinions do not dictate whether or not they are a good person. I will always keep an open mind and never make someone feel small because I wouldn't want someone to do the same for me.