I Only Need One Reason to End a Relationship Over Politics
I don’t want to “keep the peace.”
TW for sexual assault.
It’s 9:33pm, November 5th, 2024, as I write this.
The presidential race has not been called yet, and I doubt it will be official for a bit, anyway.
The reason I’m writing this and scheduling it for the morning of November 6th is because the point I’m trying to make doesn’t depend on who wins or loses the election.
It depends on whether you voted to strip me of my rights.
No, this is not an all-inclusive piece.
I’m allowing myself to be selfish because my life, does in fact, revolve around me.
I recognize my privileges, and I recognize that I do not have the worst life in the whole world, but I also recognize that I’m a vagina-owning, trans, gay person who very recently had an abortion.
Which is why, no matter who our president is for these next four years, I have decided I cannot have any relationship with someone who voted for Trump.
I have immediate family who voted for Trump this year, whether they voted for him directly or wrote in another name.
I have extended family who voted for him, or acquaintances who support his beliefs fully — people who I don’t need to ask, “Who did you vote for?” Because I already know it was him.
My closest friends are queer and trans. Chronically ill. Struggling financially for reasons outside of their control. Women. Disabled people.
But like I said — this article isn’t about them. Not really.
I only need one reason to end a relationship over politics.
Reason #1:
If you voted for Trump,
you do not care about me.
If you voted for Trump, you would rather I deny my identity, shove it back down my own throat, and lie to the world for your comfort.
If you voted for Trump, you would rather I’d killed myself when I was 17 and realized I would eventually have to come out to everyone as trans, and I had no clue how it could possibly go well.
If you voted for Trump, you would rather I do not have a partner, do not have my best friends, and do not have certain family members. Whether it be because they were never allowed to be who they are, or because they killed themselves, too.
If you voted for Trump, you would rather I be a couple months away from giving birth to a child that I would not keep, would not care for, would throw right into the system, because you would rather I kept a rape baby than had an abortion.
You would rather I deal with what was forced upon me because of those who forced themselves upon me.
I do not care if I have known you for years, or you’re a family member, or you think, “Well, you can do what you want! But Trump is going to lower gas prices, so — ”
This is about everyone who ISN’T you.
This is also about ME.
I don’t need to keep relationships to “keep the peace.”
I don’t need to keep relationships because “But that’s still your family member!”.
If you voted for Trump, you do not care about me, and I have no reason to keep that in my life.
“What about how awkward it would be at family gatherings?”
What about me?
“What if we just stop talking about politics at the dinner table?”
What about me?
“What about taxes?”
What about me?
“What about the fact that we’re family?”
What about it? Clearly, I’m not important to you.
And I don’t care if this doesn’t appeal to the masses, if this could’ve just been written in my diary and never posted on the internet because it’s obviously a personal attack on my family members.
The point is that this is personal.
It’s personal to every single person who’s voting to keep their rights.
To keep the rights of people they love.
Of people they don’t love.
Of people they don’t know.
If you voted for Trump, you do not care about me.
And if you have to wonder, “Why should I care about you, anyway?”
Go fuck yourself.
