On Wednesday morning, millions of Americans awoke to the news that America would rather elect a convicted felon, than a woman.

Millions of women and girls woke up to find out that their families and friends chose lower gas prices over their bodily autonomy.

Over 71 million people voted for a man with at least 26 sexual misconduct allegations, and one adjudicated rape conviction.

Millions of Americans woke up devastated, heartbroken and scared.

As the day went on, these same Americans scrolled through story after story on Instagram and were told that politics shouldn’t get in the way of personal relationships. We’ve been told that we should respect and love each other no matter who we voted for.

I don’t agree.

I find it interesting that many of the people who told me that politics should not get in the way of my relationships are the same people who voted against my rights. As a woman and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, my rights are now at stake. And I blame everyone who voted Donald Trump back into office.

Now, let me clarify. I do not think that everyone who voted for Trump is racist, homophobic, sexist, or an abuser. I do not think that every person who voted for Trump supports his extreme policies and “concepts of a plan”.

However, these things were not deal breakers for 71 million Americans.

Seventy-one million Americans decided that sexual assault, racism, felonies, taking rights away from women and queer people and a failed coup were not dealbreakers for someone to lead our country. And that is terrifying.

It’s not just politics. It is personal. It is more personal now than ever with so much at stake for so many people.

Do not tell me that politics should not ruin my relationships if you voted for my rights to be taken away. Do not tell me that you can still love me or be my friend if you don’t care enough about me to protect my rights.

This time around, people who voted for Trump cannot use the excuse of not knowing who and what they were voting for, because everyone saw what happened during his presidency.
Everyone saw how many Americans died from the COVID-19 pandemic, while Trump attacked scientists and experts.

Women watched as their right to choose was stripped away with the overturning of Roe v. Wade after Trump appointed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Every person in this country watched on Jan. 6, 2021, as rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow democracy and keep Trump in office.

This is who the American people elected to lead our country, no matter how qualified his opponent was.

The loss of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election tells us many things about this country. We now know that America is not ready to allow a woman to be president, especially a Black woman. We know that the American people would rather vote for a rich white man who left this country in shambles and division, on the basis of an economic plan that will only benefit those at the very top, instead of a qualified black woman with real plans and policies.

America has chosen hate.