Today's blog post is a little different because I feel I need to address what has just happened in America and how this affects us all. It seems Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States. I thought things had hit rock bottom when Britain voted to leave the EU, but I was wrong. I had so hoped that all those racist, sexist, awful people on TV were just a tiny minority with very loud voices. How wrong I was.
Today hatred won. Today racism won. Today religious intolerance won. Today sexism won.
My partner stayed up all night to watch the results come in and when he finally came to bed at 8am this morning he broke the bad news to me. Since then I have spent most of the day giving in to despair. If in 2016 a vile person like Trump can win an election what hope is there for the human race? Has society truly not made any progress since 1945? How can such views still be acceptable in modern society?
I am not ashamed to admit I am scared. I do not live in America but the actions of people in such a powerful country will undoubtedly affect other countries. I have Muslim friends. I have gay, lesbian and bi-sexual friends. I have transgender friends. I have friends whose skin tone is not a gleaming white. And I have friends who are women. These friends are good people. People who deserve the basic rights straight white males try to deny them. This morning I was filled with despair. This evening I am filled with rage. As a woman I know all too well what it is like to fight a never ending up hill battle. I have had to work twice as hard as any man just to be seen as half as good. I have suffered through discrimination, bullying, harassment and assault. I have been told repeatedly that as a woman I should expect and accept such treatment. And I am tired. Having to fight constantly is exhausting and this morning I was ready to give up. But then I saw a headline, one among many terrible headlines today. And that headline was about the terror that American Muslims are currently feeling. And I thought of my own Muslim friends. Hard working and kind Muslim friends. Muslim friends who are intelligent and work as doctors saving lives in our NHS hospitals. And the thought of those friends being too scared to leave their homes filled me with a renewed energy. That energy might be in the form of rage, something that's generally considered a negative emotion, but right now that rage is what I need to keep going. That rage will keep me fighting. I will fight for my friends and I won't give in to despair.
To all the haters out there you haven't beaten me yet. Yes I am scared. I am scared for the people I love as well as for myself. I am sure that with Trump's victory there will be men who renew their efforts to harass and assault women. I am sure that white supremacists will attack ethnic minorities. But that fear won't stop me from fighting for what is right. To the people out their being denied their basic human rights please don't stop fighting. I know it is hard and I know it is tiring. But your lives are worth fighting for. Don't give up. xxx
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