Tony Guadagnino is a marketing consultant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied creative writing in college and is currently working his first novel on the subject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark.
As I gay man, I know that I did not choose to be gay, as 2016 is coming to an end, and I have to ask this question to everyone: is the country in a better and safer place than it was 12 months ago? I can hear so many people saying “NO!” I’m not talking about economy or foreign policy … I’m talking about us, the citizens of the United States. Are we happy and cheerful than we were just 12 months ago? Again, I figuratively hear people yelling “NO!!” You’re right. Our nation is under unrest, and we have two men to thank – our President Elect and Vice President Elect.
Everyone knows that whenever there is an election, there is always a winner and a loser. People who supported the winner are floating on Cloud 9, while the people who supported the losing candidate are upset. One can expect this in any election for anything, whether it’s the President of the United States, or Class President in high school. However, there is more than just hurt feelings … Republicans are gloating; Democrats are protesting … how did we get so divided? This division happened because of two men … our President Elect and Vice President Elect.
Our President Elect (I won’t even say his name) ran an 18-month campaign spewed of hatred, racism, and disrespect. Our nation began its divide on June 16, 2015, when he announced his presidency run, then insulted Mexico by blanketing the entire nation with words like “rapists” and “criminals.” He also claimed that he “speaks to border guards, and they tell us what we’re getting.” For a man who is obsessed with being in the news, I have never seen one picture of him in conversation with one guard.
But let’s forget about that “fib” for a minute, because he did far worse than tell a little lie. We are all familiar with calls of registering Muslims and banning any future Muslims from entering the country (Xenophobia); we are aware that he has insulted women from “blood” terms to grabbing them in the P—- (misogyny); and, he has declared that he will appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court, who may repeal gay civil rights as well as Roe v. Wade.
And, he’s a bully. He has invoked violence at his rallies, telling people “knock ‘em out” and “get em outta here.” He used harsh and insulting words to bring out the worst in people, and he was rewarded with the grand prize … winning the election. (Side Note: I feel badly for Billy Bush because he’s the only one who lost his job over the controversial video.
There have been cries of “impeachment” and “resignation” for our President Elect, but I want to remind them that the alternative is not our First Female President, but our Vice President Elect. Is he the lesser of two evils? Not if you are a gay American!
While in the 1990s, our Vice President elect, while he was head of the Indiana Policy Review, published articles urging employers not to hire gay employees. However, his most discriminatory act was signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, allowing companies to discriminate against LGBT employees and customers. Plus, he proposed cutting funding for HIV treatment and using the money for a gay cure therapy, also known as “conversion therapy.” Conversion Therapy has been proven not to work, however, some people are still convinced that we “chose” our lifestyle.
Whether we like it or not, they are our next President and Vice President. Everyone has to hope and believe they will not use their personal opinions to run America.
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