Election Special:
Change certainly is on the docket for 2024...
Well, readers, we woke up to a different world on Wednesday morning. Trump not only won the Electoral College, he won the popular vote and the Senate and may win the House. Certainly not the result we’re hoping for, even if the Trump Administration fights to end gender transition for minors he will undoubtedly make life more difficult for women and lesbians and embolden those who wish to hurt us. Contrary to the likes of KJK and Meghan Murphy, I think a Trump victory is a bad thing for women.
I wanted to send out an extra edition to compile a list of articles detailing what the next four years will look like for women and LGBT people’s rights, some analysis of Harris’ loss, and what we can do moving forward.
My Analysis:
Turnout was a major issue for Democrats in this election, with 15 million voters staying home between a Biden and Harris campaign. Part of that can be due to the Pandemic, with so many working from home or unemployed, people had more free time to vote, and higher voter turnout favors Democrats historically, this is also part of why BLM protests were so large in 2020-people had more free time to get civically engaged. Harris was bad on the economy and in general, the incumbent advantage has slowed in recent years.
Finally and critically for us, Harris was a woman. This means she was subjected to a sling of misogynistic attacks, and the white male vote swung hard from Biden to Trump (and white women to a lesser extent). White people, in general, are willing to overlook racism in their campaigns. It is silly not to consider the impact that sexism has on the ability of a woman to seem “electable,” particularly in the face of such a lackluster campaign from her predecessor. How is it that Joe Biden could run such a centrist, milquetoast campaign hinging on an “anyone but Trump” but Harris loses because she ran a very similar campaign, only warmer and more charismatic? She is far more likable and more engaged than Biden, being 20 years his junior. I can only speculate that the widespread perception she is “the most liberal” is just coded language to talk about the fact Harris is unapologetic about her race and her sex. Are her, objectively centrist, policies too liberal? Or do you associate every confident woman of color with political danger? I think it is the latter.
Some key points:
Trump has broader powers during this administration. Where his first was marked by a constant state of pushback from nonpartisan bureaucrats and Democrats, this next one will likely see more legislative success and less accountability—similarly, the attempted coup on Jan 6th, 2021, and his comments about his supporters not needing to vote after 2024 indicates to us that free and fair elections are under threat. We might well be living in MAGA’s America well after 2028.
Trump will be under pressure to reinterpret the Comstock Act of 1873 to prohibit the sale of abortion pills and Plan B which will be the biggest new federal challenge to abortion.
Other than that, healthcare, education, the climate, and above all, immigration violence remain massive issues with a Trump presidency that will negatively affect women living in the USA and beyond.
The Election:
That Julia Roberts Fail Why “You can vote in secret” didn’t work on conservative women.
Abortion-rights ballot measures pass in 7 states, fail in 3 others
House battle takes center stage as Trump's party pursues full control of Washington
Commentary: Democrats keep expecting white women to save them, and they keep getting burned
Trump’s Policy Plans:
What Trump's victory could mean for the future of abortion rights
Opinion | How Trump Could Ban Abortion Without Congress
Trump Promises Rollback On Trans Rights: Here's What He's Said
What Can We Do?
Five Things You Can Do Right Now How to protect yourself and each other