"I am a Conservative."
Until very recently, this is a statement that I felt particularly uncomfortable making. In the past year, my political ideology has become an important part of my identity, and yet I still found myself struggling to share this with my closest friends.
When you're a nineteen-year-old girl, there is a lot of incentive to be a Liberal. All of your favorite celebrities agree with you, you get to wear those cute feminist t-shirts that every brand seems to be making, and it feels like everyone else your age agrees with your ideology. There is simply something trendy about being a young Liberal.
Being a young Conservative female isn't nearly as fashionable. The current staple in Conservative fashion is a bright red MAGA hat, an accessory that likely won't become popular amongst 19-year-old girls any time soon. It sometimes feels as if you're an outsider among peers of your own age and gender.
The feeling of being the uncool, odd man out isn't particularly enjoyable, but it also wasn't the main reason why I was uncomfortable with publicly embracing my Conservatism.
The 2016 presidential election was the political event of my high school career. It was also the first time that I felt self-conscious about my political ideology. For my entire life leading up to that point, I had considered myself a Conservative mostly by default, a position that I had inherited from my family.
The election provoked widespread political discussion at my high school, and for the first time I was faced with what I now call "the Conservative strawman." It seemed that the main critique of anyone on the political right was that they were a racist-sexist-bigot-homophobe whose political positions were founded in these prejudices. Even though I knew that none of these descriptors matched me or my motivations, they were intimidating enough to cause me to shy away from embracing my political ideology and avoid speaking up.
As I became more interested and invested in political matters, my fear of the Conservative strawman began to crumble. I was able to identify the motivations for Conservative positions, none of which had anything to do with bigotry. For the first time, I felt confident in my politics. Even so, it was still difficult for me to share my own political beliefs with others. I might have understood why I held these beliefs, but I knew that my peers did not.
The more that I reflect upon the 2016 election, the more that I realize how great of an impact the Conservative strawman had on my peers and others within my age group. I believe that many who were faced with the strawman took at face value and took this line of logic: "All Conservatives are racist-sexist-bigot-homophobes. I am not any of those things, so I must be a Liberal."
I am not saying that every young person that happens to consider themselves Liberal is solely motivated by this. However, the Conservative strawman is a narrative that still feels constantly pushed upon people my age. My generation is greatly influenced by Hollywood. This may be concerning or seem incredibly dumb to members of older generations, but it's the truth. When celebrities are constantly making social media posts that malign one side of the political aisle as evil and bigoted, it is very difficult for young people to remain unaffected by it.
I believe that this narrative has created a large group of young Liberals who have beliefs that are based on a false perception of what it really means to be a Conservative. They don't necessarily disagree with true Conservative principles. They disagree with the Conservative strawman, a farce that has no roots in Conservative ideals.
Even though I have discounted the strawman and understand that it isn't based in reality, the widespread perception of Conservatives as bigots still has an effect on me. I find myself apprehensive sharing my views with others. I still am nervous about retweeting political content and I haven't even shared this blog on my personal social media. It wasn't until very recently that I outright said to my friends, "I am a Conservative." I don't believe that I am alone in this. Nobody wants to be wrongly perceived as a bigot, and it is sometimes easier to just remain silent.
When young people with Conservative viewpoints are afraid to speak up, it becomes easier for young Liberals who buy into the strawman to reinforce their own beliefs about Conservatism. They remain unchallenged.
If young Conservatives want to tear down the strawman, we have to do our part. If we are bold enough to speak up about our own political ideology, we can demonstrate where our true motivations lie. By speaking up, we can show our Liberal peers that it is possible to be a non-bigoted individual and also Conservative. We can help shift the conversation away from the false dichotomy that says that you are either a bigot or you are a Liberal.
As a 19-year-old female Conservative, I sometimes feel alone. However, I know that this is not the case. I believe that there are others who share my same political ideology but feel stifled by the strawman as I once did and still somewhat do.
Speaking up can be difficult, but as more young Conservatives decide to, it will do two things: expose young Liberals to true Conservatism and empower other young Conservatives to embrace their own beliefs. The Conservative strawman is powerful, but staying silent only allows it to remain powerful.
Until very recently, this is a statement that I felt particularly uncomfortable making. In the past year, my political ideology has become an important part of my identity, and yet I still found myself struggling to share this with my closest friends.
When you're a nineteen-year-old girl, there is a lot of incentive to be a Liberal. All of your favorite celebrities agree with you, you get to wear those cute feminist t-shirts that every brand seems to be making, and it feels like everyone else your age agrees with your ideology. There is simply something trendy about being a young Liberal.
Being a young Conservative female isn't nearly as fashionable. The current staple in Conservative fashion is a bright red MAGA hat, an accessory that likely won't become popular amongst 19-year-old girls any time soon. It sometimes feels as if you're an outsider among peers of your own age and gender.
The feeling of being the uncool, odd man out isn't particularly enjoyable, but it also wasn't the main reason why I was uncomfortable with publicly embracing my Conservatism.
The 2016 presidential election was the political event of my high school career. It was also the first time that I felt self-conscious about my political ideology. For my entire life leading up to that point, I had considered myself a Conservative mostly by default, a position that I had inherited from my family.
The election provoked widespread political discussion at my high school, and for the first time I was faced with what I now call "the Conservative strawman." It seemed that the main critique of anyone on the political right was that they were a racist-sexist-bigot-homophobe whose political positions were founded in these prejudices. Even though I knew that none of these descriptors matched me or my motivations, they were intimidating enough to cause me to shy away from embracing my political ideology and avoid speaking up.
As I became more interested and invested in political matters, my fear of the Conservative strawman began to crumble. I was able to identify the motivations for Conservative positions, none of which had anything to do with bigotry. For the first time, I felt confident in my politics. Even so, it was still difficult for me to share my own political beliefs with others. I might have understood why I held these beliefs, but I knew that my peers did not.
The more that I reflect upon the 2016 election, the more that I realize how great of an impact the Conservative strawman had on my peers and others within my age group. I believe that many who were faced with the strawman took at face value and took this line of logic: "All Conservatives are racist-sexist-bigot-homophobes. I am not any of those things, so I must be a Liberal."
I am not saying that every young person that happens to consider themselves Liberal is solely motivated by this. However, the Conservative strawman is a narrative that still feels constantly pushed upon people my age. My generation is greatly influenced by Hollywood. This may be concerning or seem incredibly dumb to members of older generations, but it's the truth. When celebrities are constantly making social media posts that malign one side of the political aisle as evil and bigoted, it is very difficult for young people to remain unaffected by it.
I believe that this narrative has created a large group of young Liberals who have beliefs that are based on a false perception of what it really means to be a Conservative. They don't necessarily disagree with true Conservative principles. They disagree with the Conservative strawman, a farce that has no roots in Conservative ideals.
Even though I have discounted the strawman and understand that it isn't based in reality, the widespread perception of Conservatives as bigots still has an effect on me. I find myself apprehensive sharing my views with others. I still am nervous about retweeting political content and I haven't even shared this blog on my personal social media. It wasn't until very recently that I outright said to my friends, "I am a Conservative." I don't believe that I am alone in this. Nobody wants to be wrongly perceived as a bigot, and it is sometimes easier to just remain silent.
When young people with Conservative viewpoints are afraid to speak up, it becomes easier for young Liberals who buy into the strawman to reinforce their own beliefs about Conservatism. They remain unchallenged.
If young Conservatives want to tear down the strawman, we have to do our part. If we are bold enough to speak up about our own political ideology, we can demonstrate where our true motivations lie. By speaking up, we can show our Liberal peers that it is possible to be a non-bigoted individual and also Conservative. We can help shift the conversation away from the false dichotomy that says that you are either a bigot or you are a Liberal.
As a 19-year-old female Conservative, I sometimes feel alone. However, I know that this is not the case. I believe that there are others who share my same political ideology but feel stifled by the strawman as I once did and still somewhat do.
Speaking up can be difficult, but as more young Conservatives decide to, it will do two things: expose young Liberals to true Conservatism and empower other young Conservatives to embrace their own beliefs. The Conservative strawman is powerful, but staying silent only allows it to remain powerful.
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