I’ve always been loud and proud about what I believe in. In middle school, I was known as the feminist girl who hated dress codes. Now, I’m known as the liberal girl who is not afraid to call people out for their ignorant comments. I grew up in a conservative small town, but I am lucky enough to have always felt safe voicing my thoughts. I have a certain level of privilege as a straight, white, middle-class, cisgender woman, and it is important that I use that privilege to be an educated, loud, and proud woman.
The results of the 2024 Presidential Election have shocked me to my core. I, just like many others, am terrified for the future of our country. However, it has been quite an eye-opening experience for me. Based on the behavior of those around me and what they are posting on social media, I’ve learned who supports me as a woman. I’ve learned who supports my friends as people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve learned that people want me to keep my mouth shut about the results of the election and how it has affected me. People are in my social media comments telling me I had no friends in high school and that I am going to hell for my beliefs. These comments full of hate were made to shut me up, but they didn’t work and they never have.
No one likes loud women. This isn’t a new revelation. It is a notion based on female gender norms; women are taught to be submissive to their male “superiors” and counterparts. Some religions teach that women are essentially the property of their husbands. In my research for this article, I found a blog post called “Don’t Be A Loud Woman.” This blog post lays out what makes someone a “bad woman” in the eyes of God. It reads, “This brings us to what I would consider the clearest indicator that a woman is a bad candidate for a wife: she is loud… This is a woman you must avoid. She will destroy you.” I see this ideation of what a woman should be often when talking to those with strong religious beliefs. It truly saddens me to see that we have not made quite as much progress as early activists might have hoped.
Women gained the right to vote in 1920, only a mere 104 years ago. However, America has a long history of suppressing the voices of minorities; following the Civil War, African American men were given the right to vote but states created barriers to voting like literacy tests and poll taxes. These barriers stayed in place for many African American women following the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, further silencing women of color.
More recently, reports of police brutality during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 were not uncommon. Ernest Coverson, Amnesty International USA’s End Gun Violence Campaign Manager said, “The unnecessary and sometimes excessive use of force by police against protesters exhibits the very systemic racism and impunity they had taken to the streets to protest. The research shows that people who were simply exercising their human right to protest peacefully were met with such violence that they lost eyesight, survived brutal beatings, and suffered seizures and severe wounds.”
So, here we are, in 2024, still pushing down the voices of nearly half our country. However, one very important voice refuses to be silenced (and it’s not me). Kamala Harris, the first female Vice President of the United States, may have lost the 2024 Presidential Election, but she is not letting that silence her. In her concession speech, she said:
“I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.”
Black women specifically face the “angry black woman” stereotype. When her husband was president, Michelle Obama faced the same backlash as Harris. “I admit it: I am louder than the average human being and I have no fear of speaking my mind. These traits don’t come from the color of my skin, but from an unwavering belief in my own intelligence,” the former First Lady said in her book. The voices of women of color are often ignored, written off as unimportant and uneducated. These women must be even more assertive in order to be heard, only further perpetuating the “angry black woman” stereotype. The suppression of black women’s voices can be seen in the election results: The Associated Press reports that 89% of black women voted for Harris. These women have been ignored and let down.
Recently in my personal life, I have stopped keeping my feelings inside. When it comes to my relationships, I aim to keep others happy, even at the expense of my voice. When I had an issue with the way a friend was treating me, I would bottle it up and remind myself of all the good times I’ve had with that person. I have learned to bring my openness about world issues to my personal life and that open communication is so much healthier. Sadly because of this change, I have seen gender stereotypes play out right in front of my face; I’m referred to as aggressive, rude, and negative for voicing my feelings. Having my feelings so openly disregarded (during personal matters and this election) has truly opened my eyes.
To anyone wondering why I am so vocal about my beliefs and opinions, it is because I can be. I have the right and duty to stand up for what I believe in and for those who cannot do so safely, and I will continue to do so, no matter who doesn’t like it.