Growing up in a Roman-Catholic household, I have come to cherish beliefs and values that are called “conservative” today. My mother always consistently reminded me to not talk about politics or say that I am a Republican to anyone. This is because it is for safety reasons, and it will leave a negative image for me in the future. I have always asked myself why keeping it private mattered.
It was not until the 2020 Presidential election answered that question for me. I became more politically involved and active on my social media accounts, specifically Instagram. The media has brainwashed many Americans to the point where individuals are too lazy to do their research. The media has made up false narratives to give Trump a negative image. This whole election was an overall mess but it is what it is. As a result of posting my opposition, I have received death threats, nasty messages, and even lost over 300 followers.
I could care less about losing followers because I have gained so much support for being strong enough to voice my concerns on social media platforms. What really got to me is losing significant people in my life. I used to be best friends with a Democrat and I was openly a Republican, but we never talked about politics. Because of the election, they had ended our friendship because I voted for Trump. They called me a racist, white supremacist, homophobic, and misogynist for voting for him. This was my first time being called those names and did not know what to think. All I knew is that I was never those things, so I was confused why they would call me that. It was absurd and immature to end a friendship over politics. But honestly, it has made me realize that God removed them from my life for a reason.
But it didn’t end there. This fall semester, I participated in the Loyola Washington D.C. program and was the only Republican student. I was called a racist, white supremacist, homophobic, misogynist by a classmate. There was no debate or conversation that led to this name calling. The reasoning for this was because I openly said I am a Republican and Trump supporter. It did affect me emotionally and mentally since I’ve never associated with people that were so full of hatred and enjoyed bringing others down before. I will never pull the victim card, but receiving threats and being harassed by political stereotypes has taught me to build a thick skin. But there are a few things I want to be clear about being a Republican:
- Being a Republican does not make me a racist, white supremacist, homophobic, and misogynist.
- Supporting Trump does not make me a racist, white supremacist, homophobic, and misogynist.
- Supporting the Constitution that our Founding Fathers wrote for the United States of America does not make me a racist or white supremacist.
- Being a white individual does not make me a racist or white supremacist.
Loyola University’s current Discrimination Harassment policy states that, “Discriminatory harassment is defined as unwelcome and objectively offensive conduct that abuses, mocks, intimidates, bullies, diminishes or disparages another person or persons because of their actual or perceived membership in a protected class, and that may contribute to a hostile education, work, or living environment. Discriminatory harassment may, but need not, include the use of slurs, epithets, or derogatory terms. Unwelcomeness and objective offensiveness are evaluated based on the totality of the circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances as the affected party. “
But political discrimination still happens at our university and on campus. No student that is a Republican should feel uncomfortable with being around others because of their beliefs. The entire institution has failed to address this issue. Many students have experienced political affiliation discrimination from professors, and it is affecting conservative students. Loyola University Chicago emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, however it seems that it only applies to you if you are not a conservative Republican individual. This policy lacks authority and needs to hold individuals responsible for their actions. Anyone who is a student or a faculty member at this Jesuit institution needs to learn how to respect each other. It is unacceptable and goes against Loyola University Chicago’s values.
Political affiliation discrimination should be unwelcomed here.