Contributed by Josh Fryfogle
It was only a few years ago that I was being told by a large portion of society that, because of my gender and racial appearance, I was unconsciously sexist against voting for a women. The implication being suggested was that I was subconsciously sexist, that the system predisposed me - as someone who presents as a white male - to that inevitable condition.
Those men who were woke enough to vote for a woman, they were called allies. So what does that make the rest of us? Enemies, that’s what they were driving at. Not certainly, but probably, I was just an automaton of the patriarchy.
Now, just a few years later, I’m advocating for the only woman on the ballot in all 50 states to simply be heard.
My so-called woke friends, and all those male allies that were so proud of their wokeness, that were smug and indifferent to any discussion or dissection of their candidate’s history, or policy - well, they’re silent (or worse) regarding Jo Jorgensen.
For months now, I’ve advocated for Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian candidate for President of the United States, who is eligible to win the election, who is on every ballot in every state in the union. I interviewed her on Skype - I introduced her when she visited Alaska.
When she visited Wasilla!
Despite that, those same people who were so quick to suggest that my not supporting Hillary might be a sign that I am subconsciously (and perhaps even secretly) sexist, they don’t give a single damn about Jo Jorgensen being silenced by the media, or the two-party duopoly.
These are the folks who confidently contrast themselves against their conservative counterparts, differing with them on nearly every issue, except one.
There is one issue that Republicans and Democrats agree on, and it transcends identity politics, every time.
They both agree that third-party candidates like Jo Jorgensen shouldn’t be included in the national narrative.
Think about that, my well-meaning friends. You didn’t just suggest that I might be prejudiced, bigoted, sexist for not supporting your candidate four years ago. You suggested everyone who appears as a white male - and maybe even white females - were sexist, too, preventing a woman from ever being president.
Your silence, your indifference, even your attacks on my preferred candidate now, these do not prove that you are sexist. Neither did your disingenuous exploitation of social issues four years ago, as it turns out you, my friends, were the automatons.
Do you know anything about Jo Jorgensen yet? Have you heard her? If the answer is no, then now is the time to change that. Time is short.
#ImWithHer
#ShesWithUs
#LetHerSpeak
#LetHerDebate