Come and hold my hand and I'll be your biggest fan

I just convinced my super conservative father to vote for Obama instead of Romney. He has been pro-Romney from the get-go. He does not like Obama at all. He’s one of those brainwashed conservatives that watches Fox News every night and actually believes Romney’s economic plan adds up and it’ll work. He’s a Republican in nearly every sense. I have had fear and depression just thinking about if Romney wins. When I think about Romney winning, I get sick to my stomach. See, if Romney wins, I am a second class citizen. Romney wants a federal ban on same-sex marriage, and he also believes it is acceptable to fire someone based on their sexuality. He doesn’t even believe in civil unions, and when asked about hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples, he said it should be left up to the states. Really, a government, even if the smaller state government, has the right to tell someone whether or not they can visit a sick loved one? Romney is a bigot. Flat-out. And if he wins, each and every LGBT American will be a second class citizen. We will fall from a time period that we finally have a President that believes in same-sex marriage, to a period with one of the most anti-LGBT politicians in recent history.

So, tonight when my father went on yet another rant about Romney, I lost it. I finally lost it. Everything I’ve been wanting to say I let out. The thing that gets me the most is LGBT youth. Now, as an out-of-the-closet lesbian who is pretty comfortable with herself, even I deeply fear living in a country run by Romney. Like I said, it makes me sick to my stomach. I get deep anxiety. Imagine, living in a country where you are second class. Where your President does not believe in your love, and does not care about your rights. A country that fell from greatness, President Obama declaring his support of same-sex marriage, to a country that supports bigotry based on who you love. Now, if I can barely handle that, imagine LGBT youth, fearful of being who they are and closeted to those around them. The “It Gets Better” campaign is a beautiful campaign that I believe saved many lives. If Romney wins, the same LGBT youth that were saved by the “It Gets Better” campaign may turn around and say “It doesn’t get better.” Because really, if we can progress so much with acceptance of LGBT individuals in this country, but then a bigot like Mitt Romney gets elected, what does that tell these kids? It tells them “It may have gotten better for a while, but now it is going to get worse for at least the next four years.” And that terrifies me. These kids are barely hanging on to life as it is, and to see Mitt Romney get elected I guarantee will skyrocket LGBT suicides in the country; youth and adults alike.

People that support LGBT rights but are voting for Romney should be ashamed. Because really, you cannot support LGBT rights and go around and vote for someone AGAINST LGBT rights. It doesn’t work. So if you’re voting for Romney, just be honest. Say “Romney’s economic plan is worth the LGBT suicides that will ensue.” Say “Romney’s tax cuts are worth making every LGBT individual a second-class citizen.” If you are voting for Romney, you should look an LGBT individual in the eye and say “It is more important to me to save some money from my paycheck than for you to feel accepted, happy, welcomed, and loved in your own country.” Because essentially, if you vote for Romney, that is what you are saying. What if Romney was an outward racist? If he explicitly said he does not believe non-caucasions should get married, and it was acceptable to fire someone for not being white. Would you vote for him then? How is that any different from what is happening to LGBT individuals in this country? If you use religion as an excuse- here’s the one comeback I need: there is a SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE. Always has been; always will be. No one’s religion should decide someone else’s rights, and LGBT marriage hurts NO ONE. Being against LGBT rights is being a bigot, equally as bad as being racist. And in future generations, everyone will see that. And those that voted for Mitt Romney will be ashamed to tell their children and grandchildren so.

When I ranted this all off to my father, in between sobs, his face changed. It dropped; it softened. He finally saw from an LGBT person’s perspective what a vote for Mitt Romney would mean. A vote for him is a vote AGAINST me, against LGBT individuals, against LGBT families. It is a vote against humanity. Once my sobs lessened, he finally spoke. “I promise you, I will not vote for Mitt Romney.”