“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be last- because every little girl watching tonight see that this is a country of possibilities” -Vice President elect, Kamala Harris

The world is changing, and the government is becoming increasingly diverse. 2020 has been a record-breaking year for POC and LGBTQ+ representation in politics.

Starting with the highest seat, Kamala Harris is the first black, female, and South Asian VP in the history of the nation.
Oklahoma elected Mauree Turner, for state house, making them the first Muslim elected in Oklahoma, as well as the first non-binary politician in the U.S.
Georgia elected their first openly LGBTQ+ senator, Kim Jackson, and their first LGBTQ+ and Afrolatino senator, Ritchie Torress.
Sarah Mcbride is the first out trans woman ever elected a state senator in the U.S.
In Tennessee, Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis are the first LGBTQ+ state legislators.
Michele Rayner is the first queer and black woman to be elected a state legislator.

Diversity in government, state or nation wide, is monumentally important for two reasons. First, people of different cultures, lifestyles, and upbringings need to be represented in government. All of these factors will affect someone’s political opinions, so how can a government of straight white men represent everyone?

Second, it’s so important that the kids of the world see people like them in power positions. Telling a child they can be anything versus showing them are two different things. Kamala Harris as Vice President instills hope in every little girl who was told she was “too bossy” or that boys are better leaders. A woman in a leadership position is still new to the world, and a women of color is even more rare. Young girls are constantly told no, and when those girls get older and start to use their voices, people try to cut them down even harder.

I want to live in a world where women in congress are treated with respect and kindness. A world where Rep. Ted Yoho wouldn’t dream to call anyone a “fu**ing bi*ch”.
I want to live in a world where a woman’s worth doesn’t come from her body “A person who is very flat-chested is very hard to be a 10” -Donald Trump
I want to live in a world where someone doesn’t have to tell The President of the United States how to pronounce his opponents name, a world where he doesn’t reply “so what?”
I want to live in a world where women of color can wear their hair naturally and not be called unprofessional.
I want to live in a world where society doesn’t elect someone who thinks “Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage” -Mike Pence
I want to live in a world where someone like Amy Coney Barrett, who misgendered trans women as “physiological males”, doesn’t get a seat on the Supreme Court.

Women, LGBT people, and people of color, have been kept from government for too long and finally things are starting to change. The road is long, and the journey wont be easy, but with every person of color, member of the LGBTQ+ community, and woman elected, we take a step closer to true equality.