Women Confess How They Learned The Shocking Truth About Their Boyfriend’s Conservative Beliefs

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“I met my partner leading up to the 2016 election. I was devastated after the election, and it didn’t even occur to me that he may have voted for Trump because he was so kind and funny and seemingly open. I had talked extensively about my hatred for Trump and my concerns for what a Trump presidency would mean for me (a female immigrant) and my students (many of whom are immigrants as well). A few weeks later, my new boyfriend took me to an extremely nice dinner, and he was so nervous. He said he had to come clean about something: he had voted for Trump. I was gut-punched and immediately started to cry. I said that that might be a deal breaker for me. The consequence of Trump being in office negatively impacted me and my community almost immediately — for context, white conservative students at the school where I taught chanted ‘Build a wall’ to the faces of Hispanic students the day after the election.”

“I was totally blindsided by his admission, but I was also conflicted because he clearly felt bad about having to share the way he voted, knowing how it would affect me and our relationship. I was in love, and instead of leaving, I decided to talk about it. We talked about why he voted that way, what he liked about Trump and his messaging, and then I shared what I didn’t like about him and his policies. Most importantly, I introduced him to my community. He went right into a blue-collar position out of high school and largely surrounded himself with people that looked like him, shared his background, and held the same political beliefs. I introduced him to the people in my life who were directly, negatively impacted by Trump and his policies. We didn’t fight about it, we talked about it — sure, we cried about it too — but he was so open to hearing my side that he honestly showed me how I could better engage with people I disagreed with. He admitted he made a mistake, I forgave him, and we’ve been together and in love ever since. He voted Democrat all the way down in every election since, and he is actually trying to reach his father and get through to him to change his mind, too. I share this because there is hope that people can change and learn to lead with love again.”

—Anonymous, 38, Female, NY