By Virginia Valencia
My legs wobbled as I sat down near the white powdery line of the soccer field. I slid down my sock as blood gushed down my knee and I quickly wiped it. My body ached and my feet hurt, but I hurried back on the field to the match.
My soccer team consisted of a single girl. That girl was me. My entire league consisted of a single girl and that girl was me. My 12-year-old self with little self-confidence and no self-identity continuously marched head first against the boys, against the sexism, against the standard without any knowledge of it. These lessons were wasted on me.
After leaving soccer behind, I had no pain to remind me to push for change, no struggle to understand how daunting it is to be a girl in this world.
The remembrance came when Donald Trump won the presidency despite having a very well-known documented belittlement of all women.
The controversial “p—y grabbing” video was seen as funny and although I shook my head, I laughed along. I learned to camouflage in a world of men.
T r u m p p r o m o t e s a desensitized world when he publicizes sexist remarks in his everyday life on Twitter and advocates for his misogynist GOP policy regulations.
Trump has restricted women’s bodies around the world by reinstating the Global Gag Rule. Democracy Now states that this policy “bans U.S. funding for any international healthcare organizations that perform abortions or advocate for the legalization of abortion.”
The rule prohibits the U.S. from funding nongovernment organizations that offer advise and health options about abortion even if the funding is not used for abortion services, according to The Huffington Post.
This guaranteed the defunding of international Planned Parenthood Federation and the assurance of my wrath.
No president who cares about women, gender equality, and having women in the workforce would cut such an important program.
According to News Week, 70 percent of voters opposed taking away funding for Planned Parenthood. The needs of women are important to society yet Trump paid no mind as he drew up his proposed budget plan which cuts even more services.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that Trump plans to cut funding for U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services which hold sexual assault and domestic violence support for women.
Trump’s presidency could ultimately reverse the progress of century long struggles of change and progress. It is the time to stop laughing along.
I have summoned my 12-year-old self’s tenacity and hurry toward my new match. My battle scars won’t be visible like in soccer but they will be apparent in me.
Tr ump’s presidency has empowered me and it has reminded me that my voice is strong. That it can create change.
Updated May 10 at 1:54 p.m.: The column inaccurately stated Planned Parenthood was defunded. President Donald Trump signed an executive order defunding the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The column has been updated to reflect this information.
