Should I break up with my partner over politics?

Or can I "cancel out" their vote?

This post is written by Diem co-founder Emma Bates.

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But first, here’s what else people are talking about on Diem:

1. My family keeps making me feel bad for voting blue   

2. Why cant he hang things nicely?    

3. Has anyone here had a baby via surrogacy? What has the process like?

4. Best first one night stand ever   

5. I thought i was Bi and told my friends    

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🗳 🗳🗳🗳US readers—have you voted today? Head here to find your polling place! 🗳🗳🗳🗳

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I am British living in the US on a visa. I cannot vote in the election today. But that hasn’t stopped me from following closely, in utter dismay, over the last few months as I witnessed the countless instances of internalized (and very conscious) misogyny, xenophobia, and racism that has been the defining feature of this electoral cycle. Before we get into it, I’d also like to be super clear that I’m aware this is not a clear-cut issue with only male voters. There are millions of women who are parroting these narratives too (may I remind you 47% of white women voted for Trump in 2016, and potentially more than 50% in 2020).

We first saw posts like the above crop up in Diem over the summer. It got me thinking about what I would do in this situation. Unlike the popular TikTok trend, I do not have any men in my life whose vote I need to “cancel out”—but millions of women do, and I can only imagine what it must feel like to have to deal with this kind of a relationship (whether it be a relative or partner). If it’s not obvious, my answer to this question is a resounding: yes, I would absolutely break up with a partner if they were voting for Trump in this election.

Why?