Having watched the entire Democratic National Convention, I woke up the day after Kamala Harris’s inspiringly patriotic nomination acceptance speech finding it hard to understand how we have anything close to a neck-in-neck race for this presidency. It’s hard to imagine that people in this country are as far apart as we are about things that matter so much- like democracy, equal human rights for all, fair elections, and basic kindness and decency. But it’s not hard to imagine that some people at the pinnacle of white male privilege, power, and misogyny are damn sure not going to let a BIPOC woman become President without a lot of ruckus.
That aside, I’ve never felt more hopeful for my country than after the Democratic National Convention this year. Hope is a dangerous thing. Those of us with various marginalizations have dared to hope before- and with hope comes the risk of crushing disappointment. Hope is a risk. Hope means getting excited enough that you might be devastated when hope is dashed.
But I am choosing to take that risk. I hope you will too. Because while false hope can cause us to be reckless, real hope can inspire real change, and real change in this country- real social justice-oriented, democracy-oriented change- is what we Americans need.
I know what some of you are going to say. “Stay in your lane, Lissa.”
Some people only want me to write about mind-body medicine, trauma healing, relationships, art, and memoir writing. I don’t wish to intentionally alienate anyone who appreciates, supports, and benefits from my public work in the world. But I also don’t want to be expected to keep my political views private.
When I published my endorsement for Kamala Harris, my team was shocked at the amount of hate mail we received. The viciousness of the people who subscribe to my mailing list but who do not want me to endorse Kamala Harris is shocking to me, given everything I stand for and have been public about for my entire public career.
But as an American physician who cares about public health, our politics is a public health issue at this point in our history. This IS my lane, so hear me out, please.
I am trained as an OB/GYN. Fighting for women’s rights is something I’ve been doing since I was a teenager. I am also the sister of a BIPOC woman. Fighting against white supremacy and for Civil Rights is also something I’ve devoted myself to since I was an African American Women’s Studies major at Duke University, studying under the mentorship of Toni Morrison and Henry Louis Gates and reading Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston. I am also the niece of two Methodist ministers and the granddaughter of another Methodist minister who have a legacy of bucking the church to fight for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ rights and defending ministers who were defrocked for marrying queer people. My family is a family of card carrying ACLU members and family members who are queer, out, and proud. And I am proud to say that my family has full unity in our agreement that Kamala Harris is exactly the President we need right now.
So of course I’m voting for Kamala Harris, and of course I’m going to shout it from the rooftops.
Because silence is violence.
If I don’t leverage my influence to stand for my core values, I’m standing with the oppressor- in this case, the Republican Party and its Donald Trump loyalists.
Because let’s face it. At this point in the political process, if you’re not voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, you’re voting for Donald Trump and JD Vance, which means you’re voting for MAGA extremists, destruction of democracy, the elimination of free and fair elections, the end of decency and decorum, and the establishment of a vindictive authoritarian dictatorship hell bent on oppressing BIPOC, women, immigrants, veterans, and anyone who is not a MAGA loyalist.
Now that RFK, Jr is out of the race (I was not a fan of this anti-vax Disinformation Dozen Covid denialist to begin with), voting for Donald Trump is the only real alternative to voting for Kamala Harris. And that means voting for white supremacy, misogyny, grabbing women by the pussy, stripping women of their reproductive rights, homophobia, blocking job creations and infrastructure planning, xenophobia, and pardoning convicted January 6 insurrectionist felons.
But you all know that. So let’s talk about the joy reverberating around the country because of the Democratic National Convention. My sister in law sent me this article about a therapist commenting on the difference between the female and male children he sees in his therapy practice right now. The girls are lighter. Their eyes brighter. Their hope sparked. The boys…not so much. It moved me to think of all the little girls out there and all the BIPOC children who are seeing someone like themselves potentially rising to the top position of global leadership. What a difference it makes when we have even a crack in the foundation of the systemic oppression of white supremacy and patriarchy!
My whole family watched the Democratic National Convention, with an active text thread between us, and I haven’t felt this amount of hope since Obama was running. I haven’t seen this much diversity at the DNC ever before. The sheer glory of all those BIPOC women basking in their power, talent, intelligence, justice-seeking fairness, and inner/ outer beauty made my heart sing. And all that BIPOC male Democratic talent and musical talent. And a new breed of masculinity modeled by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris’s running mate Tim Walz.
I was in tears time and time again.
So today, I’m relistening to the playlist my DJ Zaza part made to celebrate Joe Biden’s handing of the torch to Kamala Harris.
You can listen to Kamala Harris For President tunes here.
I will be teaching an IFS and Memoir Writing retreat in Malta during the election. (There’s still room to join us- sign up here!) So I’ll be sure to submit my absentee ballot while I’m out of the country.
For any of you already committed Trump voters, please don’t waste your time writing me hate mail. I don’t read it and it upsets my staff. Exercise your right to vote and vote for whoever you want. That’s what democracy is about.
But if you’re still undecided, please watch Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech from the DNC. Compare it to Trump’s acceptance speech at the RNC.
Vote from your heart.
Let freedom ring.
Because I care,
Lissa
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