Coming Out of the Conservative Closet
By Olivia Jaber
Although America is a free country, people don’t feel free to speak up anymore. While higher education is a pillar of society, higher education is ironically eroding the very foundation of society— freedom of speech. Unfortunately, across the country, college campuses are dominated by liberals, which is a conflict of interest when trying to preserve education as the competitive marketplace for ideas. While education should encourage the pursuit of knowledge, college campuses have become complacent, perfect zones of insulation for progressives. The byproduct of this unfriendly and uninviting environment plaguing our universities today is the widespread silence of conservative voices. Because college campuses and the progressive movement are ingrained in one another, identifying as a conservative in the classroom, can make for an isolating and demeaning experience for many students, myself included. And it doesn’t just end after graduation— silence, belittling, and disparaging conservatives have become all-too-commonplace in American life.
On college campuses, when conservative speakers are disinvited or heckled out of the room, a message is being sent to the conservative student body. This message conveys that their opinions do not deserve an audience. Colleges could not be more unwelcoming— if Ben Shapiro can’t speak on behalf of his beliefs, how could a regular college student like myself speak up? Heckling speakers isn’t limited to those invited to campus— it happens every day to students with different opinions who dare to speak up. When professors condemn the Trump Administration, reinforce progressive values, and actively censor ideas in their classrooms, a clear message is sent to conservative students. A message that suggests that education exists for one pursuit and one pursuit only: the advancement of the progressive agenda. Punishment in the form of harassment, character assassination, and bad grades are legitimate fears on college campuses today— fears that effectively keep conservatives locked inside the closet. While conservatives are judged before they ever open their mouths— shut out of the conversation before it even begins— it’s no wonder I’ve hidden in the conservative closet for years.
American culture has become an amplified version of what is happening across college campuses. The learned and reinforced habit of stifling opinions follows us straight into the real world. The misconceptions that were never confronted, and the silencing that never got squashed, have only become more intense and polarized as we grow older. Today’s age of liberalism has bled into every crevice of American life, whether it’s social media, Hollywood, education, or your favorite clothing brand. In order to reclaim a part of the American culture that has so vapidly become homogenous, it’s time to welcome conservatives out of the closet, and encourage conservatives everywhere to take the leap of faith.
I was reluctant to identify myself as a conservative on my college campus, worried that I would be instantly barred from receiving any good faith or legitimacy upon my participation in conversations. During college, I preserved my reputation and assured my social survival by not talking out of turn, keeping my hand down in class, and censoring my opinions at every corner. I decided to be accepted rather than be honest. Because I wasn’t interested in being a walking controversy, and I knew that my world view wouldn’t be met with open minds, I compromised myself. Unfortunately, my silence, and other’s silence, has left an entire population of students without a well-rounded education. College is no longer about a free exchange of ideas, it’s about liberal dominance above all else.
A study from the University of North Carolina found that many undergraduates “reported having kept an opinion to themselves in the classroom, even though the opinion was related to the class because they were worried about the potential consequences of expressing it.” The study also found that “68 percent of conservatives censored themselves in this way, along with roughly 49 percent of moderates...” Additionally, this study found that “roughly 92 percent of conservatives said they would be friends with a liberal.” In contrast, only a quarter of liberals “said they would not have a conservative friend.” Moreover, another study from More in Common illustrates how the divide bleeds into post-graduation life. This study found that “Democrat’s friend circles do indeed become less politically diverse as they become more educated.” Interestingly, “the same is not true of Republicans.” While it’s conservatives’ job to come out of the closet, the environment liberals have created, on and off college campuses, makes it ever-so challenging to do so.
So why is it that liberals are so open about their opinions in comparison to conservatives? Conservatives, at their core, do not like telling people how to live their lives. At the risk of making liberals uncomfortable, conservatives continue to sacrifice their values to preserve their reputations and friendships. However, by not speaking up, conservatives are degrading the very social fabric of our democracy. Instead of silencing our opinions to make ourselves palatable to others, we owe it to this country, to be confident in our beliefs, and be honest in our convictions. In tandem, liberals owe it to this country to create an environment that fosters intellectual disagreement, rather than closing the doors on it. Our country is polarized— we don’t know how to talk to each other or respect each other for our differing opinions. While this process of opening up my beliefs to others is scary, it’s also rewarding. By coming out of the conservative closet, I am trying to open the conversation, dismantle misconceptions, and help empower other conservatives to find their voice.
At the end of the day, I know who all of my liberal friends are, but do all liberals know who their conservative friends are? While I have shied away from labeling myself as a conservative in the past out of fear of losing friends, I have realized that true friends will respect you for who you are— real friendships run deeper than partisan lines. Friends don’t have to agree with one another, but we must find respect for each other. Shouldn’t we be able to test the waters with our friends, without fear of intense backlash or being “canceled”?
Being a part of The Counservateur has allowed me to come out of the closet. I’m both coming to terms with what I believe while finally getting a place to hash it all out, something I never got to do in college. Hopefully, this platform will finally represent conservative women’s experiences and provide a bridge between friends not seeing eye-to-political-eye. Most of all, I hope that The Conservateur helps conservative women across the country find the confidence and strength to come out of the closet. If you’ve ever worried that you’d lose friends over your beliefs, get marked down on papers, or become the outcast in the classroom, just know, that you can be yourself on The Conservateur, and you’re always welcome here. The longer we stay silent, the longer we allow the Left to rule not only our education, media, and culture but also our way of life. America is a free country, and it’s about time we start living that way. Be brave, be strong, and never be afraid to stay true to yourself.
Photo via Tumblr
