This election cycle has brought forth the destructive nature of Identity Politics. Instead of Democrats looking at how their morally-compromised, ethically-challenged, corrupt, hawkish, neoliberal candidate lost, they instead have turned towards it is the racist's faults, the misogynist's fault, the white, working class' fault. Already, the boardrooms have been churning out media talking points to hand out to their overpaid pundits, on how the white people have suddenly become racists, how men are now all misogynists. It seems that few wish to dive through the chaos of Identity Politics, and also, dissemble the inherent paradoxes that reside inside.

I have had some trepidation penning this, considering the Pavlovian reaction that now exists against those who dare challenge the ideas of Identity Politics. Nonetheless, this election, which perhaps should be viewed as a rejection of Identity Politics, is now being solidified by the Democrats in order to avoid actually helping the poor and middle class. Therefore, now more than ever, is the time to show how toxic this line of thinking can get us.

As this election has demonstrated, Identity Politics allows individuals to be compartmentalized, usually by some arbitrary definition to which values are then ascribed to them, right or wrong. This also quickly brands the undesirables by this same system of ascribing values to them, merely because of a narrative that wishes to be pushed. Of course, the one category that is meticulously neglected is class, because that hurts profits, and those can never be touched.

What has our Identity Politics brought us? If you are Hillary Clinton, you are entitled to women's votes. If you don't vote for her, you have internalized misogyny or "there is a special place in Hell for women who don't support women" as Gloria Steinem put it. Of course, women can't actually be their own free agents, capable of independent thought. White males are the ultimate oppressors, they are to be feared, hated, and discarded. A homeless, scared, white male will never know the level of oppression that Oprah will know. To suggest otherwise is heresy, and will automatically have you branded as a racist and misogynist. If you are Latino, well, automatically that means you are for immigration reform. Of course, this lumps together Cubans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans (who are already American citizens), and other groups who get squeezed together in the sardine can of being "Latino".

I am a white male.

If you bring any of this up, you are then bombarded with male privilege, white privilege, male tears, white fragility, and on and on and on to silence your voice.

Since I am white, it is said that since I was born, I have been oppressing every minority, regardless of my actions. Not only do I not oppress others, I also have no desires to oppress anyone; however, none of that matters here.

I am male; since I was born, I have been oppressing women through the patriarchy, regardless of my actions. Not only do I not oppress others, I also have no desires to oppress anyone; however, none of that matters here.

With this line of thinking, I am a problem to the Democrats. My actions, as an individual who is from a poor background and is poor does not matter. All that matters is that I am white and male. But here is the real kicker.

I am bi. When I was younger, I hated that portion of me. I just wanted to be normal in a society that looked down upon it as you were an "other". As I've gotten older, I've merely accepted it as a part of me. It is not something that I hold with pride nor do I despise it. It merely is a facet of me, nothing more.

So, the party who states that I am an oppressor, that because I am white I am racist and because I am a man I am a misogynist, also views me as a loving member who must bow my head and bend my knee because the Democrats care about me, all because I'm bi.

Many Democrats tried to shame people into voting for their candidates, and one particular set of lines included:
If you don't vote for Clinton, you're hurting blacks, latinos, lgbt, etc. Stop thinking only about yourself and think about all the marginalized groups who you will hurt. You don't know what they will go through cause you won't be affected.

I am tired of being used as a shield and club for the Democratic Party. The shield is meant to use us as a means to deflect and protect Democratic officials when they put forth their neoliberal policies. The club is meant to beat down those people who no longer see the Democratic Party as a viable road to economic, environmental, and foreign security and safety.

I voted Green. In 2008, I was too young to vote. In 2012, my first vote for President went to Jill Stein. In 2016, Jill Stein also got my vote. I do not believe the Democrats care about my interests as an individual, about the poor or those suffering under neoliberal policies. I am merely supposed to vote Democrat because of my identity.

I am more than my identity. I have hopes, dreams, values, concerns, experiences, and guiding principles. Just because I am white doesn't mean I don't have the ideal of treating everyone equally. Just because I am male doesn't mean I don't have the ideal of treating everyone equally.

My identity is not my destiny. I am not defined by my identity. Being white does not define my character. Being male does not define my values. And being bi does not define my set of guiding principles.

Do not doom me because of my identity.
I am more than my identity.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King Jr.