Do you sometimes feel that we, as a society, are moving backwards?

Reversing  the progress that has been made? It may have been the increase in civil unrest and protests for Black Americans or an “actor” being in the White House (*cough* Ronald Reagan *cough*), but for whatever reason, this feeling of historical deja vu may be clouding your mind.

Americans have experienced an overwhelming amount of tragedy since March, but something that really hit specifically leftists and democrats was the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was a long-standing symbol of liberal and feminist views points. Since this death, there has been the issue of who shall replace her. 

As of Oct. 26, 2020, Amy Coney Barrett is now a justice on the Supreme Court, and, to put it simply, I’m terrified for the future and what is going to happen to my rights. Now before we get into that, let’s set the stage with a little background on Barrett.

Prior to her confirmation, she served as a judge on the court of appeals. She has been judged for a number of cases about a range of different issues, including immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and issues surrounding women. People have criticized her view on abortion, with her being pro-life, and her views on LGBTQ+ rights, with specific focus on her being in a faith group with often extreme views. 

Now some of you might be thinking that I’m being a tad dramatic. It may seem to you like this is simply another person in the Supreme Court who isn’t actually going to change anything, but I’m not going to count on that. As a queer person with a uterus, I am incredibly scared that, in a few years, I will be missing most of my rights. 

Coming up pretty soon is a Supreme Court case about whether or not organizations can discriminate against gay people on the basis of religious beliefs. I don’t have confidence that this is going to go in LGBTQ+ people’s favor, and I’m worried that it’s going to be the beginning of the end for gay rights. There have also been a number of people who have been worried about how her confirmation could affect the right to be married. That is a right that took decades and decades to be obtained and I know that it can be taken away in a matter of moments. 

Besides these rights, there is also the major concern that Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Roe v. Wade gave people the right to have an abortion, which should only ever  be a person’s decision, not the government’s. I’m extremely scared that the government will take control over my body, which is at least the one thing I always have control of.

Basically, I’m worried about my future and my rights. I hope I’m wrong and that this won’t be as disastrous as I feel it’s going to be. Only time will tell. Besides this, if you can, vote this Nov. 3, so that you can play a part in your future.