Why I Was Tempted by the Right—and Why I Couldn’t Stay

 Why I Was Tempted by the Right—and Why I Couldn’t Stay

I’ve spent the last few years feeling politically homeless.

At one point, I found myself drifting toward the conservative side of things—tempted even by the MAGA crowd. And no, it wasn’t because I hate people of color, women, immigrants, or LGBTQ+ folks. Quite the opposite. I was drawn to it because I was angry. Frustrated. Exhausted by the way certain voices on the left seemed to paint people like me—white, male, struggling—as the villains in every story.

This is me being honest about why I leaned right, and why I ultimately had to walk away.

Why I Drifted Right (At First)

1. I was tired of being blamed for things I didn’t do.
I’ve never owned slaves. Never supported segregation. Never threw anyone off their land or into an internment camp. And yet, I kept seeing this narrative—especially online—that white people are inherently bad or guilty just for being white. I believe in learning from history so we don’t repeat it. But I couldn’t accept the self-loathing and finger-pointing that never seemed to lead anywhere constructive.

2. I didn’t like modern feminism—and I still don’t.
It’s not that I don’t support women’s rights. I do. I support men’s rights, too. But conservatives don’t care about men either—they just want a return to some twisted 1950s fantasy. I don’t want tradwives. I want balance. I want men’s trauma, mental health, and struggles to be taken seriously alongside women’s—not erased, mocked, or ignored.

3. I hated the double standards in public discourse.
Seeing someone hold a fake severed Trump head wasn’t “art.” It was cruel. Watching people wish harm on a kid for wearing a red hat? Disgusting. I don’t care what side you’re on—cruelty isn’t activism.

4. I was told kids were being sexualized—and I believed it.
It made me sick to my stomach to hear claims about inappropriate content being shown to children. I don’t think it’s okay for anyone, regardless of sexuality or gender, to cross those boundaries. But I also realized how conservatives were exploiting this issue—using it to attack the LGBTQ+ community in general. That’s not about protecting kids. That’s about weaponizing fear.

5. I believed in the border wall.
Conservatives told me immigration was driving wages down and letting criminals in. When you’re poor, when you’re struggling, it’s easy to believe that. It gives you someone to blame. But then I started to see who they were actually targeting: not criminals, but families, kids, people just trying to survive.

6. I didn’t believe in “white privilege.”
My brother, who’s white like me, owns a house, has a good job, and lives comfortably. I’m the opposite. I do gig work and live with my boyfriend just to stay off the street. If white privilege exists, how come our lives turned out so different? But I’ve come to understand that privilege isn’t about everything being easy—it’s about certain things not being harder because of your race. Still, it doesn’t mean white people can’t suffer. We do. I do.

7. I didn’t like the entertainment industry either.
Not because there were women, LGBTQ+ people, or people of color in movies. That’s not the problem. The problem was when the message felt less like a story and more like a scolding. But let’s be real: conservatives only complain when those groups exist in stories at all. It’s not about quality for them—it’s about control.

Why I Couldn’t Stay Conservative

1. Their hate runs too deep.
They lose their minds over a rainbow flag. They cheer when pride murals are defaced. They call teachers groomers just for accepting LGBTQ+ kids. Meanwhile, they ignore the predators in their own political ranks. That’s not moral—it’s manipulative.

2. They don’t care about women or children.
They rage about “men in women’s sports” but force 12-year-old girls to give birth even if it kills them. They talk about “protecting kids” while gutting programs that actually help kids. The hypocrisy is staggering.

3. They weaponize veterans for their own image.
They cry, “Why do gays get a month and vets only get a day?” — as if that’s even true. Veterans actually get two months and several commemorative days. Meanwhile, the same people voting red are cutting VA benefits. Again: all for show.

4. They lie—constantly.
They lie about Trump. About LGBTQ+ people. About immigrants. About COVID. About everything. And when they’re caught, they double down. Truth has no place in their political machine.

5. Their cruelty toward immigrants broke me.
We’re not “securing the border.” We’re traumatizing children. We’re punishing poor families trying to work, pay taxes, and find safety. That’s not patriotism—it’s cruelty in a flag costume.

So Where Do I Stand?

Honestly? I don’t. Not with either side. I’ll vote blue—not because I love the Democrats, but because Republicans are far more dangerous right now. But that doesn’t mean Democrats are blameless.

They ignore men’s issues. They speak in buzzwords. They often don’t understand real poverty or real pain. They fund wars abroad while people at home choose between rent and medicine. They let healthcare and housing remain luxuries when they should be human rights.

I don’t care about party loyalty. I care about people.
I want a country where:

• Men’s mental health matters.

• Women have autonomy over their bodies.

• Kids are safe—truly safe.

• Immigrants are treated like humans.

• Education, housing, and healthcare aren’t battlegrounds for lobbyists.

• We solve problems instead of throwing poop at each other across the aisle.

Until then, I’m not pledging allegiance to red or blue. I’m just trying to hold on to my humanity in a country that’s lost its mind.

If you’ve ever felt this way—torn, frustrated, uncertain—you’re not alone.
We don’t need more partisans.
We need more people willing to think, question, and care.

Even when it’s uncomfortable.