I voted for Vice President Kamala Harris for president, and I think you should too. This year’s election is unlike any in recent memory. For many U.S. citizens, it’s a defining moment, and as a woman, an immigrant and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this was not a decision I made lightly. 

This election is not just about policy differences but about the very survival of democracy, civil rights and the protection of minority communities. I voted for Harris not because I agree with her on every single issue, but because the stakes are far too high to risk a return to a Trump-led America.

Women in politics are constantly held to impossible standards that men, especially white men (who dominate American politics), rarely face. Harris, as both a woman and a woman of color, is subject to scrutiny far beyond what’s applied to Trump or even male leaders within her own party. While Trump can openly make inflammatory comments and maintain his base, Harris’s every word and move is dissected with an intensity that suggests women must be above reproach to even be considered competent.

Unlike Trump, whose supporters often disregard his past actions, Harris faces a huge double standard,  judged by expectations that her male colleagues do not meet. She faces an even higher bar than Hillary Clinton did, as Harris’s identity brings additional prejudice — she’s a target not only as a woman but as a Black and South Asian woman, forced to navigate biases that compound as she rises in political power.

I voted for a Black woman for president and I can celebrate that progress while also admitting that she does not hold the same values that I do. I do not agree with Harris on every single issue. She is not my ideal candidate for president. I am not buying merch or begging to worship at her feet, but she secured my vote because the alternative option is descending into fascism. The alternative option is saying goodbye to our democracy as we know it. 

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we have seen countless cases where women have been denied life-saving healthcare. Women have died, some bleeding out in parking lots. Women have been denied life-saving care and have been stripped of their autonomy. Women across the country have died from complications, forced to wait until their lives were in immediate danger before doctors could act. Girls, still children themselves, have been coerced into motherhood under laws that strip them of their bodily autonomy. 

Harris, who staunchly defends reproductive rights, offers a way forward. Although we may not agree on every issue, her commitment to protecting women’s health and autonomy is non-negotiable, especially in the face of a Trump administration eager to further erode these rights.

On LGBTQ+ rights, the choice is similarly stark. During Trump’s term, we saw an emboldening of hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, with policies such as the transgender military ban. Harris has consistently advocated for equal protections under the law, offering an alternative to Trump’s divisive rhetoric. A second Trump term could mean a rollback of marriage equality, adoption rights and even basic anti-discrimination protections that many in the LGBTQ+ community, including myself, depend on daily.

Trump’s foreign policy is equally alarming, especially regarding both Gaza and Ukraine. Harris has received a lot of criticism for refusing to condemn the genocide and continuing to support Israel despite everything that has happened in the last year. Many voters have been disappointed that despite proclaiming support for a two-state solution, she continues to voice support for funding Israel’s actions. Yet, even in her most criticized stance, she is nowhere near as radical as Trump. 

Trump has aligned with forces seeking to devastate Gaza, displaying a blatant disregard for Palestinian lives by equating all Palestinians with terrorists. He has openly backed policies that support the destruction of Gaza, a stance that endangers countless innocent lives and further undermines America’s role as a theoretical mediator in the Middle East. Trump has promised to level Gaza to the ground. Trump and his circle have called Harris a supporter of terrorists and made it clear that they deeply hate all Arabs and do not care for their well-being. 

Then, there’s Trump’s “promise” to end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours — a statement that suggests capitulation to Russian demands rather than a genuine solution. Ukraine needs more support and permission to strike back at Russian targets, not to be forced into a harmful and false peace deal with Russia. 

As a Ukrainian immigrant, I know what’s at stake for Ukraine. Trump’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin, evidenced by his secret provision of COVID-19 tests to Russia during a pandemic shortage in the U.S., suggests that he would trade Ukraine’s sovereignty to appease a dictator. Harris, though imperfect, recognizes the importance of supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and standing firm against authoritarianism.

The Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was an unprecedented attack on American democracy that cannot be brushed aside or forgotten. It seems that, as a country, many of us have moved on much too quickly. On that day, after Trump and his allies amplified false claims of election fraud, supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results. This violent event led to injuries, deaths and over a thousand arrests. Even Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, who was directly targeted by the mob, refused to endorse Trump’s 2024 candidacy — a remarkable stance that speaks volumes about the level of danger Pence perceives in a second Trump term.

Trump’s role in inciting the insurrection has been documented thoroughly, from his speeches urging followers to “fight like hell” to his hours-long inaction as events unfolded. He has encouraged violence, hate and division throughout his career, with frequent endorsements of dangerous ideas. His record also includes numerous accusations of racism and misogyny, not to mention many credible allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Jan. 6th stands as a reminder of the risks Trump poses to democracy and the extremes to which he will go to retain power — no matter the cost.

In an election this high-stakes, the choice between a major-party candidate and a third-party candidate is a luxury we simply cannot afford. Voting for a third party may seem like a way to hold out for “better,” or vote in a way that’s better aligned with one’s morals, but in reality, it risks splitting the vote, especially among those who oppose Trump’s destructive policies. As unfortunate as our current political system is — a two-party system that utilizes the flawed electoral college — this is the legal system under which we live. 

This is a two-party system; our options this election are Trump or Harris. I find it difficult to believe that those who support progressive values genuinely think both would lead us to the same future.

Casting a vote for Harris does not mean blind allegiance or agreement on every policy. I will not be buying campaign merch, making obsessive memes about her or treating her like a savior. But I recognize that, at this moment, she’s the leader who can protect the rights and values we hold dear. Choosing Harris is a choice for progress over prejudice, for hope over hatred.