‘Whore,’ ‘Slut,’ And Other Classic Lady Insults Hurled At Teen Opponent Of Gay Marriage

Madeleine McAulayWhen I was a teenager, I can completely admit that I was too self-centered to pay much attention to the world around me. My life consisted of school and social drama. That’s why I’m always impressed by young people who step forward and begin to influence the world before they’ve ever graduated high school.

It takes admirable poise and confidence to speak out on social and political issues thoughtfully. It takes even more strength to withstand the inappropriate insults that often come with sharing a controversial opinion. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, speaking up about politics can bring out some truly disgusting vitriol for many young women.

Madeleine McAulay is a 16-year-old high school student in North Carolina. She runs her own conservative blog called Faith Hope & Politics. After North Carolina’s Amendment One was voted into law and President Obama voiced his support for same-sex marriage, Madeleine took to YouTube to explain her views on the subject. She believes that “Marriage is not just some right. It’s making a covenant with God.” She bases her opposition to same-sex marriage on faith, a viewpoint that many in the country share with her.

Personally, I don’t share this young woman’s belief. Given the separation of Church and State, I believe that a government-recognized marriage that allows same-sex couples the same advantages and recognition as those afforded to heterosexual couples is a right. Marriage as defined by the any Church should be a completely separate issue.

What I did just there, when I expressed an opposing viewpoint without insulting or condemning anyone, that’s the way that I wish proponents of same-sex marriage would’ve responded to Madeleine. Whether you agree with her or not, she’s a young woman who is intelligent and articulate enough to share her views with the world and create a conversation. She deserves respect.

Instead, this young woman was met with lewd remarks, jaw-dropping threats and just plain vitriol. Now don’t get me wrong, I scrolled through all 210 comments on the original video and the majority of the responses were kind and supportive. Unfortunately, the few hateful commenters often try to drown out the more thoughtful conversation.

Madeleine’s experience reminds me a lot of Emma Sullivan, the Kansas teen who tweeted about her discontent with Governor Sam Brownback. In response, she was called a “whore” and a “slut.” It was another young lady who was brave enough to wade into the world of politics and was met with sexist slurs from those who didn’t think she had the right to share her opinion.

We should be applauding young women like Emma and Madeleine. We should be encouraging these ladies to speak their mind and get involved in the world around them. And as moms, I think it’s our duty to support young women who obviously want to make a difference in the world around them. We need to amplify their voices when others try to keep them quiet.

No matter what your political beliefs are, we should all be able to agree that it’s completely inappropriate to threaten and insult someone for her opinions, especially a young girl who seems more mature and confident than many of her detractors.

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