Nathan Rich

The gender gap in political affiliation.

For the generation that was proclaimed to be the most progressive in our nation’s history, and deemed to “save the planet”, America post 2024 election has proven that Generation Z is not as progressive as the world predicted. People are once again casually using the “r-word” and other slurs, which are also used and encouraged by senior advisor to Trump, Head of U.S. Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk. Now, older generations of women had more rights than Gen Z women do, and some forms of segregation are returning to America. Ironically, Gen Z is rejecting the “woke” agenda they were the founders of.

Additionally, there is a large gender gap in political affiliation among Gen Z men and women. According to The Guardian, “The partisan gap between young men and women almost doubled in the past 25 years,” and according to a study by PRRI. “There is also a pronounced gender gap among Gen Z adults, with 47% of Gen Z women and 38% of Gen Z men identifying as liberal.”

With Gen Z men’s changing attitudes towards gender, femininity and masculinity, Gen Z women are left scratching their heads trying to understand their male peers. In a Buzzfeed article, Gen Z women from both sides of the political spectrum shared their views on conservatism growing in popularity among their male peers. One anonymous woman stated, “I think Trump makes guys feel powerful and sexually dominant by putting women back ‘in their place’ in society. What other avenues do young men have in society to feel powerful?” Another woman named Regan shared, “Trump is a businessman, and so are most of his mutuals; men love business. Seeing these male business leaders supporting Trump and the right’s values helps them decide.”

So, where does that leave Gen Z women? With Gen Z women becoming the most progressive group in America, how can they connect with their male peers who are starkly opposed? Well, this widening gap in political ideology will have disastrous effects on friendships and relationships. Polling shows that more than “70% of college Democrats wouldn’t go on a date with a Republican,” and “37% of Democrats said they wouldn’t be friends with someone from the opposite party.” The future of Gen Z’s relationships, both platonic and romantic, is not looking bright.

At Tulane University, the divisions are apparent. In a poll shared only with Tulane women, they shared their true beliefs on the growing popularity of conservatism amongst Tulane men. One question asked on a scale of one to five — one being “not at all” and five being “absolutely” — “Do you feel that men at Tulane are more Conservative Leaning?” Almost 89% of women ranked a three or higher. Another question asked on a scale of one to five, “Do you have trouble connecting with men at Tulane because of their political affiliation and/or attitudes?” Most women responded with a ranking of five. An anonymous comment stated, “It’s mostly a lack of caring/taking politics seriously. Most of the men I’ve talked to (outside of my political science major…) have below average knowledge or feelings about anything happening politically.”

With the rise of conservatism amongst young men in America, even at liberal colleges such as Tulane, women are feeling frustration with the rift in their own generation. If Gen Z women and men cannot get along with their future friends, partners or coworkers it can hurt progress and relationships among Gen Z. Unfortunately, America’s lawmakers are not setting the best example for Gen Z. With politicians name-calling opposite party members in congressional hearings, a U.S. House of Representatives representative purposefully misgendering a transgender member of U.S. Congress in committee hearings and our current president bullying Democrats in his State of the Union, our leaders are fueling the fires of party division. Until our country can find its way back to unity instead of political animosity, Gen Z relationships will have no guiding light to mutual understanding. These divisions will increasingly create anxieties and polarization when Gen Z is unable to connect and listen to one another.