“The Personal IS Political

When Progressives inadvertently say the quiet part out loud.

Thomas St Thomas
5 min readNov 26, 2023

“The personal IS political!”

I remember this triumphant statement delivered with pride as if it was a declaration of victory. It came at the end of a back and forth through social media with a Progressive leader of sorts. I say that because it wasn’t a random person who just picked up the phrase from common parlance, but an educated physician, writer, and leader in the Progressive community. She knew what she was saying.

It’s a phrase often pulled out when a person tries to separate what their personal opinion is from what is thought to be the political, or what is public. It’s a means to reject the idea that “My opinion is my business and my personal feelings are exempt from your awareness much less your scrutiny.”

“The personal is political” forces people to out their feelings in a way that gives society ownership over them. It eliminates the right to secrets.

But here’s the problem: The phrase is fundamentally religious and couldn’t even exist outside of a Christian framework that separates the secular from the religious.

The Progressive Regression

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Thomas St Thomas

I’ve got questions. Writing helps me find the answers. Husband, dad, Afghan vet, healthcare process consultant, former fitness guru.