Joe Biden is unacceptable.

In the era of #metoo and #timesup, how can we accept a democratic candidate with numerous credible accounts of harassment and assault? We have a choice. I say that not only because the primaries are not over, but because beating Donald Trump should not be the only ideal we strive to reach during this election. We cannot accept Biden as the democratic nominee.

I don’t want to live with myself knowing I voted for an abuser. I don’t want anyone else to live with that, either. And I don’t believe we have to. During this global pandemic much has changed rapidly, right before our eyes. It is our obligation as feminists, as democrats, and as empathetic human beings to demand more from the democratic party. We cannot allow them to prop up an abuser as our only option against Trump. We have the power now, in this chaotic and uncomfortable moment, to demand that Joe Biden step down.

Perhaps he can give his delegates to the woman he planned to select as his Vice President. I don’t believe we’ve yet experienced a candidate stepping down during a primary, but these are unprecedented times. Until a few weeks ago, we had not yet experienced a global health crisis of this magnitude during our lifetimes. We have an opportunity now to do the right thing.

I cannot accept Joe Biden as the nominee. I cannot vote for an abuser solely on the grounds that he has less credible accounts of abuse than Donald Trump, especially when there is still a candidate in the race with zero accusations.

Yes, I write this plea for action as an avid Bernie Sanders supporter. But this is about so much more than Bernie Sanders. If the democratic party is going to survive this election, they cannot turn away from the truth about Joe Biden. We cannot allow them to put us in a position where we have to vote for an abuser.

If the democratic party wants youth votes, if they want the votes of Bernie Sanders’ supporters, if they want to beat Donald Trump, it cannot happen with Joe Biden. I refuse to accept that our best option during this historic moment is to continue with business as usual, letting powerful men off the hook for their violent sexist transgressions.

To be fair, I was not excited about Joe Biden prior to this. I was horrified by the numerous videos of him sniffing, grabbing, and stroking young girls and adult women. I am deeply unsurprised by these accusations of sexual harassment and assault based on the footage I had already seen of his inappropriate behavior. I’m not excited about a candidate who doesn’t support a Green New Deal or Medicare For All.

Climate change has already been deadly and it will continue to kill people. Our healthcare system was failing us prior to COVID-19, and it will continue to fail us, and people will continue to die. Our president is a rapist, a white supremacist, a fascist, and a dangerous threat to our entire planet. Joe Biden is not the answer. I refuse to believe that we have to vote for him.

Joe Biden must step down. Democrats must pressure him to do so. We must demand it. Our lives depend on it. If the democratic party cannot meet this historical moment with the courage to do the right thing, they do not deserve our support.