Oh,J.D. Vance, they can never make me like you…
The Republican vice presidential candidate has quite the penchant for peddling baseless claims. From blaming egg prices on…well, who even knows anymore, to imagining Haitian immigrants "eating pets," his soundbites are a colorful collection of chaos. But the cherry on top? In a 2021 interview, he claimed that "childless cat ladies" are miserable and ruining the country.
While this attempt to trivialize childless women might have fueled some righteous fire, leading many to stand up and show that life and respect don't revolve around motherhood (or Vance's approval), maybe it's time to flip the script.
If J.D. Vance, Donald Trump, and the Republican boys' club are going to look down on childless cat ladies, perhaps they should take a peek at the equally childless men who left a legacy more memorable than a family tree.
EWY Media via Shutterstock
Some call him the father of Western philosophy, but he didn't need to be a father to do it. Plato's timeless works like "The Republic"shaped ethics, politics, and thought, all without a baby in sight. Founding the Academy, the first college-like institution, Plato left no heirs—just a world forever pondering what it means to live a "good life."
Everett Collection via Shutterstock
Leonardo did it all: painted, invented, and, dare I say it, sculpted the European Renaissance itself. From the Mona Lisa's knowing smile to the helicopter sketches that would eventually come to life centuries later, da Vinci was always thinking ahead—so far ahead, in fact, that he left behind masterpieces instead of mini-Leonardos.
spatuletail/Shutterstock
An apple may have fallen on Newton's head, but no apple fell far from his. The laws of motion, the theory of gravity, the understanding of optics: this guy practically wrote the book on physics. While some called him a genius and others a workaholic, Isaac called himself child-free. Because some legacies are meant to be written in ink, not in diapers.
FotograFFF/Shutterstock
Father of a nation? Yes. Father to any children of his own? No. A stepfather through his marriage to Martha, George may have led America to independence but never got around to the "let's make babies" thing. Yet, when building a country, who has time to teach a little one how to chop down a cherry tree?
CSU Archives/Everett Collection via Shutterstock
Nevermore will we see a mind like Poe's. The Gothic poet and storyteller gave us "The Raven" and tales of mystery that still give us chills. A life marked by tragedy, dark musings, and haunting literary genius, Poe's legacy of dark beauty is enough to keep us entranced without offspring.
EWY Media via Shutterstock
Orville and Wilbur were the brotherly duo who made humanity's dream of taking to the skies come true. While they were up in the clouds, they had neither the time nor inclination to create any tiny Wrights below. It turns out that the only heirs they needed were in the form of every plane, jet, and helicopter we see today.
John M. Chase/Shutterstock
The man behind the Kodak camera and the reason we all know how to "say cheese," George Eastman, changed photography forever. His inventions made taking pictures easier than ever, but he never took the traditional "family portrait" himself. Eastman's legacy gave us the tools to capture our lives—whether or not those lives included children.
David Redfern/Redferns via Getty Images
Rock god, guitar hero, and the undisputed king of electric riffs. Jimi Hendrix brought us "Purple Haze" and a lifetime of memorable music that redefined the sound of rock. He may have burned brightly and briefly, but Hendrix left behind a legacy of music and vibes—sans the pitter-patter of little feet.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
WWE's greatest champ and an all-around good guy, Cena's mantra is "Never Give Up." And he hasn't, even on his choice to be child-free. Public about not having children, Cena has won countless wrestling titles, shifted to Hollywood as an actor, and continues to focus on bringing smiles to many through his charitable endeavors. He's raising the bar in his way.
Maarten Zeehandelaar/Shutterstock
Ah, yes, how could I forget? The carpenter from Nazareth didn't need any little holy ones to make an impact, much to the chagrin of Dan Brown readers. With teachings that changed the world and a legacy spanning over two thousand years, the ultimate childless cat man left behind a following that makes all other "legacies" seem minor league.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images; Maarten Zeehandelaar/Shutterstock; spatuletail/Shutterstock
So here's to the childless philosophers, artists, dreamers, and doers who never needed to build a family tree to leave behind a legacy. It just shows that, sometimes, the most important thing to carry on is the impact you leave behind.
Arranged for Advocate.com by Nikki Aye, Digital Photo Editor
Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière is the Community Editor at equalpride, publisher of The Advocate.
Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ and Allied community. Visit pride.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists and editors, and do not directly represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.
