A Call to Elect Feminists

The Amy Coney Barrett hearings were predictable—she came with a blank sheet of paper, said as little as possible, and dodged questions about her views on abortion, climate change and civil rights law. 

But we know her record.  And the damage she’ll do on the Supreme Court.   Please click here to join NOW’s Action Campaign to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s wish and wait for a new president to nominate the next Justice.  

Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination has brought back one of the most tired and ineffective attacks on feminism. In this Washington Post column by Monica Hesse, Sen. Martha McSally asked, “You would normally have the feminists on the left lining up to defend her… So, we’re asking, where are those women?” 

Monica Hesse’s response: 

“Feminism doesn’t mean, ‘I’m a woman, Amy Coney Barrett is a woman, no further questions.’ It means, ‘As a woman, I want to support people who reliably support anti-sexist laws, and while Barrett is a woman, I don’t know that she can be trusted to do that.’”  

We agree. Not all women are feminists (case in point: Barrett) and not all feminists are women. In this election, NOW PAC has endorsed the woman or man who is the strongest candidate in the race who will push forth the most feminist agenda. In addition to policies that prioritize women, we must support the candidates who are not afraid to call out the sexist, misogynistic, racist and oftentimes dangerous rhetoric and actions that are coming from this Administration and its allies.  

As the largest grassroots feminist organization, we must use this election to make our voices heard, to share our feminist principles and vote for our feminist values. By electing feminists, we can enact cultural change that will end the use of misogynistic language and behavior and work towards what real equality looks like. I urge you all to continue the hard work of using your voice to stand up for women’s rights.  

This week, I would like to share a powerful spoken word poem about domestic violence by the incredible young artist Poetic Epiphany. 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we are reminded that one of the most effective things we can do to prevent and eliminate domestic, dating and sexual violence is elect national, state and local lawmakers and law enforcement who care about this issue and will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. 

I hope you’ve made a safe plan to vote, and I’m looking forward to the work we’re going to get done together.