Feel the Bern or Stand with Her, But Please Ignore the Noise

These past weeks have not been great for feminists of any age or demographic. Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem each made comments critical of other female voters, that they were traitors to their sex for voting for Bernie Sanders.  Steinem apologized profusely and convincingly.  Discussions about feminism and generation gaps proliferated on social media.  It’s called a news cycle, and women are in one.  But not for the first time.

A history lesson: In 1944, women in France won the right to vote; in fact, male leaders of the time referred to it as a ‘gift.’ The French mainstream media projected a particular kind of anxiety caused by the enfranchisement of this large bloc of voters.  Articles and editorials worried that women would now vote together and unseat male power, and perhaps even disband patriarchy altogether.

Their worst fears of a woman-led society clearly did not come together for a variety of reasons, one of which was distraction. All across the media, messages of anti-solidarity proliferated.  These were not necessarily high-minded debates about candidates’ platforms, but rather came in the form of fear-mongering.  Be afraid, magazines told women, for all women are enemies of each other.  Don’t allow your friend to develop a friendship with your husband; most likely she wants to steal him away from you.  Don’t tell your sister that you are thinking of eloping; she will deceive you and destroy your plans.

This kind of noise that popular culture and media can create feels deafening at times, as it does right now. Gloria Steinem is an imperfect woman, but one who has spent her life fighting for women’s rights, and who continues to speak out on behalf of women of all ages, creeds, and colors.  She is not an enemy of young women.  Nor is Madeleine Albright, who has worked tirelessly for women’s greater representation in politics.

I would argue that feminists and their allies have common goals and common interests, not by virtue of biology, but by virtue of lifetimes of shared experiences. A woman in her 60s recalls being pejoratively told by an older gentleman that she reminded him of Billie Jean King, presumably for being too outspoken and not celebrating her femininity enough.  A woman in her 30s has her application for a job rejected because she is pregnant, but with no paper trail to bolster her claim, she is powerless to defend herself.  A woman in her 20s has a man follow her around her neighborhood and tell her to smile more, then gets angry when she tries to ignore him.  Many of us have similar stories.

The moments in history where we have banded together, have recognized our common interests and supported minority concerns, are few and far between. They are also the most effective for getting things accomplished.

Vote for the candidate who best reflects your hopes and your beliefs, whoever that may be. Just know that the people who are filling the airwaves with this noise seek to divide, because it paints a good story: women against women, shrill older ladies lecturing short-sighted young ones.  People who push this news cycle, however, won’t be passing out health insurance, they won’t be advocating for equal pay, they won’t push for subsidized child care, and they won’t petition for more parental leave, because it doesn’t behoove them to do so.  There’s no gossipy narrative to tell when women unite effectively.  Let’s replace this false acrimony amongst women with electoral action.  Feminists and our allies have so much in common, and we have so little time.  Let’s harness our potential power and quiet that noise.