I am a young woman who will be voting for Bernie Sanders.
Let me start by saying, I am not boy crazy, and can think for myself. I do support other women, because women kick-ass. Most importantly, I am a feminist. Because you are too, Ms. Steinem and Ms. Albright, I expected better of both of you.
I look up to iconic women like you, so when you doubt my intelligence and independence, it upsets me and affects me on a very personal level. After all of the work you have done over the course of your lifetimes, how can you write off my opinions so easily? It doesn’t feel like a step forward.
I cannot wait to see a female president. I think women are the smartest, strongest beings on the planet. I admire Secretary Clinton because of how much she has accomplished, how much crap she has had to put up with, and how she has persevered anyway. Anyone who doubts that a woman could do a fabulous job as the leader of the free world is, quite simply, wrong.
However, I ask that you keep in mind that just because my personal views align more with a male candidate than a female candidate, does not mean I am against women. I’m sure there is in fact a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other. However, writing my views (and the views of 50% of women under age 30) off as nothing more than a boy-crazed delusion is not helping anyone. In fact, using it to describe women voting for Bernie Sanders is condescending, anti-feminist and just wrong.
Do not think that young women are not politically aware and active simply because they are not voting for Hillary Clinton. Bernie wants to expand Planned Parenthood, The WIC program, and services provided by the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. He wants to make sure contraceptives are available to everyone, eliminate the wage gap and only nominate Supreme Court justices who support Roe v. Wade. While he is not a woman, he certainly supports them.
I am not trying to convince you not to vote for Secretary Clinton. I simply ask that you give me, and my peers, a little more credit. We still want to be the women who change the world. We still want to be the women future generations can look up to. We still want to be the women who smash gender inequality. Have a little more faith in young women.