I would love to have a woman in the White House. But that does not mean I want any woman in the White House or that I would base my vote on the gender of the candidates.
Amidst all the dialogue about the 2016 presidential race, an underlying yet prevailing notion exists: if you are a woman who identifies as a feminist, you must vote for Hillary Clinton. And if you do not vote for Hillary, then you are an anti-feminist who does not tirelessly try to advance women’s rights in the competitive political arena. Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State and a current feminist icon, recently defended these sentiments. In an attempt to garner young female voters at a New Hampshire rally earlier this month, Albright proclaimed that “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other!”
Albright’s claim pressures women to vote for Hillary because it will help the fight for gender equality. However, it is not anti-feminist to not vote for Hillary. If women must cast their votes for a candidate based on gender, this standard detracts from gender equality because they subsequently lack the freedom to evaluate all the candidates and vote for the one with whom they most agree. Rather, it is anti-feminist to imply that women cannot make an independent and informed decision because their gender predetermines voting for a woman.
In a public apology to the New York Times, Albright clarified that she “did not mean to argue that women should support a particular candidate based solely on gender,” but nonetheless vehemently defended her conviction that women are obligated to help one another in order to truly advance gender equality. In the spirit of supporting our fellow women, she believes that a vote for Hillary is a step in the right direction.
Albright is correct that women must remain unified; gender equality is an ongoing battle that demands perseverance and solidarity. But diminishing women’s voting freedoms as a method of fighting this battle creates a type of feminism I cannot get on board with. This especially rings true in Hillary’s case, who has supported policies harming women of color and the LGBTQ+ community. The calls that women must support Hillary reek of the white feminism that she embodies. Her extensive work on cutting welfare programs and belated, pressured support of abortion and gay marriage – all disproportionately affecting women of color and the LGBTQ+ community – exemplify this message.
Even not considering Hillary specifically, it is belittling to suggest that women do not have the capacity to evaluate all candidates regardless of gender, or that their decision to vote for a man is anti-feminist. Women have had the right to vote for less than 100 years, which including 2016 is only 25 of the 58 total elections. After the struggle for suffrage, as a feminist I should vote for Hillary just because we are both women? While I am at it, should I let the government dictate what I should do with my body?
We cannot succumb to the notion that not voting for Hillary is anti-feminist. I do not know who I am voting for yet, and certainly have not dismissed Hillary as a choice. But if I vote for Hillary, it will be because I agree with her policies and think she is best fit for the position, not because we both have a vagina.
