November 7, 2024
Heart of LA Democratic Club statement
Unfinished Business:
The Election of a Convicted Felon and Sexual Abuser and Why We’re Not Done Fighting for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Justice
What we are feeling right now, is unfortunately all too familiar. Eight years ago, hopeful and inspired and excited, we worked together to try to elect our country’s first woman president. The devastation we felt after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016 was real, accompanied by confirmation that misogyny in this country runs deep. We were hopeful again this year that Vice President Kamala Harris would give us another shot to get it right - to fulfill that dream of breaking the glass ceiling and finally achieving representation at the highest level of our government. And then, Tuesday night happened.
The country once again chose fear over freedom, hate over love, grift and corruption over decency. The same individual who was unfit to lead in 2016 has repeatedly confirmed that unfitness since then. But, at least he isn’t a woman.
We can’t believe it, but of course we can. We’ve experienced the oppression, the gaslighting, and the helpless feeling of powerlessness that comes from being a gender that is not recognized by our own country as equal. The country that expects us to bear children, delivered by male doctors who told us our pain is not real. The country that told us that equal pay for equal work was “feminist bullshit.” The country where we have to be twice as good to get promoted to the same position that is bestowed upon less qualified men. The same country that joked that women don’t know how to drive, told us we’re not funny, and think we’re “too uptight” because we don’t find rape jokes amusing. The same country that begrudgingly “let” us book a hotel room, get a credit card, or own land on our own, without a co-sign from a man. The same country that said we weren’t good at math or science. The same country that told us we’re not smart or tough enough to lead - but when we know we are, well, then we have an ego, and really should be more humble. The same country that “put us on a pedestal” or claimed, “behind every great man is a woman,” so we’d feel better about our lower status. The same country that pitted women of all racial backgrounds against each other so that we would fight amongst ourselves, while the men remain in charge.
We are feeling all of the feelings of déjà vu, betrayal, and yes, exhaustion. You probably do too. We have so much work left to do, and frankly, at times we’re wondering if we can find the energy to continue, in spite of it all.
Eight years ago, after we rested, our group of powerful, intelligent, and compassionate women formed Heart of LA Democratic Club, the first feminist Democratic club in Los Angeles County. We were women (and allies) who volunteered for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, and we knew that our own party wasn’t going to do the work unless we made noise. We looked at our local offices and state legislatures and saw the glaring truth: the party was led by men who benefitted from our tireless work, but did not fully represent us. So, we sought to change that.
And we did. We supported countless women and feminist candidates up and down the ballot, and many of them won — some against the odds. The list is long, and many were “firsts,” including Caroline Menjivar, Christy Smith, Katie Hill, Malia Cohen, Eleni Kounalakis, Katy Yaroslavsky, Laura Friedman, Jessica Caloza, Sade Elhawary, Hydee Feldstein Soto, and Karen Bass. Fantastic public servants who lead, who care, and who get important shit done.
We are still here. We will keep pushing forward, even when it feels impossible. We’ve come too far, and there’s too much at stake to give up or even to rest for too long. The pursuit of women’s rights, equality, and justice — it’s an endeavor that demands all of us, together. So, join us. Let’s allow ourselves to be angry, to grieve, and to reset when we need to. And yes, there will be coffee and sleepless nights, but we will make it through. And while some of us will soon be moving on from leadership of this club to focus on new projects, this righteous cause continues — and we have a baton for you.
Join us: www.heartladems.org/join
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ABOUT THE HEART OF LA DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Founded in March 2017, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club was created in recognition of the growing awareness within the Democratic Party that women should be fully and equally represented in local, state, and national politics. The Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is open to all Democrats who subscribe to the club’s goals and purposes regardless of their gender identity. The mission of the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is to help make the Democratic Party and its elected officials responsive to, and responsible for, the needs of all people, particularly, though not exclusively, women in our community. In addition to endorsing candidates and organizing for those candidates, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club actively participates in issues advocacy, community outreach, and voter education. The Club’s monthly meetings feature guest speakers such as Democratic elected officials and candidates, and experts in policy areas of interest to women - including reproductive justice, homelessness, voter registration, immigration, criminal justice reform and more. For more information about The Heart of LA Democratic Club, visit online: Website: HeartLADems.org. Facebook: Facebook.com/HeartLADems Twitter: @HeartLADems Instagram: @HeartLADems |
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