The phenomenal run of Hillary Clinton, unfortunately, brought out the
worst in our genderless generation. For a young woman, supporting
Hillary was like drinking during prohibition - many wore Hillary
buttons, but they wore them under their jackets. Hillary bumper
stickers clung timidly to the backs of cars. She was the Democratic
Candidate Who Shall Not Be Named, and her torrid campaign served as a
symptom of the kind of gender discrimination that became acceptable the
first time Obama uttered the word "hope."
Young women owe Hillary. She walked into water and on top of it for us,
and although she didn't win the nomination, she didn't succumb to the
mighty undertow trying to drown her, either. Instead of hope, she
espoused resilience, sacrifice and headstrong fearlessness. She came to
lead the savvy, transitional generation of our mothers and grandmothers
who have struggled against anti-feminist currents to raise us to do
things other than stew at home with a can of Tab and the latest issue
of People. But as exhibited by the vitriolic media treatment of Hillary
and the stigma that came with supporting her candidacy, our forewomen
still swim in choppy waters.
Hillary and the "Genderless Generation"
Many articles have been written on the sociological implications of Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy and recent withdrawal from the race, but this is the best we've read from the perspective of a young woman. Perhaps now that she's actually dropped out we can step back and recognize Clinton's significant accomplishment, regardless of your feelings about her.
