The “Women’s” Convention is Still Feeling the Bern, & it’s Still Sexist: Here’s Why

NOTE: Since the writing of this article, two things have occurred. First, a Twitter poll was created, in which participants were asked if they felt Bernie Sanders (hereinafter BS) should be speaking at the “women’s convention.” ANYONE with a Twitter account could vote — including men and the Convention’s board of directors, making that poll incredibly invalid. Once again, the ability to choose what would most benefit women and their rights was left up to the entire Twitterverse. The poll also used language that was striking, in that if one were to feel fairly neutral about the matter, there was no option, and if one did not have a problem with BS speaking, the only option to select was that the participant was “still feelin’ the Bern.” This speaks volumes.

Second, despite the overwhelming numbers of women who protested BS speaking at the Convention, the board stood by its decision, back-pedaling only superficially and never addressing the REAL issue posed by concerned feminists nationwide. Our concerns were that BS, a man and a misogynist, was speaking and also that his remarks were to be given at the opening of the event, and opening speeches and remarks have the ability to set the tone for entire conventions.

Now, the board has opted to respond to the criticisms of BS as a speaker via a cop out that insults feminism and women everywhere. The Convention leaders now claim that the event will be opened by a panel discussion, which will be “led” by Senator Debbie Stabenow. However, this move is NOT an acceptable response to the thousands of women and feminist champions who have implored the Convention not to permit BS to speak at its event, much less to open it. In many instances, “leaders” of panel discussions do little talking at all and even less, in terms of providing their opinions — they are frequently put in more of a role of a “facilitator,” who calls upon the panelists to speak but is not the focal point of such an activity. Those in professional circles who have panel discussions often select their “leader” as someone who won’t voice her opinion or do much talking of her own, as she will be too busy asking each panelist to enlighten the audience and provide their contributions to the discussion, via panelist opinions and a sort of back-and-forth discussion. If anything, leaders of panel discussions are often seen and heard as the least significant by audience members, as their task is more that of a glorified “moderator” than anything else. This most recent set of events may turn Stabenow into more of the Megyn Kelly of the RNC “debates,” where Kelly’s voice was entirely forgotten by both the candidates and the audience members.

Finally, despite all of this, the Convention still expressed that BS will be speaking at the opening of the event, which is borne out by its schedule (which, incidentally, does not mention Senator Stabenow’s “opening remarks”). Therein is where the problem lay. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/355871-debbie-stabenow-to-open-progressive-womens-convention

Since the writing of this article, it has been publicly stated that BS will no longer be speaking at the event. True, that was the ONLY appropriate thing to do, but even the way it was framed is troubling: rather than the Convention leaders admitting that BS was an inappropriate choice or acknowledging WHY such was the case, your board opted to once more play its favorite game: smoke and mirrors. Why will BS no longer be there? Because HE dropped your event out of fear of public backlash — NOT because you dropped HIM. And even then, BS never said (nor did you) that the backlash prompted any action on your part — he merely claimed to reluctantly have to skip this event because of his “obligations” to be in Puerto Rico. Where was that same sense of duty when the people of Sierra Blanco raised the funds to go to Vermont and were kicked out of his office? Where was that sense of duty when he tried to destory Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democratic party, helping to get tRump in office? Finally, if this event is REALLY about women, why are there:(1). So many inconsistencies? First, your co-President tells us that all of the women congresspeople were “too busy” to speak at the Convention, and then Senator Stabenow miraculously appears.; (2). So much disregard for women of color? By taking less and less of the focus away from Representative Maxine Waters, you are resigning women of color to oblivion. First, she was not given her proper title, while BS was. Then, she was called the “headliner,” but only AFTER you had already called BS that, and her position at the Convention was NOT consistent with that of a headliner. And now, while I do like Stabenow, instead of focusing on Representative Waters and women of color, you all have chosen instead to allow BS to speak if he wishes (it was his choice to opt out; not yours. If you invited a KKK member to a BLM rally and they finally backed out because of another alleged commitment, you would be no less culpable). Finally, once people began to criticize BS as a speaker, you took the “headliner” status away from Ms. Waters, claiming you didn’t have a headliner, because headliners create “hierarchies.” That not only takes the spotlight away from women of color, but it is insulting to them and to Waters, and it demonstrates my point — that women of color don’t count or matter — you base your decisions on what you want, and BS bases his on what he thinks is most likely to get him on the 2020 presidential ballot. As if none of this were enough, you’ve done something even worse — you are STILL acting as a protector and shill for BS.

Speaking of BS and Puerto Rico, I am indebted to a friend for observing that his webpage has no upcoming events listed, nor does there appear to be any mention of when/if he will actually make such a trip. It seems more than a little odd that he would rush to the scene of a natural disaster (quite a bit after it occurred), leaving at a time when important legislative matters and votes will also be taking place. The mayor of Flint expressed that HRC was the first and only person who immediately called and showed up and asked what she could do to help. Sanders’ absence and disinterest in the plight of Michigan residents (many of them people of color) were obvious. Why then, during the exact dates of the convention, is Puerto Rico so very important to BS, why is he so very important to it, and isn’t this merely one more instance of BS’s inflated sense of self taking the floor? You all know damn well that HRC would have done everything she could for hurricane victims AND kept her speaking engagement (had you invited her or treated her with a basic modicum of human decency).

Many of your speakers have few qualifications other than being Bern-or-Busters, and Nina Turner is a prime example. Anyone would know that because of her horrible attitude towards Secretary Clinton, she is a divisive, polarizing figure. It is also questionable whether she truly champions wowen’s rights, given that she has chosen BS as her deity and is in charge of his PAC, “Our Revolution.” Many of your board members have made terrible and unethical decisions because they are die-hard Berners, such as Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory.

Whether or not BS actually speaks at this point, the damage is done. You have stacked the deck to turn this into a campaign rally, inviting BS’s top cheerleaders to take part. You don’t seem to understand that it was your obligation to remove BS as a speaker and issue an apology; you seem to think this transparent scheme he and your board have cooked up about the “need” for him to suddenly be in Puerto Rico is believable, and once again, you are insulting women by acting as through we are dumb enough to believe such garbage.

It is indeed a pleasure to know that BS will not attend your apparent campaign rally for him, but it is no comfort that you have consistently and completely missed the boat. As many others have noted, (1). inviting ANY man to speak was inappropriate. Women NEED events like this because they do NOT have the luxury of not being silenced in society, and misogny is deeply ingrained in our culture. Choosing to have two male speakers at an event that has not even happened for 40 years is a slap in the face to feminism., (2). BS being invited and touted, period, was unacceptable. You have yet to acknowledge or apologize for that., (3). You gave him the “out” with this Puerto Rico yarn — you are unwilling to heed women’s voices and actually say, “Okay, we messed that up — let’s make it right.” Moreover, your board and speaker list is STILL full of Bern-or-Busters, hardly a group that inspires unity or has any kind of record fighting gender discrimination, and (4). You have consistently ignored the voices of women of color, and this is borne out by the ways in which you have toyed with Representative Waters (headliner? not headliner? given her correct title? given no title at all).

Unless or until you come out in the open and have a genuine, open dialogue with us women, you will never be true champions for gender equality.