It's been a hard couple of days for women people who care about equal rights.
Far too many Democrats in Congress decided to use women's health as a bargaining chip, and then, to add insult to injury, told us to stop whining because there are more important things.
And then, to add further insult to injury, far too many so-called liberals said the exact same thing.
And then, to really rub it in, we've seen a torrent of diaries and comments from men who dare to call themselves pro-choice and then proceed to lecture women about "responsibility" and "morals."
And it hurts. It feels like a betrayal, to see this kind of misogyny in our own backyard.
But this diary isn't about those men.
This diary is about the other men.
The ones who've stood by us and for us.
The ones who believe that our fight for equality is their fight too.
The ones who have shouted down the sexism.
The ones who are angry too. The ones who are ready and willing to fight against the anti-women members of our party, not because it is about their rights, but because they know it is right. Because we cannot win without them.
For me, and for many other women, there is a new fight ahead. It's the fight to hold the Democratic party to its promises:
We will never put ideology above women’s health.
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We believe that standing up for our country means standing up against sexism and all intolerance. Demeaning portrayals of women cheapen our debates, dampen the dreams of our daughters, and deny us the contributions of too many. Responsibility lies with us all.
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Our policies will recognize that human rights are women’s rights and that women’s rights are human rights.
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We are committed to ensuring full equality for women: we reaffirm our support for the Equal Rights Amendment, recommit to enforcing Title IX, and will urge passage of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
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The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.
Yes, there is a fight coming. And it's going to be hard. And it's going to be ugly. But I take great comfort in knowing that we are not alone.
So while I will soon return to my regularly scheduled program of living up to my name and being mighty angry, I just wanted to take a time out to thank the men of our community who have our backs.
You know who you are. And we know who you are. And I thank you.