Whore Next Door: Running Up That Hill

by Siouxsie Q May 11, 2016

Last week, I took my first trip to Sacramento to lobby at the state capitol. It was a grueling day of tense meetings and hushed strategic conversations about how to save the world — just like I dreamed it would be. The flags, the classic architecture, the sweaty stink of power wafting through the historic hallways — it all evoked a sense of romance. And why not? I love my country more than I’ve loved most men.

When I was in first grade, my teacher asked each of us what we wanted to be when we grew up. “The president,” I replied (with very little hesitation). I was also interested in acting and marine biology, but as awesome as sea otters are, being the leader of the free world sounded like the better fit.

I barely remember a time in my life when I was not aware of Hillary Clinton or certain that she would one day be the first female president, paving the way for my future run. For precocious girls in 1990s America, Hillary was a mythic figure, the chosen one who could shatter the glass ceiling once and for all — more akin to Hercules or Santa Claus than a flesh-and-blood human. She came into my life set to a soundtrack of lonely Lisa Simpson saxophone solos, serving as a beacon of hope for smart girls with strong opinions.

However, among my progressive peers, it’s not at all hip to be “with her.” Everybody I know is “feeling the Bern,” including — bless their hearts — my aging hippie parents, who have voted for Ralph Nader more times than I am comfortable admitting publicly.

I’ve had hushed conversations with a few friends about our secret support of The Clintaur, but as we head toward the general election in November, I have felt the urge to publicly endorse Hillary Clinton.

I know she isn’t perfect. How could she be? She has had to navigate a minefield of misogyny and patriarchy on her way to the top. But she has earned it. She deserves it. She’s the most qualified, having lived through two terms in the White House, been twice elected to the Senate from New York, and serving as secretary of state. She is far and away from the most qualified for the position — but when have qualifications mattered when choosing a man over a woman for a job?

People laugh at her ruthless ambition, calling her hawkish and a liar, but I believe those critiques actually say more about our own discomfort with women in power than about Clinton as a politician and…