Susan Collins (b. 1952)
This choice might be surprising to some of you, since Susan Collins is a Republican and I a staunch liberal. All the same, I'm not one to condemn an exceptional woman for having different ideas than I do. Feminism can't be "equality of opportunity and respect from the media but only if you're a Democrat". Using sexist language and condescension on people like Sarah Palin or even Ann Coulter doesn't hurt only Republican women but all women. I see this sometimes among people who I otherwise agree with, people who call themselves feminists, and it's severely disappointing to me.
Susan Collins was born in 1952 in a town called Caribou to a family that owned a lumber business. Yes, that would be Maine. Her family was fairly privileged: both of her parents served as mayors of Caribou and were very involved in state legislatures. In Collins' senior year of high school, she participated in the United States Senate Youth Program and found herself in a lengthy conversation with the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate, Margaret Chase Smith. Being passionate and informed about politics, she continued on this path after graduating from St. Lawrence University and eventually came to occupy the old seat of Smith.
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| Fun fact: up until Olympia Snowe decided not to run for reelection this last year, Maine was one of four states to have only women senators |
During her time in the Senate, Collins has been a moderate Republican. That is, she's a fiscal conservative but joins with the Democrats on many social issues. There's a prejudice against Republicans in the feminist world because in an overwhelmingly liberal sphere, they are seen as being against all the social issues that we care about. Even though anti-feminist and anti-gay rights language is woven into their platform, there are a significant number of moderates who break with the party on these issues. Collins is pro-choice and said that the anti-abortion party platform "was designed to alienate" women over an issue that was resolved in the Supreme Court decades ago. She was also one of eight Republicans to vote to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
As a rule, I respect conservatives as long as they're not social conservatives (i.e. against gay rights, a woman's place is in the home, legislating a subjective morality) because I think that's just a code word for bigotry. I much prefer being able to respect the people that I disagree with because it makes for more productive arguments, so I hope that the rest of the Republican Party follows the lead of Susan Collins so that conservative feminists and social activists don't have to choose between what they think is best for the country and what they think is best for the people.
Also: the relationship between Susan Collins and Margaret Chase Smith strikes me as what I refer to as a girl crush. For me, it's when I find a girl or woman, usually older, whom I admire so much that I'm struck by the urge to follow them everywhere like an orphaned puppy. Although I can find no confirmation of this, I feel like Collins probably followed Smith around for a few days trying to find an excuse to start a conversation before at last having one.
The fact that Collins ended up in Smith's old Senate seat demonstrates what all girls experience: the power of a female role model. Seeing a woman have success in what used to be only a man's job makes the whole thing seem much more possible and "you can be anything you want to be" like much less of a lie.
We should all latch on to our idols like barnacles, is what I'm saying.
Honorable mention to: Leigh Brackett (b. 1915, d. 1978), American science-fiction author and screenwriter, notably of The Empire Strikes Back and Sara Bareilles (b. 1979), singer of the unfairly catchy "Love Song" and woman who, unlike Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, has the presence of mind to pick up a dictionary and find out what a feminist is and that she is one.
As a rule, I respect conservatives as long as they're not social conservatives (i.e. against gay rights, a woman's place is in the home, legislating a subjective morality) because I think that's just a code word for bigotry. I much prefer being able to respect the people that I disagree with because it makes for more productive arguments, so I hope that the rest of the Republican Party follows the lead of Susan Collins so that conservative feminists and social activists don't have to choose between what they think is best for the country and what they think is best for the people.
Also: the relationship between Susan Collins and Margaret Chase Smith strikes me as what I refer to as a girl crush. For me, it's when I find a girl or woman, usually older, whom I admire so much that I'm struck by the urge to follow them everywhere like an orphaned puppy. Although I can find no confirmation of this, I feel like Collins probably followed Smith around for a few days trying to find an excuse to start a conversation before at last having one.
The fact that Collins ended up in Smith's old Senate seat demonstrates what all girls experience: the power of a female role model. Seeing a woman have success in what used to be only a man's job makes the whole thing seem much more possible and "you can be anything you want to be" like much less of a lie.
We should all latch on to our idols like barnacles, is what I'm saying.
Honorable mention to: Leigh Brackett (b. 1915, d. 1978), American science-fiction author and screenwriter, notably of The Empire Strikes Back and Sara Bareilles (b. 1979), singer of the unfairly catchy "Love Song" and woman who, unlike Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, has the presence of mind to pick up a dictionary and find out what a feminist is and that she is one.
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