It’s no secret that Hillary Clinton is the popular choice for Democrat bid in the upcoming 2016 presidential election, and, just like the discourse surrounding her 2008 primary run, we’re seeing a lot of iffy plays on gender politics popping up. One thing that’s particularly irked us: Is it okay to put Bill in a dress?
Bill For First Lady is a campaign supporting Hillary Clinton’s nomination for president. They are currently accepting signatures for a petition asking her to run and have gained just under 9,000.
The video beings with several young girls running while discussing why it is important to have Clinton run for President. According to the video, her nomination would inspire young girls to see that they can too occupy the highest government offices. Clinton will fight for women’s rights like equal pay, because “in the USA having a va-jay-jay shouldn’t get you less pay,” and our reproductive rights that are constantly under attack. The campaign focuses on the profound global effect having a woman in charge of one of the most powerful countries in the world would have. But then Bill Clinton shows up in a dress.
Stepping back from all the problems inherent in having straight, cisgender men wearing dresses for jokes, the idea heels and a dress being all that make up a First Lady is dismissive to the role, which, ya know, Hillary filled. The office of First Lady is not just decoration; many incredibly involved women have held that office throughout our nation’s history.
But why does Bill’s role have to be a part of Hillary’s candidacy at all? Not to mention that the Bill for First Lady jokes are just played out. If this were a male candidate, there wouldn’t be nearly this much focus on his spouse.
While we at BUST want to see all the things those young girls mentioned come out of the potential Hillary nomination, it is also important to realize that nominating a female president will probably not rid us of all the ills facing women. We like the comic of Hillary as Wonder Woman, but it’s important to remember that she’s a politician, not actually a superhero. Let’s remember that the role of President isn’t the only one where we should be electing women. It would be wonderful if Clinton became President, and we hope her campaign inspires us all to remember how important it is to vote for women in local and state elections.
Image c/o BillForFirstLady.com
