Diane Whitney
Changing the Landscape for Women and Girls
“I can't help but wonder how my life might have been different if EMILY’s List had been around when I was a young woman! I was passionate about politics, but there was absolutely no encouragement, nor any resources, available to women considering a political career. Instead, I landed a job as a paid staffer at the Republican (yes, Republican!) headquarters in my county and worked to elect the best of the male candidates.
“But in 1971, I moved to central Pennsylvania to complete my college degree at Pennsylvania State University. There I became the ninth resident of the Women's Liberation House. Our home was not only the center of all feminist activity at Penn State, but it was also headquarters for the anti-war, socialist, and gay liberation movements.
“Although I was surrounded by some of the brightest and most politically engaged women I could ever hope to meet, I don't recall there ever being any discussion about any of us pursuing a career in politics. Why not? We were still 14 years away from the founding of EMILY’s List, which finally made a career in politics a realistic goal for women. And we were also 13 long years away from the breakthrough nomination of Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate.
“I eventually decided that the next best thing to a political career was a career in law. I searched all over the country to find one that both focused on women's issues and also backed up that commitment by having a rare parity between female and male students. I never regretted relocating to the liberal, political hotbed of San Francisco to attend Golden Gate University.
“Fortunately, EMILY’s List has dramatically changed the landscape in which I grew up. It is no longer rare for women to comprise half of first year law classes and, more importantly, the bright, young women activists of today, who feel a calling to enter politics, now have a passionate and very effective ally in EMILY’s List. Indeed, I credit EMILY’s List for the dramatic surge in women candidates that helped Democrats take back the House in 2018.
“Still, a tremendous amount of work lies ahead.
“How is it possible that, with all the brilliant and well-qualified women who ran for president, they still faced such an uphill battle to gain any traction? Indeed, Trump's shocking victory in 2016 demonstrates just how far we have to go to overcome rampant sexism in politics. It certainly broke my heart at the 2017 Women's March to see a little girl carrying a sign that read ‘I'm scared.’ I felt compelled to lean over and say to her, ‘don't worry, sweetie, we have your back.’
“I earnestly believe that EMILY’s List does have that little girl's back and, equally important will continue to have the backs of future generations of girls and women long after I am gone. It is for that reason that I am not only a regular contributor but have also included EMILY’s List in my estate plans. I simply cannot think of a better legacy to leave than supporting the efforts of women to achieve the roles of compassionate leadership that we were destined for but for too long have been denied.”