Julie Stone
A Lifelong Commitment to Women's Rights
“I have called Colorado home since 1962. However, I did not get involved in national or local politics until the 2008 election cycle. Being part of Hillary Clinton’s campaign to mobilize hundreds of supporters in my county was the catalyst for my commitment to local politics.
"As a Democrat and feminist, my political values have always been based on the idea that a woman’s economic well-being is fundamentally linked to her decision on whether and when to start a family. I have made gifts to EMILY’s List for years. When I was invited to a reception in 2008 with an EMILY’s List endorsed candidate here in Colorado, I became more personally involved. My first impression was that the candidates EMILY’s List supports are guaranteed to be those who care about women’s issues, particularly reproductive rights. This issue is critically important to me.
"In the early 1970s, I was recently divorced and decided to open a credit card in my own name. I applied for the card and was turned down because I was a woman. I was deeply offended. This shocked me, as I had always paid all the bills in our family. Two years later, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed, and I was invited to open a card by the same company that had initially turned me down. I was grateful for that change, but not satisfied. I decided that going forward, I would devote my time and resources to women’s issues. EMILY’s List supports candidates that believe women should control their own bodies and lives. This is why I value the work they are doing and invest my resources directly with them.
"As a mother, I’ve always been passionate about bringing my daughter into the political process. I used to bring her into the voting booth with me on Election Day when she was younger. We talked about how important it is to know and learn more about candidates who are running. Today, she is an activist, local precinct leader, and women’s health care provider in Boulder. I couldn’t be prouder of her as we stood together in Denver for the first Women’s March. And to top it off – we had my three granddaughters with us!
"I believe that it’s time for women to stand up and say things that have not been said before. And they are. I am so proud of them and the work that EMILY’s List does to make this possible.”