Failing Feminism
The United States has been in a constant state of panic for quite some time. 2020 takes the cake for the most interesting yet chaotic year this century. In addition to a global pandemic and monumental election year, there have also been frequent changes to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a Feminist Icon, passed away in September this year, leaving a grieving nation and an empty seat on SCOTUS. Following the precedent of the Obama administration and not filling the empty seat during an election year, many believed that the Trump administration should leave the seat for the next president to fill. However, this is far from what happened.
Only eight days after Ginsberg’s passing, Trump announced his intention to fill the seat and nominate Amy Coney Barrett to SCOTUS. About one month after Trump’s announcement, Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court in a 52-48 decision, one of the closest in history. Barrett’s confirmation has caused a lot of controversy and turmoil among women, for obvious reasons.
Barrett has nearly a completely conservative voting record when looking at abortion, gun rights, discrimination and immigration. Adding Barrett to the Supreme Court poses an extreme threat to abortion rights. Trump had vowed to nominate justices to overturn Roe v. Wade and many right wing pro-life groups supported Barrett and her confirmation. While overturning Roe v. Wade is no small feat, the possibility is still looming. Additionally, Barrett has backed Indiana laws that made access to abortion more difficult.
While confirming a woman to SCOTUS seemed like a win for women across the nation, Barrett’s values make us consider if this is really a win. The question of whether it is inherently feminist to confirm a woman to this position of power even though her actions and stances are explicitly anti-feminist has been analyzed and answered time and time again.
In short, the answer is no. The long answer is also no.
Feminism promotes the equality among sexes and advocates for women's rights. While a woman being on SCOTUS seems feminist, this woman’s rulings have been blatantly anti-feminist. Abortion is a right and her decisions to make these less accessible speak to her anti-feminist values. Barrett’s actions don’t align with feminist ideals, nor do they support them.
A woman in power is incredible and a great step forward towards equality among sexes in America. However, because Barrett doesn’t promote equality in her rulings or actions, her confirmation is causing us to take two steps back. Looking deeper into what Barrett stands for and what the impact of her in a position of power on SCOTUS makes the threat she poses to women and feminism evident.
Women support women and going against the grain is anti-feminist.
Going from Feminist Icon Ginsberg to Barrett is disappointing and derails the momentum towards equality. So, no. It is not inherently feminist to confirm a woman to this position of power while her actions and stances are explicitly anti-feminist.
By Emma Bittner
Rom-Com fanatic and coffee connoisseur with a little bit of "I wanna save the world" in me.