Pssstt…The SLiP is in! 3.25.22
Hello, friends! Thanks for allowing me to SLiP into your day! Here’s your rundown - now let’s get to it!
Gut Check: It depends on what the definition of “woman” is
Is it feminism: Reimbursing employees who travel for an abortion
The Slip Q & A with Congressional candidate Audrey Henson
In your Free Time!
Gut Check: What is a Woman?
I hadn’t planned on writing about the definition of “woman” today, but nevertheless here we are. Thanks to President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a subset of a subset of the internet this week was consumed with this small moment from her confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Out of the hours and hours she was grilled over her judicial philosophy and record, this one moment stood out. Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked Judge Jackson if she could define the word “woman,” and Jackson declined, saying “I’m not a biologist.”
I’ll be honest. My first inclination was to shrug this off and file it away in the “who cares” column of my brain. Judges aren’t supposed to be the arbiters of definitions of words. That’s what dictionaries are for. That’s what facts and data and science are for. Progressives can argue about pronouns all they want; Merriam Webster still defines “woman” as an “adult female person”. Case closed. So whether or not Ketanji Brown Jackson personally has a good definition for the word “woman” tells me very little about her judicial philosophy (oh I’m sorry - methodology).
What’s more, Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is a foregone conclusion. Given that fact, nearly every Republican member of the committee used his or her time to grandstand and angle for “gotcha” moments and TV-worthy soundbites. And I mean no shade or disrespect toward Sen. Blackburn, but that’s exactly what she was doing. And Judge Jackson wasn’t going to fall for it.
Or so I thought.
The more I mulled over this one tiny momen, the more I realized it actually does matter. It matters that Ketanji Brown Jackson was uncomfortable offering up a definition of the word “woman.” It matters because it signifies a cultural shift that now seems fully underway: what a woman is and is not is now up for debate. It takes courage these days to actually say “a woman is a female adult with female anatomy,” and for someone going through a confirmation process for the highest court in the land, the risk of going out on THAT limb wasn’t worth it.
That matters.
As a Supreme Court justice, Jackson is going to be put in any number of uncomfortable positions. She will be asked to offer opinions on cases that encompass hot-button, cultural issues. Does an abortion ban violate the Constitution? Can a baker be forced to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple? Does the Second Amendment guarantee an individual right to own firearms? All of these cases have gone before the nine men and women on the Supreme Court and their ramifications will last for decades, if not generations. Jackson is asking to take a seat on that court, but she can’t give us a definition of the word “woman”?
Here’s what I would say to Judge Jackson: Our daughters are watching. What you say matters. Words matter. You matter. Show our girls that being a woman is not only fundamental to their being, it can never be taken away. Not now, not ever.
Is It Feminism?
Earlier this month, Citigroup announced it would begin covering travel costs for employees seeking an abortion. The company announced the policy in response to Texas’ recent law banning most abortions after 6 weeks. Citi isn’t the latest company to go “woke” in response to pro-life legislation, nor will it be the last. But news of the policy change made waves nonetheless. So: is it feminism?
I would argue (surprise, surprise) that no - companies financing travel costs for employees looking to end a pregnancy is not feminist. Not only is it NOT feminist, it is actively anti-woman. Citi’s policy sends a terrible message to women in the workplace - that easy access to abortion is so important for working women that your boss will pay for it. And why is it so important? Because women can’t have successful careers AND be moms? How does that advance women?
If Citi (or any other company for that matter) really wanted to support women, they would invest in things like on-site daycares or nanny networks and yell from the rooftops that even if your pregnancy is unplanned and inconvenient, we are here to support you AND your child. You, dear employee, are capable of more than you know and together, we’ll prove it.
The SLiP Q&A with Audrey Henson
If you’ve been reading The SLiP for any amount of time, you know we LOVE women who throw their hat in the ring and run for political office. That’s why I’m so stoked to feature our first Q & A with one such woman: Audrey Henson. Audrey us running for Congress from Florida’s 13th Congressional District, and she has an incredible story and lots of advice for women thinking about getting into politics. Let’s get to it!
First, tell us a little bit about yourself!
At my core, I love people and I love serving others. As an outspoken extrovert, I love getting out to meet new people and learn people’s stories. Throughout my childhood, I was always looking for ways to solve problems and I believe it fostered a deep entrepreneurial spirit inside me. In 2016, I started a national nonprofit called College to Congress after I experienced first-hand the struggles of interns on Capitol Hill. This work allowed me to testify in Congress four times as an expert witness, secure $48 million in congressional appropriations, ad landed me on Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Currently, I am founder and CEO of By the Bay Bobcats, a family-operated construction business focused on excavation, demolitions, and hardscaping throughout my community.
After announcing my candidacy for Congress, I have truly enjoyed getting to know so many new friends and building on the great relationships I already had in Florida. I wake up excited every morning to have the opportunity to go out, meet new people, and learn the real issues people are facing across my district. No matter if it is seeing people at church, a family function, campaign events, dinner with friends, or simply walking my dog, I genuinely love people.
What are you thoughts on the debate happening over Lia Thomas swimming as a transgendered athlete in the Women’s NCAA swimming competitions?
I think it is an unfair advantage for biologically born male athletes tot compete in biologically women’s athletics. The picture we saw from the last tournament speaks volumes for the size difference and athletic abilities of one gender versus the other. I also fully support Governor DeSantis’ proclamation declaring Sarasota’s Emma Weyant as the real winner from this past weekend’s swimming meet. The decision from the NCAA to allow male athletes to compete in women’s sports makes a mockery of the competition and shows how the woke liberal agenda is negatively impacting our country.
What made you decide to run for political office?
Growing up in St. Petersburg, FL, I came from very humble beginnings. Being forced to rely on government welfare programs, my family and I experienced drastic failures and shortcomings that big government provides to working class Americans every day. The adversity that I faced at such a young age and my steadfast commitment to Christ truly shaped my life and instilled in me fore conservative principles - self-determination, individual responsibility, opportunity, freedom, and the central importance of hard work. I have a passion for serving others and trying to improve the lives of those around me.
When you think of someone who is in Congress now do you see normal, everyday Americans? I don’t. I see political elites who are completely out of touch with reality. Congress needs to get back to the basics and have everyday working class people bring common sense solutions that our citizens deserve. It is time we elected qualified, local community leaders who will take the concerns of the people they represent to D.C. and fight for their constituents. That is why I am running for Congress.
What advice would you give other women who are considering running for office one day?
Like many other conservative women, I have lost friends because of my Christian conservative beliefs. When considering running for office, I would encourage anyone to reevaluate your relationships and surround yourself with people who are going to support you through this. I’m such a big believer that people do not have to look, think, act, or talking like me to be my friend- in fact I seek out those who are different. However, the moment I announced my candidacy, in some people’s eyes I was no longer their friend but a political for them to treat inhumanely. It’s sad that our country is at a place where people no longer know how to talk to others who they don’t agree with. At C2C, I created bipartisan allies to fix this. I wish every American could go through the program and learn how to be more tolerant, compassionate, and okay with the fact that we are all individuals with different perspectives and experiences. I am grateful for the friends who have supported me and value our friendship so much more because of it.
A lot of women these days consider themselves to be politically homeless. They may have voted against Trump and for Biden, but they want the masks to come off their kids, they don’t want vaccine mandates, and they don’t want propaganda like CRT taught in schools. What message do you have for those women and why should they find a home in the Republican Party?
People who have never cared about politics are getting involved because these crazy overreaches by the Biden Administration are directly affecting their families. I hear stories from women all the time across my district who have recently become politically active and realized, “Wow, I’m a Republican!”. Florida is fully open, fully free, and we have Americans flocking in by the thousands daily. People across the country are seeing Republican policies thrive while blue states are being overrun with crime and government lockdowns.
At our core, the Republican Party cares about protecting our family, our faith, and our freedom. We believe in creating opportunities and leaving the world a better place for our next generation. If this what you care about then welcome home.
Now for some fun ones!
Go-To Starbucks order?
I’ve been boycotting Starbucks since they kicked those cops out in Arizona so I’m more of a local coffee shop or Dunkin Donuts girl. Either way, my order is so boring - always a hot medium drop coffee with almond milk.
Favorite movie?
My all time favorite movie is a toss up between Godfather Part II and The Grinch. POLAR OPPOSITES I KNOW. But right now, I’m loving the comedy, The Campaign. It’s so ridiculous and funny. Oddly, some parts of it are relatable too!
Pick 3 people (dead or alive) you’d love to grab lunch with:
Ruth from the Bible
President Ronald Reagan
Beyonce
Thank you so much, Audrey!
Free Time
👂 Listen to this episode of The Dr. John Delony Show about the adolescent suicide crisis.
👀 Read about why it’s ok to embrace working sweatpants. Yes, really.
🍴 Snag a bag of these Dark Chocolate Bamba Snacks from Trader Joe’s. I am obsessed.
📺 Watch The Dropout on Hulu. And get ready to cringe.
Want More?
Go back and check out the last edition of The SLiP!
Check out the Not Your Average Feminist podcast
Find us on Instagram (and share those reels!)