President Donald Trump had said from the beginning of his campaign that he wanted to set up a registry for Muslims. And over the past few days, he has been moving forward with some of his other anti-immigration campaign promises, such as ordering the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico. He is also planning to sign orders that would reduce the number of refugees that are let into the U.S. annually, and impose a temporary ban on most refugees. But people are fighting back. Yesterday, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she is ready to register as a Muslim in solidarity if Trump makes that registry a reality.

Albright tweeted:

I was raised Catholic, became Episcopalian & found out later my family was Jewish. I stand ready to register as Muslim in #solidarity.

— Madeleine Albright (@madeleine) January 25, 2017

Albright also tweeted a picture of the Statue of Liberty, writing, “America must remain open to people of all faiths & backgrounds.” She was born in Prague in 1937, but fled to England during World War II. Later, her family immigrated to the U.S. and she became the first female secretary of state during the Clinton Administration. She didn’t learn that her family was Jewish and that three of her grandparents died in a concentration camp until she was older.

Albright is echoing feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who gave a powerful speech in front of the crowds of protesters at the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday. She said, “Do not try to divide us. If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.”

Gloria Steinem at #WomensMarch: “If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.” https://t.co/uxbbk30Fzv

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 21, 2017

More people followed their example and tweeted that they are also ready to register in solidarity with Muslim-Americans. “Big Bang Theory” actress Mayim Bilaik, who also is Jewish, was one of them.

I’m Jewish. I stand ready to register as a Muslim in #solidarity if it comes to that.

— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) January 25, 2017

The CEO of the Anti Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, who spoke at a summit on anti-Semitism in November, gave the same promise. He said:

I pledge to you right here and now, because I care about the fight against anti-Semitism, that if one day in these United States, if one day Muslim-Americans will be forced to register their identities, then that is the day that this proud Jew will register as a Muslim.

An inspiring moment from our #NeverIsNow summit, @JGreenblattADL pledged to register in solidarity if there was a Muslim-American registry: pic.twitter.com/GQrWZbLErP

— ADL (@ADL_National) January 15, 2017

President Trump has also promised to crack down on sanctuary cities in the U.S., increase deportations, and said that he believes that torture works.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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In an interview with comedian Bill Maher on Friday, feminist activist and bestselling author Gloria Steinem–along with her usual dose of humor-laced progressive statements–said something that was not so progressive. In fact, in their discussion of young female activism and the 2016 Democratic party candidates, Steinem’s statements sounded, dare I say it, sexist. She implied that young women only make decisions based on their love life, and that older generations of women are wiser because of their years dealing with oppression:

Women are more for [Clinton] than men are … First of all, women get more radical as we get older, because we experience … Not to over-generalize, but … men tend to get more conservative because they gain power as they age, women get more radical because they lose power as they age.

And, when you’re young, you’re thinking, where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie.

Women were quick to take to social media after Steinem’s statements, starting the hashtag #NotHereForBoys.

Let @GloriaSteinem know – we are here to ORGANIZE for and #NotHereForBoys: https://t.co/Iufi6VthIn#FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/hp8dcUOwGf

— People For Bernie (@People4Bernie) February 7, 2016

#NotHereForBoys. I support @BernieSanders because he stand for #climate action and workers’ rights.

— Aly Johnson-Kurts (@AlyJohnsonKurts) February 7, 2016

>@GloriaSteinem I’m here to elect a candidate not beholden to wall street donation. I’m #NotHereForBoys

— Moumita Ahmed (@MouBerningluv) February 7, 2016

I’m a 2 tour combat vet, here to vote for taxing big banks and businesses, civil rights, free tuition, universal healthcare. #NotHereForBoys

— sarah leifheit (@fleurdesarah) February 7, 2016

I never thought I’d see the day where I was thoroughly insulted by @GloriaSteinem #NotHereForBoys #FeelTheBern #IActuallyHaveABrain ✋

— Chrissy (@Christinker) February 6, 2016

Feminists, especially those feeling the Bern, have been left flabbergasted by Steinem’s statement. It comes from a woman who has praised millennial women for their activism, and who has actually endorsed Bernie as an “honorary woman” during one of his past campaigns. Bernie is, arguably, the most radical candidate in the presidential race, throwing a wrench into her theory that women radicalize as they age. What makes it worse is that Bill Maher, who is funny but sometimes walks the line separating humor and sexism, turned it back around on her, pointing out that if he had said the same thing Steinem probably would have reprimanded him. So what gives?

It goes without saying that, whatever your political stance, you should choose which candidate best matches your beliefs. And while it may have been true when Steinem was in her 20s that women changed their opinions to find men, it certainly is not the case today.

Watch the entire interview below.

Morgan McMurray

Morgan McMurray is an editor and gender equality blogger based in Seattle, Washington. A 2013 graduate of Iowa State University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English, Journalism, and International Studies. She spends her free time writing, reading, teaching dance classes, and binge-watching Netflix. Contact Morgan at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Donald Trump may have received a bizarre endorsement from Sarah Palin earlier this week, but now he’s receiving a lot of “anti-endorsements” as well. A number of prominent American voices, including celebrities, academics, and activists have joined together to help defeat Trump as he attempts to win the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential nomination.

The list of people who have signed on to the “Stop Hate Dump Trump” campaign is rapidly growing–it currently includes Harry Belafonte, Cornel West, Danny Glover, Jane Fonda, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Kerry Washington, Reza Aslan, Eve Ensler, Connie Britton, Gloria Steinem, Cynthia Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Dylan McDermott, and many others.

The petition to “Stop Hate Dump Trump” reads:

We believe Trump is a grave threat to democracy, freedom, human rights, equality, and the welfare of our country and all our people.

We have witnessed Trump inciting hatred against Muslims, immigrants, women, the disabled. We have seen him evidencing dangerous tendencies that threaten the bedrock of democracy: unleashing a lynch mob mentality against protestors, calling for the expulsion of Muslims from the country, bullying, and fear-mongering.

History has shown us what happens when people refuse to stand against hate-filled leaders.

We pledge ourselves to speak out in every way possible against the politics of hate and exclusion he represents.

The star-studded cohort that is backing the petition collectively has a pretty large microphone, and the campaign has generated plenty of buzz since it launched yesterday. In addition to criticizing Trump’s consistently racist, xenophobic, and sexist statements, the movement also appears to be critical of the media’s willingness to cover Trump’s latest outrageous remark without real criticism. Liza Donnelley, a cartoonist for the New Yorker, has also lent her talented pen to the movement, and has created some Dump Trump-inspired cartoons for the movement–her work criticizes both Trump, and also that cyclical media coverage.

Trump scares me. I drew some #cartoons, signed this petition. See here: https://t.co/DvNCUcPy6m #stophatedumptrump pic.twitter.com/U6VckyT7Jm

— lizadonnelly (@lizadonnelly) January 21, 2016

Trump scares me. I drew some #cartoons, signed this petition. See here: https://t.co/DvNCUcPy6m#stophatedumptrumppic.twitter.com/7H2xR27EOx — lizadonnelly (@lizadonnelly) January 21, 2016

Trump scares me. I drew some #cartoons, signed this petition. See here: https://t.co/DvNCUcPy6m #stophatedumptrump pic.twitter.com/mdEy50za8S — lizadonnelly (@lizadonnelly) January 21, 2016

The celebrities, activists, and others lending their names and voices to the Stop Hate Dump Trump movement collectively have a pretty large microphone–it’s admirable that they’re using it for a worthy cause. As we get closer and closer to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, we’ll have to see if they’re able to make any dent in Trump’s poll numbers.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Emma Watson continues to fight the good fight of gender equality, and is channeling everyone’s favorite bookworm Hermione Granger, with an online feminist book club.

It’s official – ‘Our Shared Shelf’ is up and running. First book – My life on the road. https://t.co/nVWNPy21za

— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) January 7, 2016

So grab a glass of wine and sign up for Goodreads, because this is going to be excellent. Almost as excellent as this moment:

…almost.

Aside from her acting career, Watson serves as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, famously making a speech introducing the HeForShe campaign in 2014. She called all women and men to the fight for gender equality.

A feminist book club is a most appropriate way to continue the message that feminism is, in fact, for everyone. Not only is it online, free, and readily accessible for anyone with an Internet connection, but the club promises to be ready with open arms for any and all discussions and debates.

Watson says she was inspired to begin the club through her work with UN Women:

As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too.

She also promises to try and get featured authors and experts in various fields to join the discussion. The best part? Over 80,000 people have already joined. Who knew that all we needed to get every feminist in one place was a book club?

Clearly, 80,000 doesn’t encompass the totality of the feminist movement, but Watson only started floating the idea last week, so there’s plenty of time for the numbers to grow.

Hi Team, I want to start a feminist book club but so far have only brainstormed ‘Feminist Book Club’ and ‘Emma Watson Book Club’.

— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) January 6, 2016

And the first book on the list? Gloria Steinem’s “My Life on the Road.” Which, I can attest, is a brilliant manifesto of the feminist icon’s life.

Naturally, this being the age of the Internet and thus of Internet trolls, an online discussion forum with a lead topic of feminism will be susceptible to mean-spirited comments and remarks of those who just don’t understand what feminism is. Luckily, those tens of thousands of feminists already signed up will be ready with witty comebacks–or at least a few good reaction gifs:

So go forth and read, you wonderful feminists!

Morgan McMurray

Morgan McMurray is an editor and gender equality blogger based in Seattle, Washington. A 2013 graduate of Iowa State University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English, Journalism, and International Studies. She spends her free time writing, reading, teaching dance classes, and binge-watching Netflix. Contact Morgan at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Why We Should All Join Emma Watson’s Feminist Book Club appeared first on Law Street.

Gloria Steinem is in her eighties and is still a trailblazer for feminism.  Many know her from her work for gender equality in the 1960s and 70s, when she wrote radical articles about women’s reproductive rights, led protests, and was pegged as a leader of the feminist movement. She only recently shared the story of her amazing life in her new memoir “My Life on the Road,” which she discussed with “PBS NewsHour” this week. In the interview, she also said that young women shouldn’t listen to her.

“Here’s my advice. Do not listen to me,” she said to the interviewer. “Really… I want to support their listening to themselves.”

That is actually really great advice, and supports the idea that, as women, we should all be encouraging each other in our life choices. Young women can look to icons like Steinem for inspiration, but we do not, and should not, base our lives on hers. We each have different passions and goals.

Steinem went on to explain: “They know their own life and situations. I’m here to support that and say…Okay, you’re not more important than somebody else, but you’re not less important either.”

And that’s the very basis of feminism: everyone is equal. So why, over 40 years after Gloria Steinem got her start as a journalist, are we still fighting the same battle?

Steinem was thought of as “radical” in the 60s for her views on contraception and reproductive rights, on women having to choose between a family and a career, and on the widely-accepted and normalized misogyny of American society (she was, after all, the woman who went undercover as a Playboy Bunny). Now it is almost 2016, and we are still in the midst of the same battles. Reproductive rights are a hot-button item on the campaign trails of political candidates, women who want children aren’t given the necessary leave to maintain a healthy family in addition to a career, and that misogyny still runs deep–evidenced by the fact that men like Donald Trump have large followings of people who actually respect their oppressive viewpoints.

Why is it, that over 40  years after Gloria Steinem began spearheading the fight for women’s rights, those rights are denied again and again, often at the hand of conservative America? To quote another well-known feminist, Senator Elizabeth Warren: “Do you have any idea what year it is? Did you fall down, hit your head, and think you woke up in the 1950s? Or the 1890s?”

Yes, women can wear pants without being reprimanded and we can vote, but in so many other things, true equality across all genders and races, is still unrealized.

But we should not take up Gloria Steinem’s torch. No, she is still carrying that proudly onward. What we can do is light new torches with her support, and with the support of each other; start new stories inspired by but not copied from women like her. Maybe in our lifetime it won’t be “women’s rights,” but simply “rights.”

Watch the full PBS NewsHour interview below:

Morgan McMurray

Morgan McMurray is an editor and gender equality blogger based in Seattle, Washington. A 2013 graduate of Iowa State University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English, Journalism, and International Studies. She spends her free time writing, reading, teaching dance classes, and binge-watching Netflix. Contact Morgan at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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