Along with the rest of America last Tuesday, I  saw history be made.
I watched Rachel Maddow grow increasingly excited as results came in, Brian Williams make fun of Donald Trump and our president give a speech that made me believe in America again. But the best part of the night for me was not a part of the victory parade or a quip by my boyfriend Brian Williams.
The part of the coverage that took my breath away like no other was newly-elected Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s acceptance speech (and not just because it allowed me to mark off the section of my election night bingo card that said “cutaway speech to senator few have heard of”).
Elizabeth Warren, with her script first name on her signs and her no-nonsense attitude, won my heart in seconds. As did the crowd of people who were old, young, male and female were chanting her name.
Far from the preplanned speeches Barry and Mitt would give hours later, Senator Warren thanked her supporters, profusely, repetitively, from the heart.
As I watched her be amazed to have finally completely and irrevocably broken through the glass ceiling, I felt at one with the sea of people chanting her name.
I believed in the ability of America to follow Elizabeth Warren’s vision of true equality. Elizabeth Warren wasn’t the only woman elected to the Senate last Tuesday.
Twenty senate seats, more than ever before, are now occupied by women from both parties. That is outstanding, and a testament to the amount of women who came out to vote; however, as Warren herself later said, it is still 30 seats less than it should be.
But if women continue to turn out to vote for their rights, I believe that gap can be closed sooner than we think.
Last Tuesday’s election is being called the election of women, and not just because of the multitude of women who were elected.
In an election full of binders of women and legitimate rape, women turned out to cast their votes for their rights.
Women made up 53 percent of the electorate in the election, with a majority of them voting for President Obama.
It seems when you support things like women being in control of their own bodies and real efforts to bridge the gap between men’s and women’s wages, it gives you a leg up over the competition.
Speaking of which, you know who did not get reelected? Todd Akin, also known as “legitimate rape” guy and Richard Mourdock, also known as rape “God intended” guy.
Maybe it was obvious to the rest of you, but saying horribly degrading things about women and their rights does not seem to win you an election in which half or more of the electorate are women. Across the ballot box, women are defending their rights to their own bodies.
Not to mention Obama’s health care plan has consistently included reproductive health coverage, while Romney’s limited rights to contraception.
Movements by Republican candidates, which were seen to limit women’s rights to birth control, may have played a huge part in the outcome of the election.
It seems most women agree giving equal access to contraception, no matter social class or economic situation, not only makes sense but can only help America to grow.
Every woman should be able to do with her body whatever she wants, unlimited by financial concerns men don’t have to worry about. This idea goes beyond contraception to all female health care, which Obama’s health care plan supports.
Women are affecting change, one vote at a time. The year 1992 was called the “Year of the Woman,” when 7 women were elected to the Senate. Now, 20 years later, that number has doubled and women are still changing the face of the government.
Though we have a long way to go to reach equality, I believe there will be female voters turning out to the polls at huge rates as long as there are candidates who will support them.