Women to Admire: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The Supreme Court Justice has long been a proponent of gender equality and progressivism. Luckily for all of us, she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
In a political context, the terms “Supreme Court” and “octogenarian” probably don’t conjure up much enthusiasm among young voters — they certainly don’t for me. That’s why the enduring legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is so fascinating. Unlike many long-serving lawmakers and second wave feminists, Ginsburg has more or less kept with the times. (And the times have definitely kept with her.)
Not only has Ginsburg blazed trails for women in law and politics and persistently fought for social justice, she’s made a huge mark on popular culture and contemporary feminism. Besides Hillary Clinton, I can’t think of another woman who has had such a far-reaching influence.
Abbi of Broad City dressed up as RBG for Halloween, one of Kate McKinnon’s best recurring SNL bits is as Ginsburg, and an entire blog (and book) is dedicated to the nearly-85-year-old Justice. Not to mention that there are two movies about her expected in 2018: the Felicity Jones-starring biopic On the Basis of Sex and the documentary RBG, both of which are helmed by women.
What makes all of the above more meaningful is Ginsburg truly and constantly uses her power and voice on the bench to fight for women and other marginalized people. Since her 1993 appointment to the Supreme Court, she has supported the right to legal and accessible abortion, marriage equality, universal healthcare, and affirmative action.
When votes don’t go her way, Ginsburg isn’t afraid of speaking out.
“When a justice is of the firm view that the majority got it wrong, she is free to say so in dissent,” Ginsburg wrote in The New York Times. “I take advantage of that prerogative.”
One of Ginsburg’s most memorable dissents was issued after SCOTUS’ ruling in the 2014 Hobby Lobby case, which determined that corporations do not have to cover birth control as part of their employees’ health insurance on the basis of religious freedom.
“Religious organizations exist to foster the interests of persons subscribing to the same religious faith. Not so of for-profit corporations,” Ginsburg opined. “The court, I fear, has ventured into a minefield.”
Best of all, Ginsburg has made it clear she’s not going anywhere, literally or ideologically. She’s hired clerks through 2020 and is enthusiastic about the #MeToo movement.
“It’s about time,” she said at Sundance’s RBG premiere. “For so long women were silent, thinking there was nothing you could do about it, but now the law is on the side of women, or men, who encounter harassment and that’s a good thing.”
Next. Women to Admire: Carrie Fisher. dark
Honestly, the only way I could admire her more is if she started a Twitter handle solely dedicated to dissenting all of Trump’s tweets.