When I announced I was running for the California State Senate, I did an interview with the Washington Post. They asked me:
Any fear about being branded as a kind of one hit wonder– forever known as the woman Rush Limbaugh called a “slut” because of your support for mandating insurance companies provide coverage for contraceptives?
It is a variation on a question I’ve been asked many times the past two years.
What I always say, and what I told the Washington Post was:
Unfortunately, everybody gets defined by other people. The trick is to define yourself.
I define myself by the issues that I care about and the work that I do to champion those issues.
I always intended to have a career in public interest law, writing legislation and directly representing clients in need. That is why I’ve spent a decade working on issues like domestic violence, LGBTQ rights, worker protections, human trafficking, college affordability and raising the minimum wage. I have successfully written legislation and pushed it through the process to see it signed into law, and I’ve directly represented clients in court who were among the most disempowered in our society. That is the work I chose. That is what defines me and my character.
So when I stood up to Rush Limbaugh, it wasn’t to use it as a defining moment in my career. It wasn’t even to defend myself. It was to fight back for women and girls, and for every community that is silenced. I worked to highlight that his attacks were yet another attempt to silence women, and that these attacks that are unfortunately so common needed to stop. I was also committed to not being a cautionary tale for women and girls across the country. I wanted to show that you can, with dignity, stick up for yourself in a way that will actually encourage more people to stand with you, and to fight back against hateful attacks.
My public fight with Rush Limbaugh doesn’t define me, but it does clearly show you the kind of leader that I am. I’m not focused on taking the easy path -- I will always fight back for what I believe, regardless of the personal cost. When we talk about corrupt politicians, or elected leaders that are beholden to special interests, or candidates that buckle under the weight of donors who want favors, you know I’m not that kind of person. If the voters elect me to represent them in Sacramento, they know they are going to get a State Senator who will fight only for their interests.
If voters are considering who to vote for on Tuesday, I want them to know that I’ll always fight for them and for the change we need. That’s how I define myself.
I am Sandra Fluke, I am running for the California State Senate, and I hope I can count on your vote on June 3rd.
Heading into the June 3rd primary, I’m so proud of all that we’ve accomplished. These last few days are the most critical, and
I’m counting on you to help me cross the finish line. This is going to be incredibly close and we’re giving it everything we’ve got.
To volunteer here in Los Angeles, click here. If you’re not in Los Angeles, you can help out by making calls from home. And last but not least, if you're able to chip to my race, click here.
Thank you for all of your support. It means so much.
PS - I'll be meeting with LA Kossacks on Saturday, May 31st. RSVP to susans on kosmail to attend. Hope to see you there!