Marin wrote earlier about Bristol Palin’s wishy-wash stance on teen pregnancy (“It’s bad! But it’s wonderful! And abstinence is unrealistic! But you should do it! Love, Bristol.”) and now my beloved Meghan McCain is weighing in on the issue via her regular column at The Daily Beast. Meghan continues to embrace an anti-abortion stance, which is somewhere she and I differ. But she’s speaking out about the Republican party’s abstinence-only attitude, and the disservice it does to young women in this country. In general, I think this young woman is doing a fantastic and admirable job of forcing the GOP to address an up-and-coming generation of Republicans who’ve been raised in a world where sexuality is not so black-and-white, and are demanding that their party understand that. And she’s doing it — gasp! — as a woman.

Says Meghan:

Let me get something straight: Bristol Palin, as an 18-year-old adult, is free to make her own choices and decide how she wants her life to unfold. But for whatever reasons, the American public and media remain overly engrossed in our politicians’ sex lives and, as in this case, those of their families. There’s an especially unhealthy attitude among conservatives. Daughters of Republican politicians aren’t expected to have sex, let alone enjoy it—as if there were some strange chastity belt automatically attached to us female offspring. God forbid anyone talk realistically about life experiences and natural, sexual instincts. Nope, the answer is always abstinence.

You tell ‘em, Meghan! She continues:

Here’s what I’ve never understood about the party: its resistance to discussing better access to birth control. As a Republican, I am pro-life. But using birth control and having an abortion are not the same at all. Actually, the best way to prevent abortions is to educate people about birth control and make it widely and easily accessible. True, abstinence is the only way to fully prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Still, the problem with abstinence-only education is that it does not make teenagers and young adults more knowledgeable about all the issues they face if or when they have sex—physically and emotionally … Perhaps the worst sexual double standard in politics right now is that too many subconsciously believe Republican women are void of sexual desire altogether, never mind its consequences … Because the GOP continues to struggle with open communication about serious issues most people deal with rationally, and on a regular basis. Unless we learn how to integrate that kind of discussion, our party will continue its descent into irrelevance.

I love this young woman. I think she has her head screwed on right, and I love that she’s fearlessly putting herself on the line to try to shock the Republican party into some sense. If you don’t follow Meghan on Twitter, you should. She’s unafraid to be perceived as a real twenty-something who drinks martinis and hangs out with boys and quotes Kelly Clarkson lyrics. Just yesterday, she posted this:

to all the negative radical pundits: “Does it hurt to know I’ll never be there? Bet it sucks, to see my face everywhere” – Kelly Clarkson

And that’s another reason I think Meghan McCain is so cool. I am ALL ABOUT being a woman who’s not defined unilaterally. Meghan is unapologetically rocking out to Kelly Clarkson, sipping martinis with her girlfriends, embracing her sex drive, trying (unsuccessfully) to figure out her car’s GPS system AND forcing the GOP to listen and react to her radically divergent views on sex education. She is reminding the Republican party — and really the whole country — that a woman can be so much more than a political label. That a woman is able to live a life the way she decides to, full of her interests and her talents and her passions and her friends, without being trapped in a cookie-cutter role that society’s created. And that is the point of this website, really. To remind women that “feminism” is a label of inclusivity, not a strict ideology. We are women of many interests and beliefs and ideas and sex drives and shoe closets, and there is power in each of us to pursue our goals as the women we are, not as the women we’re expected to be. Meghan’s a shining example of this. I want to make her our poster girl.

5 Responses to “The One Where I Continue My Lovefest for Meghan McCain”

1. Camicia says:

   May 8, 2009 at 6:52 am

   I *love* Meghan McCain. If the Republican party really wants to revamp themselves, they will pay attention to her ideas.

   Reply
2. cleverpeach says:

   May 9, 2009 at 8:57 am

   Well, I never thought I’d say this, but bravo for making me like a McCain! You’re right, just because I don’t agree with her political views, it doesn’t mean I can’t respect her as a strong young woman. Feminism FTW!

   Reply
3. KLo says:

   May 9, 2009 at 11:07 am

   Meghan McCain is realistic, straightforward, and unafraid of repercussions. I don’t agree with some of her politics, but I respect her tremendously for having the courage to say what’s on her mind … particularly when she knows full well how it will be received by some of the more … hard-core … of her political party.

   Go, Meghan!

   Reply
4. Irene says:

   May 10, 2009 at 2:16 am

   I like her outspoken attitude too but I’m curious about whether she was this outspoken during and before her father’s campaign and I also wonder whether she would have been like this if her father was in office. I guess what I’m trying to say is that for someone in her current position, this is not a true litmus test for her outspokenness. Having said that I will still say that she’s a whole lot braver than I am!

   Reply
5. Dave says:

   September 28, 2009 at 2:24 pm

   You’ve inspired me to learn more about Meghan McCain. Anyone trying to give the GOP the reality check it needs is okay in my book.

   Reply