Former Secretary of State and Democratic Party presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton told a women’s magazine that if her years of dealing with sexism have proven anything, it’s that the trick to dealing with it is to not wallow in self-pity.
“Now sometimes when it is about me … you have to not just remain silent but try to figure out a proper response — again, though, not going to the place of anger and feeling sorry for yourself, because that kind of plays into the hands of the sexists,” Mrs. Clinton said during an interview with Glamour magazine. “It does take practice though.”
Mrs. Clinton also said it took her years to learn the proper ways of dealing with sexists, Politico reported. For instance, she recalled how when she was taking the LSAT, a group of hecklers shouted at her: “You’re taking a place of a man who could maybe get drafted and die in Vietnam,” she said, Politico reported.
Mrs. Clinton said of that incident that “we’re in a much better place the we were,” but more must be done, Politico said. She also said that she usually declines to respond to personal attacks, but that she has in the past “responded if it’s about somebody else,” she said.
“Because if women in general are being degraded, are being dismissed, then I can respond in a way that demonstrates I’m not taking it personally, but I’m really serious about rejecting that kind of behavior,” she said, Politico reported, citing excerpts of the Glamour article that is due to be published in full on Aug. 12.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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