The Dais Can Be a Powerful But Lonely Place

Nevertheless I Speak

I’m used to being the only woman in a room. But when that room is filled with a bunch of men all jockeying to represent my congressional district, my fellow women, and me, it drives home what’s at stake. Women have been represented and spoken for by men for too long. But our district has been represented by a woman for 30 years. And I want to keep it that way. 

We had a live candidate’s forum ten days ago. Being in person with the men I’m running against showed me how important it is for me to fight to win this race. Midway through, I fielded a tough question, “How do you respond to those who are concerned that you haven’t completed your term in Palo Alto, and are running for a new office?” Y’all, would I have been asked this question if I were a man? Why is it okay for a man to “not throw away his shot” and disrupt the status quo, but not a woman?

The big headline from the evening, though, was the disruption of the forum by a large group of pro-Palestinian protesters. In a crowd of 300, dozens of people, some holding signs, began shouting, jeering, and booing at candidates during their remarks, particularly when we spoke about the role of the U.S. in the Israel-Hamas war, and if we would support a ceasefire. Ultimately, the meeting was cut short as a result. It was a tense situation—the pain and frustration in the room was palpable. 

That’s why I started my response to the question by acknowledging folks’ pain and frustration. I was the only candidate to do so. It’s the kind of compassion that comes naturally to me as Black, biracial, queer, bisexual mother of two, who spent much of my life being “othered” and because of that felt inadequate as a human. It’s exactly this kind of compassion that is so lacking in Congress today. It’s vital that we understand and hold space for others, even and especially when they disagree with us.

In offering my thoughts about Israel/Gaza — a much longer version of which I posted about in Julie’s Pod mere days after the Hamas attack — I reiterated my disgust at the attacks on October 7th which included murder, rape, butchering, and hostage-taking. I was booed by many of the protesters, which, honestly, surprised me. To deny what happened on that day is to erase history. I won’t stand silent and watch that happen.

Yet, I completely understood where the protesters were coming from. They’re horrified by the aerial bombings the Netanyahu government has wreaked upon Gaza in response to the Hamas attack — they’ve killed tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian people including children, and destroyed homes and communities, and this bombardment has further led to rampant starvation, disease, and the horror of patients undergoing surgery without anesthesia. I am ALSO horrified by this. And that night at the forum, I said so.

Silicon Valley’s Congressional representative must have a nuanced and compassionate understanding of the threat to Jewish people AND of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They must stand firm in their convictions and be swift in their actions, but cannot be so firm-headed that they’re unwilling to hear from those with opposite opinions. At the forum, I believe that I alone demonstrated that I’m the candidate with those qualifications. 

Let me go further than that: At the forum, I imagined how different and more peaceful and just our lives would be if women ruled the world!! Something about being the ones through whom life comes makes us feel a greater compassion for all who suffer, perhaps.

More updates to come. As I head into the final three weeks of my congressional campaign, send me prayers, a contribution if you can, and love.

You know I love you back!

xo

🤗 Here’s a hug for anyone who chooses peace over violence and love over hate.

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