I teared up reading that. Doesn't happen to me often.

with honest to god truth of how it works in this system....question is:can a majority of realistic voters deal with it?

I spend 23 years working in a corporate government consulting job. At one company (which is pretty unheard of these days). As a former military spouse who could never get established because of constant moving, I finally settled in the DC area and took a job as a secretary. It was all I could qualify for.

For the next 23 years, I had to be 10 times smarter, quicker, more agile, more diplomatic, more willing to compromise to achieve even a portion my goals than my male colleagues. I had to do it as a single mom juggling family and work that none of the men had to deal with.

Over those years, I achieved my own personal goal of becoming a part of the corporate management team Hurray!! I was accepted!! I made it. Or, did I? As it turned out, nothing changed. The struggle only seemed to intensify. It took far more effort to be taken seriously despite the success I had achieved. I became disillusioned, depressed and quite frankly, angry. I dreaded going to work every day. It was a miserable existence. The fight would never end because, I was a woman in a man's world. IN 2012 NO LESS!!!

Four years ago, at my husband's suggestion, I threw in the towel in absolute defeat and disgust. I enrolled in an immersive Pastry Arts school - a lifelong desire. It was the most gratifying thing I have done since, well, watching my children graduate from college and become successful young adults. (Not sure anything can top that for me.)

But, I continued to look back at my corporate career with sadness at what I perceived to be a complete failure.

Until RuPaul said this: "Any female executive, anybody who has been put to the side — women, blacks, gays — for them to succeed in a white-male-dominated culture is an act of brilliance. Of resilience, of grit, of everything you can imagine."

A switch just flipped for me. I DID SUCCEED!! I ran the gauntlet and came out on the other end in one piece. Disillusioned, yes. But intact and stronger for it. Instead of regret, I will never look back and feel anything other than the successful woman I was then and am now.

I cannot even begin to understand how exponentially worse HRC has had it. But there she is. Smart, strong, resilient and under no circumstances, a mat to walk on.

My respect for her continues to grow every single day.

Thank you RuPaul. You just changed the biggest misperception of my life. And gave me yet another reason to respect and support Hillary.

(I apologize for the length of this post.)

I, as an introvert and often the odd one out, had to learn that there will always be people who will never accept you, no matter what. I also know some of the feelings you had. While it is hard to change other people, you can at least stand up for yourself. Leaving behind an environment that is hostile to you is not a failure, in my opinion. It just meant you didn't regard it as worthwhile to put up with their shit anymore. Life is too short to be miserable because of other people.

It wasn't a hostile environment at all. On the whole, it was a great company to work for else I wouldn't have lasted 23 years. But the underlying, institutional male culture became more and more obvious the further up the ladder I rose. And the more disillusioned I became. It was so ingrained into the culture that, as I'm sure comes as no surprise, no one even recognized it existed. I made the right choice to leave. It was time for a long overdue change. I actually left on very good terms and still keep in touch with many of the people there.

Ideas aren't good (or they are "minor considerations, missing the big picture" until a man says the same thing (which can happen in the blink of an eye!). And if you are short, literally "over-looked".

In the world of the performing arts, you are invisible pretty much in terms of roles once you pass 45.

Do you mind if I share it on my FB page? Anonymously, like "one woman's story", or something?

I already posted the RuPaul article.

It's funny--but not humorous-- how a woman could say what he said, but it's never taken seriously until enough men say it?

Feel free to use it.

It would make a good letter to the editor. Maybe something with a large readership, like huff post?
Really important to get stories out there. People relate to personal stories, and you told it really well. That's not easy!

Not a bit too long!

Rather, a Thing of Beauty! I know exactly how you feel. Savoring this.

Very much.

I can't stand political purism. Politics should be driven by idealism, but tempered by realism. It s the Art of the Possible.

It should also be pushing the possible to beyond what people thing is its limits. That's not "rainbows and ice-cream" either. It's not 'we can't do that right now."

...but I think a realistic assessment of the political possibilities are in order too. The reality is that our nations economy is going to have some dependency on Wall Street for a long time. The reality is that the House is going to be controlled by the GOP for at least another couple cycles. The reality s that the electorate as a whole is unlikely to support radically progressive policies at this time. We must formulate strategies that take those realities into account.

Well, a majority want single payer.

And free college


And mainly less pay for play, elitist politicians.

And "corporatist" and "establishment stooge" when you dissent at all on which battles you pick, because you have to pick some and let others go.

Otherwise you wind up going off in 20 different directions and getting nowhere.

Some of those "non-elitist" career politicians have done some of their own prioritizing, such as "Not letting a damn war keep me from being re-elected," committing what Paul Wellstone called "environmental racism" and still continues to profit from it, and weeks after saying that gay marriage was a state's rights issue (during a re-election campaign), that he wouldn't support it in his own state because it was "too divisive."

Being able to keep one's own staff for more than a few months is also a skill that one would need to accomplish any lofty goals, especially when they are talking about never making compromises.

Be careful who you accuse of pay for play.... because they've all done it in one way or another, and wouldn't pass the purity test.

as to what is and is not feasible, because otherwise, they're really no different than politicians who say that defunding Planned Parenthood will reduce the number of abortions, and "most people" don't like Planned Parenthood.

That isn't going to be a reality no matter how many voters want it. Abortions will increase if Planned Parenthood is defunded, and forcing our health care system into a single payer system in fewer than 10 years would disrupt the system too much, even if it was politically possible.

It's up to congress. And certainly not going to happen with a president who has issues working effectively with their own progressive peers, let alone being obstructed by the GOP.

Even if everyone claps their hands and reeeeeeaaallly believes.

Ever as nothing, it's time to grow up and realize the concept was tested for support with colleagues on the senate floor- and that matters a whole lot. More than the exaggerated promises we have seen dudes make just to be splashy.

I also think people want less snobby elitism like being told to grow up ...and fewer politicians who aren't very creative or effective but with just name recognition.

To work with people some would call enemies and pick our battles. I hear a lot of fools saying Obama and Hillary have done nothing... And I realize my bodily autonomy and civil rights mean less than their wallets. Not going to apologize for having different priorities. Fought for many more years than the lot of those suddenly obsessed w the oligarchy. Respecting other people civil rights and genuine struggles is part of growing up. So not really caring if I offend those who have described my uterus or social Justice as a wedge issue or distraction.

Talk about clueless old white men....

Yessssssssssss!

You have to prioritize.

Not everything can be on one agenda.

I think "elitism" has become a buzzword. It's too broad to focus on any specific criticism.

Some use the word as code for politicians who use big words and "don't know their place".
Others use it to refer to the ultra-wealthy class who buy legal favors and have no concept or concern for day to day life under their "leadership".

It's not that there's anything wrong with using the term "elitist", but it's more useful to clarify the problem. Otherwise you can't clarify solutions. In my not very humble opinion.

And after the election you can call her President 8ITCH!

to love Rupaul.

!!!

HELL FUCK YES!!!

In a time when reality has left the building.

Thank you, RuPaul, for the very straight speaking.

have the balls to tell it like it is. RuPaul has balls.

if someone had written it here as their own OP!

than if someone who was not known for that vocabulary had said it.