After Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright came under fire for their comments about young women who support Bernie Sanders, New York City's First Lady Chirlane McCray, who is a Hillary Clinton supporter herself, discussed with HuffPost Live the issues at play in the Democratic primary.
While Steinem and Albright's remarks over the weekend were perceived to be "hectoring younger women into supporting Clinton," McCray told host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani that young feminists don't necessarily have an obligation to vote for Clinton just because she'd be the country's first female president. Instead, she said young women have the right to decide which candidate best suits their interests.
"I think that being a feminist means that you get to choose [which candidate you support], and one shouldn't be awarded any position just because one is a woman," she said. "You have to be competent. You have to be capable. But again, I would love to see her be president of the United States."
Steinem has since apologized for implying that young women support Sanders because "the boys are with Bernie," and she explained in a Facebook post that her comments were "misinterpreted." Still, the controversy reflects a divide among female Democrats. While older women have come out in support of Clinton, she has had difficulty resonating with young female voters thus far. McCray said her support for the former secretary of state stems from Clinton's "reputation" and dedication to families.
"I support her and her values, especially when it comes to children and families. I know that she can make a huge change in our country in that regard," McCray said. "For too long, we've kind of ignored our families, especially the working class and middle class. She can make tremendous changes so we can get on the right foot."
Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Chirlane McCray here.
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