Saturday evening, on the rooftop patio of a club in downtown Austin, I met one of my heroes.
Her most famous accomplishments occurred more than 15 years before I was born, but I still felt myself tearing up as I stood less than three feet away from her. I let another woman waiting to speak to her go ahead of me so I could pull myself together before introducing myself to a woman who has made no apologies paving the way to equality for women everywhere.
I am tearing up again now just thinking about it.
But let's go back to the beginning.
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem spoke in support of Hillary Clinton at Momo's Club, a small bar and music venue on West 6th Street.
I went into the event with my notepad and camera at the ready - a journalist first (for SeattlePoliticore.org), a feminist and fan second. I also went in as an Obama supporter who was interested in talking to Clinton supporters and hearing Steinem make a case for the first viable female candidate for president.
The club slowly filled up to a crowd of about 150 people. Most were women, and there were a few clusters of older women who are so often pegged by the media as being overwhelmingly in support of Clinton.
When you actually talk to these women, however, you will find that things are not always as they seem.
At a caucus in Washington state on Feb. 9, Mary Ellen Sheridan, who appeared to be in her 60’s, told me she voted for Obama.
"People think the older women are for Hillary, but it was the young girls who voted for her," Sheridan said of her caucus experience.
At Momo's, I spoke with one older woman who supported Clinton, but the friend who accompanied her was a John McCain supporter.
30-year-old Melissa Guy, who attended the event with life partner and fellow Clinton supporter Angela Crall, told me, "Both of our mothers, who are Hillary's age, are voting for Obama."
When I asked Guy how she felt about the notion that women support Hillary just because she is a woman, she gave me an answer I have heard time and time again from voters who are tired of being oversimplified and herded into a voting bloc based on their gender.
"I don't think it gives women enough credit, and it doesn't give Hillary enough credit," she said. "My decision is strictly based on who would be the best candidate."
Once the event got underway, it became clear that the message was targeted at the majority of the audience: female voters.
"What a day for strong women!" Jehmu Greene, the former president of Rock the Vote, exclaimed as she took the stage. The enthusiastic cheering began here and continued throughout the event.
Supporters fell silent, however, while watching two Clinton campaign videos aimed at Texas voters. The first, called "One of a Million," featured several women encouraging Texans to vote and caucus for Hillary. The second, "This One's for Ann," got a much bigger response from the crowd in terms of cheering and tears.
The video was about former Texas governor Ann Richards, who died of esophageal cancer in 2006.
The crowd chanted along with Richards's words as the video showed her delivering the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention: "But if you give us a chance, we can perform," Richards said. "After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels!"
I knew little about Richards when I watched the video, but I had tears in my eyes by the end. Feminist Devon wanted Journalist Devon to stop taking notes and appreciate the ability of a strong female leader to inspire and empower women even after her death. (I know there is controversy over Clinton using Richards in her campaign, but that is a whole different diary.)
Greene later introduced Steinem to a round of thunderous applause as the crowd jumped to its feet.
Steinem described Clinton as a "vivifying and democratizing force" and said she is glad the race between Obama and Clinton has gone on this long. The nominating system has remained open longer, more people have voted and more votes have mattered.
"Maybe we shouldn't be so afraid of an open convention that actually decides something," she suggested.
Steinem also counted down ten reasons why she supports Clinton. Many of the reasons were ripe with dry humor and criticism of George W. Bush, while others defended Clinton against common media and opponent attacks.
"She's been beaten up for that vote on Iraq by a double standard," Steinem said.
"Candidates Edwards and Biden voted exactly the same way for the same reason: to put the strongest case before the United Nations based on Bush's false evidence - that we needed to do so. Obama, an honest man, when asked how he would have voted in the same circumstances, said, 'I don't know.' And yet she is being crucified by this double standard."
Having encountered double standards personally as a woman and learning about them as a Women Studies minor at the University of Washington, this particularly struck a chord with me. I realized that I had learned about most of Clinton's positions on issues through the media rather than investigating them myself, and that the media could spin just about anything as a negative against her.
Steinem's case for Clinton did not change my support for Obama, but it made me realize that I had not given Clinton a fair assessment.
Even as a woman, feminist and Women Studies student, I made some assumptions about her and bought into certain double standards. While I defended Clinton against blatantly overblown attacks for her crying incident, I simply believed stories I heard about her at other times.
I remain an Obama fan, but I also believe Clinton would be an outstanding president.
As a young woman, some may say I am an Obama supporter because I am young, and others may say I should be a Clinton supporter because I am a woman. Some may say Oprah Winfrey is voting with her race, and others may say Gloria Steinem is voting with her gender.
I say we are all voting for whomever we choose because we can choose. We are not confined to vote for the candidate of our same race or gender; I'm not sure why some would insist otherwise.
As I introduced myself to Gloria Steinem, I found myself personally connected to a figure and a movement that I'd studied in class and admired from afar.
I did not have tears in my eyes because I was meeting her, but because I was thinking of all the things I've been able to do in my life that may not have been possible without her work.
My classmate Philip took a photo of us, and I said "thank you" to her - for taking the time to chat, for posing for the photo, and for all the things she did for me many years before I was even born.
I look at that photo now and see many things: an Obama supporter. A Clinton supporter. A student. An icon. Two women who have the absolute freedom to vote in this country, and whose votes count just the same.
*** Although I am a journalism student reporting for a class, this is not meant to be an objective, journalistic piece. My prof encouraged me to write something personal and opinionated and cross-post it on here, The Huffington Post, and Seattle Politicore.org ***