Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

As Elizabeth Warren Rises, the G.O.P. Deploys an Old Tactic

By Thomas Kaplan, New York Times

This week, Elizabeth Warren faced allegations that she lied about being forced from her teaching position for being pregnant, an attack Amanda Hunter at the Barbara Lee Family Foundation calls all too common for women candidates. She says, “Women pay a much higher price when their honesty and integrity is called into question…once women are knocked off that pedestal, it’s a lot more difficult for them to climb all the way back up.” At least this week, Warren had a lot of help.

You can read the full article here.

Women Know How to Do This Now

By Christina Cauterucci, Slate

Women have always been wary of publicizing the sexism they face, which is why women’s response to the allegations against Elizabeth Warren are so extraordinary. So many women have flooded social media with stories of discrimination they faced due to their pregnancies, turning an attack into a moment of solidarity. In the era of the #MeToo movement, women are showing the power that comes from standing together.

You can read the full article here.

The backlash over Ocasio-Cortez’s haircut shows women can’t win when it comes to their appearance, experts say

By Marisa Iati, Washington Post

If it’s not being fired for being pregnant, then it’s being attacked for getting a haircut. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was criticized in the media this week after it came out she spent $300 at the salon. This attempt to shame her draws attention to the impossible standards women candidates are expected to meet: they must maintain a certain appearance, yet when they spend the money to do so they are called “fiscally irresponsible.”

You can read the full article here.

Why Voter Enthusiasm Is More Important Than Electability in the 2020 Election

By Lily Herman, Teen Vogue

For those who doubt women candidates, we’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: “electability“ is not an accurate measure of a candidate’s success! While it may be true that voters have tended to favor the more moderate, wealthy, white men of the past, this is starting to change. Each day less “traditional” candidates are gaining more support, a phenomenon academics are crediting to voter enthusiasm: “There’s a difference between a candidate with flaws and a candidate without voter momentum.” If 2018 proved anything, it’s that women have the momentum.

You can read the full article here.

Don’t Punish Simone Biles for Being the Best

By Liriel Higa, New York Times

This was a monumental week for Simone Biles. On Thursday, she took home her fifth world championship gold medal! However, her win has not been without controversy. The international gymnastics federation gave the Biles beam dismount an “H” difficulty ranking, which some are calling too low for a move only Simone Biles can do. She says, “Am I in a league of my own? Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t credit me for what I’m doing.”

You can read the full article here.

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