Twitter was feeling the Bern last Friday as hundreds of women and nonbinary people participated in #HotGirlsForBernie posting selfies with the hashtag and posting messages in support of Tio Bernie.
While the unusual social media campaign may be immediately dismissed and scoffed at by many, there is no denying that it stands out and flexes the candidate’s power with his young, diverse supporters. Namely, because it is a space for women and nonbinary people to feel themselves in whatever way they want to. Whether they want to feel cute, sexy, artsy, or all of the above. It is a digital space almost exclusively for women to talk about politics and policy.
One woman noted that Bernie has been consistently advocating for transgender people for years.
y’all mind if I just #hotgirlsforbernie pic.twitter.com/kydBjmtwuY
— 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢 (@sanxirfan) January 25, 2020
In a country where reproductive rights are under attack and women only account for 25 percent of both Congress and the Senate (despite being a little over half the population), it is amazing to see a ton of other cuties owning their sexuality and making their political opinions known.
#hotgirlsforbernie because Bernie cared about transgender people like me way before it was the “woke” thing to do pic.twitter.com/pQyoGS3KoE
— ambs (@adequateGF) January 24, 2020
I definitely support getting hot for “Medicare for all.”
I get my husband in the mood by whispering “I’m for a green new deal” and “we need Medicare for all” in his ear #hotgirlsforbernie pic.twitter.com/Hgi02yw0HS
— Barelyoddcouple (@barelyoddcouple) January 24, 2020
As of Tuesday afternoon, the political thirst traps are still trickling in on Twitter so it may not be just a Friday vibe.
#hotgirlsforbernie we love universal healthcare, racial and financial equality and justice for all pic.twitter.com/UhZwCOJTgz
— brownsuga (@anijahrayne_) January 25, 2020
This woman touted all of her fave Bernie policies.
Let’s face it, if you support Bernie you’re hot
Bernie has the hottest plans
Medicare for all
The Green New Deal
Housing for All
Reinvest in Public Ed.
Eliminating Medical Debt
Tax on Extreme
High-Speed Internet for all
Legalizing Marijuana#HotGirlsForBernie
— ✩ BlindedByLight ☆ ☼︎ (@FemaleBernieBro) January 24, 2020
Medicare for all
This tweeter specified that the trend was for folks that didn’t identify as girls, “#hotgirlsforbernie is a state of mind and a state of being.”
#hotgirlsforbernie includes hot dykes and hot dads for bernie because #hotgirlsforbernie is a state of mind and a state of being
pic.twitter.com/ZvKkGJIOqz
— gay for taxing the rich & abolishing ICE (@fatherqueerest) January 24, 2020
This person was able to use both #HotBoysForBernie and #HotGirlsForBernie.
Since I’m Non-Binary, I’ll do both!#hotboysforbernie#hotgirlsforbernie pic.twitter.com/JkW0ZyT3zT
— Bolivia Was A Coup (@TheTwilightMonk) January 25, 2020
Yes, Annie, we do deserve a livable planet.
#hotgirlsforbernie
Because hot girls and everyone else deserve a livable planet. pic.twitter.com/tvJefCz5rS— Annie Lott (@AnneLott18) January 24, 2020
I also can’t wait for us hot peeps to melt ICE.
Can’t wait for #HotGirlsForBernie to get him elected and then take on abolishing ICE pic.twitter.com/SNLJa63jxm
— Kristian Steffany
(@kksteffany) January 24, 2020
(@kksteffany) The trend came on the heels of the negative press by way of the “Bernie Bros” that also support Sanders. He is also facing backlash for a Joe Rogan endorsement, who has made islamophobic and transphobic remarks in the past.
The hashtag started as a meme earlier this month in a group chat and spread. A woman in the original group wanted the hashtag to be inclusive and challenge beauty standards. This hashtag is also the first to encourage all kinds of people that don’t identify as men to take up more space in political dialogues.
Who said advocating for radical change can’t be fun? After all, our thoughts on policy should trend every day because we’re more affected than the majority of people writing laws.
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