The New York Times' Woman Problem

To the Editor:

One of the reasons women had to struggle so long to win the vote—and why we continue to fight for full equality—is the trivializing of women and our concerns ["NOW's Woman Problem," 9/14/03). It smacks of sexism when the endorsement of two major women's organizations is demeaned as "silly." And it smacks of more than that when a qualified African-American woman is disparaged not for her experience or platform but for her presumed "vanity."

With over 500,000 contributing members, NOW's goal is to take action to advance women's equality. Carol Moseley Braun, a forceful ally with a strong record, is getting women's issues onto the table and into the political debate—and she deserves our support. We've never made endorsements to impress the media or the pundits, and we're not going to start now. That would be silly.

—Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women
Washington, DC

Sept. 14, 2003