In Hillary Clinton’s concession speech last Wednesday, she thanked supporters, activists, community leaders — and called upon the members of secret Facebook groups to speak out. “I want everybody coming out from behind that,” she said. “And make sure your voices are heard going forward.”
It was a small change to a personal message she had sent to Pantsuit Nation, an invite-only Facebook group, the week before. “For some of you, it’s been difficult to feel like you could wear your support on your sleeve,” that note read in part. “And that’s why this community has been such a special place.” The group was designed as a space to celebrate the first woman president, but it was particularly appealing to people who felt uncomfortable telling people in their real-world circles that they were voting for Clinton — ”blue dots” in the red seas of conservative states, as Chamberlain called them in a New York Times profile. In her pre-election confidence, Clinton appeared fine with that. But now the game has changed.
Libby Chamberlain, who lives in the tiny coastal town of Brooklin, Maine, started Pantsuit Nation about three weeks before Election Day. It quickly racked up 3 million members despite its secrecy. Many in Pantsuit Nation have started referring to themselves as the “silent majority,” a term popularized by President Nixon to describe Middle Americans that didn’t receive the media attention the counter-culture forces of the time did. It was dredged up again most recently by Trump supporters, who while not literally the majority (Clinton won the popular vote) certainly were more widespread than polling suggested. But some of the women of Pantsuit Nation want to redefine the term to mean people who, out of politeness, apathy, or fear, didn’t say enough before Trump was elected, and now find themselves with a lot more to say.
Pantsuit Nation / Facebook
Chamberlain posted a message to the group just hours after Clinton conceded. “This is just the beginning. Pantsuit Nation is MORE important today than it was yesterday,” she wrote. “Secretary Clinton called on us in her incredible, gracious speech this morning. We need to make our voices heard.” The reaction was swift: after a massive influx of activity, the moderators of Pantsuit Nation briefly shut off the ability to add new posts to the page due to the overwhelming response. Many of the posts were mournful, personal stories; others were efforts to connect emotionally. Some members posted Thanksgiving invitations for those who will find it hard to face their pro-Trump families for the holidays. But most of the posts were suggestions for next steps, a sort of rapid-fire spitball session, with one idea building off the next.