Facebook Group Pantsuit Nation(opens in new tab)went viral in 2016 as a safe haven for Hillary Clinton supporters, but abruptly shut down.
The news took the group’s members and moderators by surprise. But in 2019 Pantsuit Nation became part of the Super Majority.(opens in new tab)is a membership organization that helps women advocate for themselves and their communities. No longer under the direct control of founder Libby Chamberlain.
On Thursday, Supermajority interim executive director Taylor Saldic announced:(opens in new tab) The organization will begin to “pause” new posts, comments, and responses beginning March 18th.The move effectively shuts down the group with 2.9 million members
Saldich said the supermajority is instead focused on engaging young women in key states to win upcoming elections, including the 2024 presidential election. The overwhelming majority had contracts with moderators to keep Pantsuit Nation running.
Saldić wrote:
Since then, Saldici’s post has received more than 1,500 comments, many of them critical, calling it “shortsighted,” “terrible,” and “a big miscalculation.”
In response to Mashable’s request for additional information as to why the Supermajority decided to close the group, Saldic sent a version of her Facebook post but did not provide any additional information.
“Over the past few weeks and months, with a particular focus on our success in 2022, we have been working to evaluate our work and to form the overwhelming majority to build women’s political power towards 2024. We have developed a strategic approach: We are focused on engaging young women voters, helping both white and women of color to increase voter turnout, win elections, and empower women and their families. resources to achieve that outcome.
“Supermajority has decided to suspend management of the ongoing Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority Facebook page on March 18. Pantsuit Nation has always been about more than sharp pants and a tribute to one woman’s leadership. The group grew into a community of connections, knowledge sharing, and mobilization by each member.
“What does this mean? We are pausing new posts, comments, and reactions on our page. Community members can access and revisit shared stories from years past. , will remain an invaluable member of the supermajority community, and we would like to think of this channel as a time capsule spanning over seven historic and turbulent years in our nation’s history.
“When I was working on Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016, I knew that this space was being created where people could celebrate, empathize, and organize together. They brought a bright light to dark times. Their stories and hope for the future. Those conversations ignited friendships, trained new activists, and organized community meetings. But the spirit (and the memory of this group) remains!”
Some of the group’s moderators were abruptly fired on Friday(opens in new tab)has started a new Facebook group called Our Nation(opens in new tab)has already amassed tens of thousands of followers.
‘Plan C’ trailer depicts determined grassroots effort to expand abortion rights
But recreating the unique origin story of Pantsuit Nation is impossible.
In the final weeks of the 2016 election, Chamberlain launched the group as a forum for unabashed support for Clinton. She encouraged dozens of her friends to wear pantsuits when she voted for Clinton, and those friends invited her friends. Within weeks, Pantsuit Nation’s membership reached her million.
“[Pantsuit Nation] Chamberlain told Mashable at the time, “It’s a place to celebrate how amazing she is.
Praise has also given way to storytelling and organization. Members shared heartfelt personal experiences on subjects such as immigration to the United States, seeking abortion care, and coming out to conservative families. These stories could spark controversial or offensive discussions about race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, and disability, and some activists were skeptical of the group.
But the posts frequently sparked conversations about how to raise money for various causes, how to become better allies, how to protest, and how to support specific state and federal laws. Prominent state members often say that the group makes them feel less politically isolated.
In a post about the decision, Chamberlain thanked the organization for making it possible to compensate the group’s moderators, while also pointing out their efforts to maintain the Pantsuit Nation.
“I am disappointed with this decision, but I am not the one making it,” she wrote.(opens in new tab)“If you look at the community today, you see some passionate and loyal moderators fighting to keep the group alive.”
Pantsuit Nation founder Libby Chamberlain has commented on the group’s decision to shut down.
Credit: Facebook
Chamberlain, who previously served as Supermajority’s community chief, said she was “proud and excited” to see the organization’s state-based turnout strategy deliver “an important win for women across the country.” She told Mashable in an email.
Facebook Groups can be a powerful engine of connection and organization, but they typically require very aggressive moderation for a quality experience. Volunteer operations can suffer from burnout. At the same time, in battleground states such as Wisconsin and Arizona, for example, it can be difficult to convince funders that Facebook group moderation should compete for resources for initiatives such as voter micro-targeting. I have. Pantsuit Nation can activate and mobilize groups of women and women-identifying voters, but its reach is not granular and its effectiveness is difficult to quantify.
But, as Supermajority quickly discovered, loyal members of the Pantsuit Nation seemed to see the decision as more than a strategic trade-off. In an email, Chamberlain said he was sad that Pantsuit Nation had no one to share their story with.
“I think we need to pull together and make all our resources available to confront the threats to our democracy, especially as the 2024 election approaches,” she wrote. “We strongly believe that the Pantsuit Nation has a role to play, so I hope the Super Majority will consider giving us the opportunity to do just that.”
