- I'm so excited
that you're here.

Um, the frustrations that I feel

are making the top
of my head blow up,

practically is how I feel.

(laughs)

I was around for the first
issues of "Ms." magazine,

I was there for
Title IX in 1972,

and what frustrates me so
much is the younger women

who don't remember the
fight that has been going on

all this time, so
I'm wondering how,

are you going into
the universities,

how are you finding
the women that you are

trying to find?

- That is an issue, right?

The question, the
point is very good.

There are some women who
were born after all that,

and don't have any first hand
knowledge of what preceded it.

Right? Right.

- I'll tell you why I'm
so encouraged right now.

I think it kind of skipped,
maybe a generation or two,

where we found ourselves feeling
as though things were okay.

We had Title IX, we had
reproductive autonomy,

we had at least some
protections in the workplace.

But what began to happen,
obviously, was the fraying

of those rights and in some
ways an outright assault

against them, as you know.

What that has created is an
awakening in younger women

that I see as very much
like what was happening

in the 1960s and
70s in this country,

and prior to that.

Women are better informed today.

Because they are so
engaged in social media,

and it is a powerful information
and motivational tool,

where the disconnect is, and
why Deeds Not Words was created

is that so many young
women who feel passionate,

who care very much, who
want to make a difference,

don't quite know how to plug in.

And so what our site
does, is it provides them

with real-world,
concrete, tactical ways

that they can get
involved, connecting them

with a host of organizations
that work on gender equality

whether it's in the
reproductive rights space

or the economic space or
running for office space

or sexual assault,
a host of issues,

that wherever it is
that their passion lies,

they can get connected in a way

that they can make a difference,

and I really think it's
up to our generation.

As you said, they
don't understand the
fights that we waged

to try to accomplish
some of these things.

I wasn't even the generation
that can take credit for that,

but I know enough about it
to truly appreciate the work

that was done, and I also
know enough about it to know

that the mantle has
to always be taken up

by the next and the
next and the next.

The symbol of our
organization is a torch,

and of course it's
intended to symbolize

the passing of that torch
and that we each have

a role to play in holding it.

- [Woman] Thank you, keep it up.

- Thank you.

- [Man] Ma'am.

- Thank you for
being here, Senator.

Um, the last Texas
legislative session,

there were more than
20 anti-LGBTQ bills

that were proposed, thankfully
none of them passed.

As the next session come
about, what would be,

beside the economic
argument, what would be

effective angles to use when
we go and lobby on the capitol?

- You know, I think, and
this is gonna go a bit

to the economic side,
and then I'll touch

upon the other side.

On the economic side, most
companies want to do business

in states where they feel there
is a respect for all people.

And, again, North
Carolina's a great example

of where we saw
companies rear their head

when that wasn't happening.

They wanna come to a
climate where they feel like

they're going to do well here,

and the way they do well
is by holding headquarters

or offices in states where
employees want to be, right?

Most people in younger
generations, and getting

a little bit older now,
wanna work in states

where they feel
there's a climate

of respect and
equality at place.

Austin, Texas is a great example

of why the economy is thriving.

It's not just thriving
because it has great hike

and biking trails, it's thriving
because it's a community

that embraces and
supports everyone,

and it creates a culture
where people want to be,

and therefore
companies want to be

because they have a
wonderful pool of employees

from which to draw.

So there are, I think,
these arguments to be made,

that when we as a state,
at the political level,

demonstrate ourselves not
only to be short sighted

on those issues but to
be actually adversarial

to people, whether
it's their orientation

or women's reproductive
rights or whatever,

we show ourselves to be a
state that not a lot of people

may want to come to.

- But so let me
ask you a question,

let me interrupt for a second.

The state is already
perceived by many people,

and I believe by you,
to be adversarial

in exactly the way
you're talking about.

- Yes.

- Have we lost business?

Has the effect that you're
suggesting been visible?

- I think in some ways, yes,
and those are really hard

to demonstrate, because
none of us know the --

- [Man] Right.

- The companies that
have weighed being here

or elsewhere, but I go back
to my experience in Ft. Worth,

with Boeing, and our work to
try to attract Boeing to come,

and there were certain
quality of life issues

that weren't existent
that their employees were

accustomed to and wanted
to be a part of the culture

of where they were.

That was at least a part
of their decision-making.

- [Man] Yeah.

- And I think the more that
we highlight these problems,

the more we make it a part
of their decision making

as they consider what
they're going to do

and where they want to be.

I also think, though,
that one of the things

that we see happening on
issues of sexual orientation

or identity, as well as
what we see happening

with women's
reproductive rights,

is that politicians
have come to understand

that those folks who are on
the right side of the aisle,

who are trying to
attract voters,

particularly in
Republican primaries,

do well by articulating
these arguments,

because it enflames their base,

and it creates an
encouragement for people

to come and vote for them.

And the only way to combat
that is for us to double down

in doing the opposite, in
coming and voting against them,

and in voting for people
who are articulating issues

that are important to us
and demonstrating respect

for the things
that we care about.

- How's your side
doing in that respect?

- Not very well, and
it's very frustrating.

- Well, I'm thinking about
the hero ordinance in Houston

as a great example, you know,
the side that was successful

in that ordinance
did a very good job

of distilling a very
complicated message

down to one word, "bathroom."

By the way, we're living
in that world right now,

and to the questioner's
point, we're gonna

have legislation
most definitely --

- No question.

- In the next legislative
session that tries

to countermand what the
president has put down

as the executive
order on this issue.

How does your side do better?

I mean, the other
side is doing well,

in terms of its messaging
and getting its people out.

- If I may jump
in, I have a, um,

I have an antidote to that,

and that is that only
perverts need bathroom laws.

(laughter and applause)

It's a bit nonsensical,
but then again,

men being in the same
restroom with little girls

is also nonsensical,
and this is what

we needed to fight, I guess.

- [Man] So let's get
you, and then we're gonna

take the next question,
how does your side,

whether it's with the
strategy suggested

or another strategy, do
better on the messaging end

and turning out people as
the other side has done?

- My hope is, and again,
part of my motivation

for this organization's
initiative, is to help grow

greater awareness
and greater turnout

of people who believe otherwise.

In the gubernatorial
race in 2014,

we had a 31% voter turnout,
lowest in the country,

um we have systemic
low voter turnout here,

and there's so many
reasons we could go into.

- We could do two
hours on that subject.

- We most certainly could.

But I think we need to find
our own anger on these issues.

There's a lot of fear mongering
going on on the other side,

but we need to find our
self-righteousness about it,

and we need to understand the
value of each and every one

of our voices in weighing
into this conversation,

and never ever ever
ever ever stay home

when there's election,
an election at stake,

where we're deciding
between candidates

who have differing perspectives
on these questions.

(applause)

- Hi Senator Davis,
um, so I'm wondering,

as a young Millennial woman,
a lot of times we're told

to try to get a
seat at the table,

and that's like the
whole idea, right,

is to try to get there and
get into the conversation.

But when we do get our
seats at the table,

when we are sitting there,
especially as young women,

now today, and especially
when we're going

into male-dominated fields,
like STEM, like medicine,

like politics and
things like that,

what conversations do
we need to be starting?

What conversations do we
need to be making sure

that are happening,
especially to uplift women

who are often more overlooked?

People from underprivileged
backgrounds whose parents

perhaps worked minimum
wage or who aren't used to

college education,
things like that,

what do we need to
do when we get there?

- I think --
- [Man] Good question.

- That's a great question.

Um, one of the things that I
try to be thoughtful about,

and I think as women
I think we ought to be

as thoughtful as we can about,

is talking to and
supporting each other

in those environments,
particularly where we find

ourselves in the minority.

Um, I also believe there
is incredible power

in helping people to
see us as human beings,

and to understand our full
breadth of experiences.

The day of the filibuster,
and all of those stories,

that's what gave that day power.

It was people who
stepped up and decided

that they were going
to share their stories.

And as women in the workplace,

having an opportunity
to talk about

and to pull from each other
what those experiences are,

not just within ourselves but
within our work colleagues,

male and female, I think
really helps to break down

some of the places that we
find ourselves getting stuck.

We get stuck on being,
believing that we have

different perspectives
on issues,

but when we share our
human experiences,

I think we can really try to
break those barriers down.

So starting conversations
about who you are,

where you come from, where your
ideas and values are formed,

can be a really good way,
when the rubber hits the road,

and things start getting
tough, of finding a way

to continue to talk with
each other about how to find

an area of agreement.

I've certainly found that
in the political world.

- Thank you.

- Great.

Let's, um, let's make the time,
please, for these two, okay,

even if we go a little bit
long, if we can, let's go.

- Hi, thank you.

I was wondering how you would
respond to the widespread,

possibly inaccurate belief
that both men and women

hold that women don't
make the same wages

because they don't go
into higher-paying fields.

- It's really interesting,
that is a really good question.

There was an article
in the New York Times,

I don't know, three
or four weeks ago,

about the fact that when
women do go into those areas

of higher pay, and women
begin to occupy them

in greater and
greater percentages,

the pay for those positions
themselves actually decreases.

It's because they
suddenly become seen more

as female-centered occupations,
so it's really fascinating.

And I think that we have
to continue to insist

on asking for our value.

I have the same issue
with my youngest daughter,

who works unbelievably hard
and is tremendously underpaid

in her mother's
opinion, and you know,

encouraging her to be her
own advocate in the workplace

has been quite a
challenge, but I do think

that we have to become
our own advocates.

We don't have to
be ugly about it,

we don't have to be hostile,
but we have to make the point,

and it goes back to, you know,
what kinds of conversations

can we be having
in the workplace.

Let's be open with each
other about what we make,

and let's make sure that if
we feel like we're having

the same responsibility
as someone else,

that we're asking for that.

- You think women
are less likely

to be advocates for themselves?

- I think definitely,
you know, we're,

I don't know what it is
about the way we are made,

but we tend to be, to have
a little bit too much grace,

and to be a bit too
gracious about situations

that we find ourselves in.

No one's going to
do that work for us.

We have to insist
upon it ourselves.

So as we have an
opportunity to rise

in these higher paying levels,

or these greater
responsibility levels,

we have to ask for
the pay commensurate

to the work that we're
doing, just as any man would,

if they were given
that responsibility.

- [Man] Good.

Last question.

- Currently there is
a battle in the South

with a large amount of,
um, transgender people

not being allowed to use the
restroom of their choice,

beginning in Mississippi
and reaching all the way

into Texas, when Lieutenant
Governor Dan Patrick

denounced schools that
were allowing that.

Um, they are suing
the federal government

in the Supreme Court who
are currently allowing

transgender people to use
the bathroom of their choice.

Do you think the gov, the
people should denounce

the politicians' belief
that transgenders

are not people too, and
if so, how should they?

- What a great question,

and what an impressive
young person you are.

(applause)

See this is why we have
faith in the country, right?

- Yeah.
- Let's say

the case that we're
talking about goes back

to your home city
of Ft. Worth, right?

I mean this is Ft. Worth
ISD is where this all began.

- Yeah, it does, and so
let's use Ft. Worth ISD

and lift them up as an example

of a group of people
who are elected

in a place that's considered
fairly conservative

in its voting patterns, who
are doing the right thing.

And as they proceeded
down that path,

they found themselves
at the other end

of a lieutenant governor
who was an adversary,

to say the least.

Yes, we should denounce
it, and the ways

we should denounce
it are myriad.

We can denounce it in our
conversations with our friends,

we can make sure that they're
aware of these issues,

and invite them to understand
why it's so important

that we as a state
and as a country

should not be identified
as being hostile to people

based on sexual
identity or orientation.

But we also have to act in ways,

you're not quite old enough
yet but you will be soon,

where we are supporting
candidates who are willing

to denounce those
attitudes and perspectives.

Again, my hopes are really high,

because when you
look at young people,

when they are polled
across this country,

regardless of whether they
identify as Republican

or Democrat, most of
them will tell you

that they align in
very progressive ways

on issues such as this one,

and I believe we're going
to ultimately find our way

to an end in this conversation,

but for now, politicians who
believe they are rewarded

for articulating this
view, and believe me,

I know Dan Patrick, and I
know he feels he will be

rewarded by doing this
in the political world,

that he has his
own political back

by virtue of what he's doing,

the best way to denounce that
is to kick him out of office

the next time he runs.

(crowd cheers and applauds)

- I'm gonna let you end there.

Let you have that one.

You know this whole concept
of as we go forward,

this change may
come organically,

there is kind of an aging
out of a perspective

that is more --
- There is, thank goodness.

- So that in time, on this
issue or other issues,

there may be change that,
from your perspective,

is a positive accomplishment.

- That's right.

- Uh, let's give Wendy
Davis a big hand,

thank you for being here.

(applause)

Thank you all for coming,
we'll see you again.

Always a pleasure.

- Thank you.