Hillary Clinton writes goodbye letter to The Toast: 'Keep giving them hell'

The Toast, a feminist publication launched in 2013, is ending operations on 1 July

Hillary Clinton raised up her rhetorical glass and delivered a toast to the beloved feminist website, The Toast.

In a powerful farewell to the site, founded by editors Mallory Ortberg and Nicole Cliffe, the presumptive Democratic nominee stressed the importance of spaces dedicated to women, citing the importance of female solidarity in male-dominated settings.

"When I arrived in the Senate in 2001, I was one of just 13 women, and I remember how thankful I was for my female colleagues on both sides of the aisle," she wrote "My friend Barbara Mikulski famously started a tradition of dinner parties for all the women of the Senate. Over a glass of wine – okay, maybe three – we’d give each other support, advice, and highly relevant tips to navigate being in such an extreme minority."

Ms Clinton also celebrated how the site gave women the platform to amplify their voices, encouraging readers to apply the lessons from The Toast to their daily lives.

"As we look back at what this site has meant to so many of you, I hope you’ll also look forward and consider how you might make your voice heard in whatever arenas matter most to you," she said. "Speak your opinion more fervently in your classes if you’re a student, or at meetings in your workplace. Proudly take credit for your ideas. Have confidence in the value of your contributions. And if the space you’re in doesn’t have room for your voice, don’t be afraid to carve out a space of your own."

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Ortberg said she had only recently learned of the former Secretary of State’s interest in their publication.

“We found out that Hillary Clinton reads The Toast maybe a month ago?” she tweeted. “I’m still not used to it.”

Cliffe confirmed in a tweet that she offered Ms Clinton The Toast’s standard freelancer’s rate of $50 in exchange for the post.

“Asking if Hillary wanted to receive her fifty dollar freelancing payment via check or PayPal was one of the best moments of my life,” she added in the comments beneath the letter.

Ortberg and Cliffe launched The Toast in 2013 that published everything from essays to roundtables and misandrist lullabies.

A large body of the writing was initially produced by Ortberg and Cliffe. They brought on an additional editor, Nikki Chung, in September 2014.

Ms Clinton lauded the trio in her letter, telling readers who carve out their own spaces, “You never know – you might just be the next Nicole Cliffe, Mallory Ortberg, or Nikki Chung.”

“[K]eep giving them hell. We’re counting on you.”