When the well-liked and highly regarded Patricia Ireland was named chief executive of the YWCA just six months ago, it seemed like an excellent choice. It was an excellent choice. Ireland, in her 10-year stint as president of NOW, created Project Stand Up for Women, and was instrumental in helping many women get elected to public office. Ireland also served as an advocate for the international movement to protect the rights of women and girls.

Now, she has been fired. The Y apparently offered her a chance to resign, and she refused to do so. The YWCA Board of Directors has been vague about its reasons for firing Ireland, but it does seem that they are no longer very interested in advocacy being part of their mission. And conservative groups, especially the infamous, sex-obsessed Traditional Values Coalition, appear to have put pressure on the Board to get rid of Ireland.

First, it is a scary sign of the times that the YWCA is no longer interested in advocating for women and girls, and that its board would so easily cave in to pressure from a far right-wing group. And second, who could possibly not have known everything Ireland stood for when she was hired? She is one of the most famous feminists in the world.