Are they breaking free from the Duggar mold? Jill Duggar attended an event to celebrate women’s suffrage in Arkansas and shared photos via Instagram on July 28, and some people in the comments had questions for her, considering the Duggars’ generally patriarchal beliefs. Jill, 28, captioned the post, “Thanks to my friend, Nancy, I had a lovely time at the governor’s mansion for a tea celebrating 100 years since women were finally able to exercise the right to vote! ☑️@govasahutchinson @arfirstlady #arkansaswomenssuffrage #womensrighttovote.” One person replied, “I had to giggle. The ladies in your family have no rights. The men control you. I do love your family and show but come on!!” The Counting On star then clapped back, “You’re mistaken ❤️.”

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Not long after, Jill’s husband, Derick Dillard, fired back at the fan as well. “If you only know our family from a semi-scripted show then you are either assuming things that aren’t there or believe that all you see is all there is. If Jill felt the Lord leading her to run for governor, I would not only vote for her, but support her in every way a spouse can.” Later, when another fan asked, “Would you vote for a female president?” Derick, 30, replied, “Yes.”

Jill Duggar
Derick Dillard

More than one person questioned Jill’s attendance at the event, but that appeared to be the only comment thread where she and Derick responded to the criticism. Another person said, “I find this strange from a family brought up with such a stringent guideline for the woman’s role and patriarchal control,” and a second one wrote, “Come on it’s a complete joke how these women are taught!! They don’t even go to college or have jobs outside the family home! You all can deny it all you want but they do not live like most!!” Yikes.

But others applauded Jill for going to the important occasion. “It’s a big deal to celebrate women’s rights and maintain progress for women in the future 😊,” one wrote. A different person commented, “What an incredible way to represent your family and the women of your family ♥️.” Speaking of her family, how do you think Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar feel about all of this?

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