These tweets perfectly capture the sexist double standard in the way people talk about Brett Kavanaugh vs. his accuser
On September 14th, news broke that an unnamed woman had accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempted sexual assault when he was a teenager. Two days later, research psychologist and professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward as the woman behind the Kavanaugh accusations. Since then, the attacks against Ford have been numerous and often sexist, demonstrating that victims are still too often the ones put on trial when they come forward.
NBC News reported on September 17th that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on September 24th in which Ford will testify about the incident and Kavanaugh will be able to respond. According to NPR, although Ford and her attorneys asked to delay the hearing and requested an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh, Senate Republicans rejected the request.
Amid the news of the hearing, Kavanaugh’s supporters have continued to defend him. CNN notes that President Donald Trump said Kavanaugh “is not a man who deserves this. Fox News commentator Stephen Miller tweeted that the incident was not assault but rather “drunk teenagers playing seven minutes [in] heaven.”
No. It was drunk teenagers playing seven minutes of heaven.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 16, 2018
Thankfully, many have taken to Twitter to point out the sexist double standard regarding how people talk about Ford (the accuser and the victim) and Kavanaugh (the accused).
"Boys will be boys." - if a boy assaults a woman when drunk, he can't be held responsible for his actions.
"Girls are different." - if a girl is assaulted when drunk, it's her fault for getting drunk.— Melissa Charles (@2TheImp) September 19, 2018
They say, “this could ruin his life,” without acknowledging it already ruined hers.
— marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) September 17, 2018
Thank you for this! As a teen rape victim, it is disgusting to hear multiple people refer to what happened to Dr Ford as a “teenage misconduct”. No! It was attempted rape and rape is life changing for women. #BelieveSurvivors #BelieveChristineBlaseyFord #BelieveWomen
— CowboysGal?? (@brandiskywalker) September 19, 2018
Much of defensive reaction I’m seeing around Kavanaugh (& not just from the right) suggests that lots of people think a regular part of male development is the stage where boys drunkenly pin down young women & try to assault them. This is not a surprise, but it’s so depressing.
— Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) September 17, 2018
good man: hasn't raped anyone
good woman: hasn't had sex with TOO many guys, is pretty but in that wholesome way you'd want to meet your mom, wants to bear your children but not for a years slow down, is independently wealthy but doesn't work, has a PhD but isn't braggy— Molly Priddy (@mollypriddy) September 18, 2018
If the guy who raped me did not rape you, that doesn’t absolve what he did to me. He is still a rapist.
And you are no better than I, nor did I deserve it.#ItNeverGoesAway#BelieveChristineBlaseyFord #StandWithWomen#MeToo https://t.co/WwR1Db7irF— Just Elizabeth (@Eiggam5955) September 18, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford is receiving death threats, reminding the world that women are often afraid to speak up about sexual assault, for fear of retaliation.
We must change the culture that punishes women for coming forward rather than listening to them. https://t.co/Uz0mwGMqxk— ACLU (@ACLU) September 19, 2018
These tweets perfectly capture how—for all the progress made by the #MeToo movement—many continue to doubt and shame women who come forward and speak their truth…all while defending those who commit the indefensible.
Change is long overdue.
