Democratic lawmaker: Women's clothing an 'invitation' to harassment

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Politico

A female Democratic House member shocked fellow lawmakers Wednesday when she said that the revealing clothing that some members and staffers wear is an “invitation” to sexual harassment.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) made the comments during a private Democratic Caucus meeting Wednesday to discuss sexual harassment issues, according to two Democratic sources in the room.

“I saw a member yesterday with her cleavage so deep it was down to the floor,” Kaptur said, according to the sources present. “And what I’ve seen … it's really an invitation.” The comments left many others in the room stunned, the sources said.

Kaptur said women on Capitol Hill should have to abide by a stricter dress code, like those adopted by the military or corporations.



Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/13/marcy-kaptur-womens-clothing-sexual-harassment-294974

[Corvo Bianco]

1. Is she an evangelical

Or otherwise brainwashed?

[mopinko]

2. let's put the shoe on the right foot here, marci-

women are pushed to dress like that in a culture where their worth is decided by their looks.
value women for who they are, install a fair power structure, and i think you get a whole lot less of these things.
not to mention the sexual harassment that follows.

[ananda]

11. Good point!

What is wrong with Dem women these days?

Going after the clearly innocent Al Franken,
and now this!!!!

[marble falls]

3. She's pretty along in her years and from a conservative part of Ohio.....

Marcy Kaptur
Marcia Carolyn "Marcy" Kaptur is the U.S. Representative for OH's 9, who has served since 1983. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district stretches from Kaptur's hometown of Toledo to Cleveland. It includes all of Ottawa and Erie counties, and parts of Lucas, Lorain and Cuyahoga counties.

More at Wikipedia

Born:Marcia Carolyn Kaptur, 17, 1946, Toledo, Ohio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcy_Kaptur

VERY conservative, anti-abortion, anti-freetrade, very well educated.

[Jose Garcia]

7. She has pretty high ratings from NARAL and Planned Parenthood for someone who is anti-abortion:

https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/27016/marcy-kaptur/2#.WjGJulWnGM8

[marble falls]

13. What she says as someone educated originally in Ursuline schools is that Roe v. Wade is the...

law of the land and she supports the law of the land but that she personally doesn't believe in abortion.

Ross Perot also asked her to be his Vice-President and she used to be highly rated as a progressive Dem, but she has become more conservative. She also worked with Dick Durbin to build the WWII memorial.

Please don't get any idea I think she's a terrible person, she isn't, but maybe she's a bit out of step with the times. Its been a couple of decades since she represented me.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. I think it's just the view of an older person

A woman I know railed on about Lady Gaga and her state of undress. She rejected the idea that the garb was a music industry personality designed to sell music, or appropriate on the dance floor. She simply learned a different dress code than modern generations, or has forgotten the daring of youth.

[hlthe2b]

5. Blaming what the woman wears or how she looks for creeps on Capitol Hill who abuse their power or

can not control their own behavior, needs to stop.

That said, professional dress codes for men AND women on Capitol Hill-- voted and agreed upon by the members (and applied equally)-- is not necessarily a bad thing, BUT it should NOT be conflated with steps to control sexual misbehavior.

[fantase56]

6. whatever......

and was it male or female cleavage???

[Honeycombe8]

8. How a woman dresses does NOT excuse harassment, rape, molestation, abuse of power, etc. BUT...

there is something to the point that what a person wears announces to the world what your priorities are and how serious a business person you are.

This is true for females AND males.

I read years ago about different ways to dress in a business office, if you want to be taken seriously, be at the top for consideration for a promotion, and the like. One thing it said was that, generally, the more skin you show, the less power you have in business. Think about it. You won't catch a CEO, V.P., or other professionals in the office during a regular work day, wearing wifebeater tanks, cargo pants, V neck t-shirts showing chest hair, really tight pants making the bulge prominent, etc. (when they are males). The women CEOs and high level officials also usually dress appropriately for being the boss and being taken seriously, although they have more leeway than men.

There are also studies showing that when kids in school dress up, they behave better and perform better. So I do think that dress matters.

Having said that, though...how a person dresses does not excuse any abuse of power against him or her, molestation, harassment, assault, or rape.

I view it sort of like flashing a wad of money around, and then you're robbed. Flashing the wad of money around to impress people is unwise and indicates someone with low self esteem, and it encourages a thief to target you, but it in no way excuses the theft. People are responsible for their actions, whether it's assault or theft. There are no excuses for that.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Well said

[onetexan]

21. DITTO

[Honeycombe8]

28. +1.

[Honeycombe8]

29. Thanks!

I'm surprised anyone agreed!

[WhoWoodaKnew]

24. Here, here!!!!

I'm so tired of people pretending that men/women DON'T play games at the office. Most of us, as you state it "announce to the world what our priorities are". And guess what, sometimes it's to get a date. Unless that's only for swiping left/right on the Internet.

Now, I also agree that there are no excuses for rape, assault, etc, etc.

[Honeycombe8]

27. :)

[betsuni]

31. +1

[LanternWaste]

33. Does your premise take visible tattoos in consideration?

Does your premise take visible tattoos in consideration? If not, what is the objective and relevant difference in regards to professional appearance?

If so, what are the objective and relevant limitations of revealed tattoos in regard to professional appearance?

[BamaRefugee]

9. I BETTER HEAR THAT PELOSI IS BOUNCING HER WITHIN THE NEXT 3 MINUTES!

What did Franken do compared to this? Democrats now encourage the "relax and enjoy it" theory of rape?
F*ck this.

Marcy Kaptur's New Deal: BURKAHS FOR EVERY WOMAN.

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. Just a fucking STUPID thing to say. nm

[Dave Starsky]

12. It is NOT an invitation, but seriously...

There is a time and place for everything, and wearing clothing to work that reveals your most marvelous assets is neither the time, nor the place. There's a reason that most employers have dress codes established to handle that kind of thing.

[silverweb]

30. Agreed.

Revealing dress is unprofessional in a work setting. There's something called "business attire" that sets an appropriate standard for both men and women who wish to be viewed as professionals.

[LanternWaste]

32. I suppose that would be of relevance if the conversation was about "time and place"

I suppose that would be of relevance if the conversation was about "time and place" rather than sexual harassment... each having little to do with the other.

Seriously, indeed...

[Lazy Daisy]

14. SMH

When I was learning to drive, my mother taught me it could be raining babies, you can't hit any. In other words, there are no excuses for hitting another object with your car. Men should be taught women could be buck naked, doesn't mean it's an invitation. Keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself.

[FailureToCommunicate]

16. So, a man's inappropriate -or illegal- behavior is the woman's fault. Got it.

[IronLionZion]

17. She's been in Congress longer than I've been alive

I know she's got a long liberal track record for economic issues but maybe it's time for the longest serving woman in Congress to spend more time with her family and let some younger women handle these things.

[47of74]

18. ahem

[still_one]

19. That is bullshit. While it isn't an invitation to harassment, nothing is an invitation to

that, to a more generic issue, should there be a dress code in certain work environments?

[icymist]

20. The censorship of women won't stop with these people until we're completely covered up!

God forbid anyone have to look at a woman! Or a man able to control himself!

[hurple]

22. Has anyone seen the clotes in question?

Perhaps they are silk-screened "Please sexually harass me, I need the settlement money."

If so, the Democratic lawmaker is correct, the clothes ARE an invitation to harass the women.

Otherwise... no.

[Paladin]

23. I expect far better from a Democratic officeholder, regardless of age or other circumstances. (nt)

[tavernier]

25. I dont recall any inappropriate outfits

amongst her colleagues in the workplace. All the female members of both House and senate dress quite conservatively that I’ve noted when they are on television or in public events. I’ve thought the same of people in the media representing news outlets. Fox is a bit different, but nothing scandalous. As far as evening wear, that’s a different story. On their own time, dresses with plunging necklines are perfectly acceptable and festive.

I tend to take a common sense approach to this question of appropriate clothing. When my granddaughter attends college classes in cut off short shorts and a halter (which she has), I have reminded this brilliant girl (with a 4.0 scholarship) that her outfit isn’t one that I would have chosen, but that her brain power and amazing work ethic is what got her there in the first place.

And then her grandfather sends her a check to go shopping, reminding her that we are not poverty stricken people, and she should go out and buy herself some clothing.

[Me.]

26. Well, What Were You Wearing?

People Ask ‘What Did You Wear’ When Women Were Sexually Assaulted. These Answers Have Gone Viral

These photos will change the way you look at the victims of sexual assault and prove that what a person wears doesn’t impact whether they are assaulted.

Katherine Cambareri was a senior at Arcadia University when she decided to do something truly innovative for her thesis project. Her project is called, “Well, What Were You Wearing?” and captures images of what victims were wearing while they were sexually assaulted.

https://shareably.co/what-were-you-wearing-assault/

Photos At Link

[FigTree]

34. It is only an invitation to subtle appreciation and restraint.

Which is what real men do.