Opinion: The Democratic Party and the #MeToo Movement: A Cry of Political and Social Hypocrisy
Courtesy of Women’s eNews
By Jessica Fetrow
The Me Too movement has erupted in recent years from an apolitical social media campaign into a pivotal socio-political initiative, a rallying cry against sexual assault and harassment, seemingly deeply rooted in the morals of the Democratic Party. From the abhorrent, sexually-charged statements of President Donald Trump in a leaked recording from 2005, to the infamous Ford-Kavanaugh accusations amid Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings in 2018, millions of members of the Democratic Party have rallied behind the Me Too movement, supporting tens of thousands of women who have come forward with allegations of sexism, harassment, and abuse. However, in light of the recent allegations against presidential Democratic frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden, the once loud cries of outrage in support for the victims of sexual harassment have been replaced with a deafening silence.
The Me Too movement, often stylized as #MeToo movement, was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke with the intention to globally initiate an open discussion about the mistreatment and harassment of women, especially minority women and women in the workforce, and to assist with the healing and support of victims of sexual violence. The Me Too movement strives to bring unprecedented awareness to the staggering 81% of women who have been a victim of sexual harassment in their lifetime. Although the movement’s origin and an amassment of current initiatives remain apolitical, the movement is regularly utilized as a part of a larger political agenda.
In 2018, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi launched the initiative to deter Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court in 2018, amid accusations that he sexually assaulted Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at a high school party in 1982. Years prior, Anita Hill accused then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his 1991 confirmation hearings; these hearings were presided over by former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, and now Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden. These allegations of sexual misconduct in recent years, while disguised under the facade of justice for victims of sexual assault or harassment, act as political ammunition for leading members of the Democratic party against conservative initiatives at the expense of the young women who report the harassment.
As the potentiality of a Biden presidential bid transformed into reality, the allegations of sexual misconduct on behalf of the former vice president transformed with it. Throughout his political career, Biden has been notorious for his “touchy-feely” habits, eventually becoming the subject of internet memes and punchlines of jokes. Biden has regularly been called out on his inappropriate and unnecessary physical interaction with women, although the labeling of these incidents has remained in somewhat of a sexual harassment gray area, with virtually no one coming forward referring to this behavior explicitly as sexual harassment. While these incidents have always been shrugged off as an innocent lack of judgment rather than a deliberate act of sexual harassment, the whispers of Me Too allegations remained quiet.
In April 2020, these whispers began their transformation into roars, after one of Biden’s former staff assistants filed a formal criminal complaint about the sexual misconduct she experienced in 1993. Although not naming him in the criminal complaint due to the statute of limitations, Tara Reade publically alleged that Biden sexually assaulted her at work, with family and friends confirming their knowledge of the story since its occurrence. Biden has yet to comment on the accusations. For the first time, an official sexual misconduct complaint against Biden has been expressed, yet no prominent Democratic leaders are spearheading any formal investigations into these accusations. No prominent Democratic leaders are following their traditional mindset of supporting the young woman bringing forth grounded accusations. Why?
“Courageous women risked their safety and well-being to speak truth about this nomination,” said Pelosi after Kavanaugh’s 2018 appointment to the Supreme Court. “Tens of thousands more joined them to share their own harrowing stories of sexual assault, at great personal risk. Yet, Senate Republicans chose to send a clear message to all women: Do not speak out, and if you do — do not expect to be heard, believed, or respected.”
Pelosi announced her endorsement of Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee on Monday, amid the growing controversy surrounding his sexual misconduct. In her announcement, she announced that Biden is the “personification of hope and courage, values, authenticity, and integrity.”
This partisan manipulation of sexual assault allegations trails throughout American political history, from backlash over the Anita Hill and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford allegations to the slut-shaming of Monica Lewinsky and now the present-day allegations against Biden. The Democratic Party remains highly selective over which cases to support and which cases to dismiss. My response to these allegations of sexual misconduct and the subsequent political double standards that ensue from the treatment of such allegations: the sexual misconduct against millions of women has no place in any political agenda. Women are not a pawn to be played in a political game of chess. Millions of women face sexual assault throughout their lives, and to pick and choose which cases are valid based on political gain is despicable, regardless of political association.
