As women and Democrats across the country are rallying around women who are giving their “me too” testimonies against sexual assault and sexual harassment, Democratic Texas Congressman Eddie Bernice Johnson said it is the responsibility of women to not appear “inviting” sexual assault.
Johnson told NBC 5, “I grew up in a time when it was as much the women’s responsibility as the man’s, how you were dressed, what your behavior was.”
“So I’m from the old school, that you can have behaviors that appear to be inviting. It can be interpreted as such. That’s the responsibility, I think, of the female. I think that males have a responsibility to be professional, themselves.”
Asked if the conversation should shift away from what women are wearing, Johnson said, “I think we also need to start the power that women have to control the situation. There’s law enforcement. You can refuse to cooperate with that kind of behavior. I think that, many times, men get away with this because they’re allowed to get away with it by the women. When you have an expectation that that might happen, and that’s how you gotta do it to make it, that’s a mental thing that has to change with the women.”
Johnson was quickly rebuked for her comments.
Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson says women's attire and behavior can invite sexual assault: https://t.co/OnF56E7Duc pic.twitter.com/0A6Bvnqxmf
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 19, 2017
Tell you what, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, you can come say that to my face. I was not complicit in my rape. https://t.co/A0ba9F2k7m
— Cora Cade (@coracade) October 19, 2017
Eddie Bernice Johnson's remarks on sex assault are reprehensible. They are nothing more than victim shaming.
— Kevin (@Kevin_Bassett) October 19, 2017
She should apologize. @RepEBJ https://t.co/tZmO84PBV7
After the backlash, Johnson released a statement saying that while she admits she does come from the “old school perspective” on the topic, she does not blame victims:
Sexual assault and harassment has no place in our society. This is something I believe deeply. And at each turn of my professional life, I have made it my mission to fight for women’s rights,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “I do not blame the victims of sexual assault for the actions of their assailants. I do acknowledge that my comments regarding behavior and attire come from an old school perspective that has shaped how some of us understand the issue, but that does not detract from the fact that criminals need to be held accountable for their actions. I will never condone those who feel they can abuse the power of their positions to sexually assault and harass women, and I will always encourage victims to come forward so that we can hold these criminals accountable. Thanks to the testimony of brave women like Anita Hill, students on college campuses, and most recently the victims of Harvey Weinstein’s attacks, we are able to have a public dialogue about the systemic issues that we face as a society. Ultimately, we need to unequivocally support the victims of sexual assault and harassment as best we can while working to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions. And supporting all women in this fight will continue to be my life’s work.
Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!