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Women Lawmakers Tell of Sexual Harassment in Congress

Women Lawmakers Tell of Sexual Harassment in Congress

The suggestive remarks and propositions are all about power, the women point out.

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Four women who have served in Congress have gone public with tales of sexual harassment by male colleagues, ranging "from isolated comments at one hearing, to repeated unwanted come-ons, to lewd remarks and even groping on the House floor," the Associated Press reports.

The accounts come from former Sen. Barbara Boxer, former Reps. Mary Bono and Hilda Solis, and current Rep. Linda Sanchez. All are from California; Bono is a Republican, the others Democrats.

"When I was a very new member of Congress in my early 30s, there was a more senior member who outright propositioned me, who was married, and despite trying to laugh it off and brush it aside it, would repeat," Sanchez told the AP." And I would avoid that member."

Bono said one of her House colleagues didn't seem to know how to relate to women as equals and instead would make sexually suggestive comments. "Instead of being 'How's the weather, how's your career, how's your bill,' it was 'I thought about you while I was in the shower,'" she said. "So it was a matter of saying to him 'That's not cool, that's just not cool.'"

Solis said one fellow House member harassed her repeatedly, but she declined to go into detail. "What I tried to do was ignore it, turn away, walk away," she told the AP. "Obviously it's offensive. Are you supposed to be flattered? No, we're adults. Not appropriate."

Boxer, who served in the House in the 1980s before becoming a senator, recalled that during a hearing early in her House tenure, a colleague remarked that he "associate with the gentle lady," drawing general laughter and approval from the other men in the room.

"That was an example of the way I think we were thought of, a lot of us. ... It's hostile and embarrasses, and therefore could take away a person's power," she said.

Bono, who said her harasser is still in Congress but declined to name him, added, "It is a man's world, it's still a man's world. Not being a flirt and not being a bitch. That was my rule, to try to walk that fine line." The other women also declined to name the men who harassed them.

In addition to the accounts from these women, Rep. Jackie Speier of California had recently said she'd been sexually assaulted by a male chief of staff when she was a congressional staff member. She is planning to introduce legislation to make training on sexual harassment mandatory for all congressional offices. And four women senators - Claire McCaskill, Elizabeth Warren, Mazie Hirono, and Heidi Heitkamp - spoke to Meet the Press last month about harassment they endured prior to their Senate careers.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.