This is a tumultuous time in American politics: in between the ongoing impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump and the fierce battle of aspiring candidates for the next presidential election, a new scandal has now shaken Washington DC. Congresswoman Katie Hill, described as a ‘rising star’ within her Democratic party, was forced to resign after intimate pictures of her were released by right-wing media outlets. The pictures revealed to the world that Hill, who was open about her bisexuality, was engaged in a three-way relationship with her then-husband and a female campaign worker. The unfolding story exposes many uncomfortable truths about the way men and women are still treated very differently in terms of behavioural expectations, and the way in which women’s sexuality is still weaponized against them.
Katie Hill was young and progressive, an advocate for the disadvantaged and a beacon of hope for her constituents in California’s 25th district. Even in an increasingly tolerant and diverse American society, where more and more elected officials reflect the wide spectrum of race, gender and sexuality of the population, she was one of only two openly bisexual representatives – an orientation that is still misunderstood, fetishized, and marginalised by straight and gay communities alike. She was living what some might describe as an ‘alternative lifestyle’, simply a different way of being, one that does not adhere to the wife-husband-and-children model that is still universally expected – and when her private life was forcefully thrust out into the open, she was punished for it.
But why is a woman being punished for enjoying consensual sexual relationships, when countless men walk free after credible accusations of sexual assault? The hypocrisy of deeply rooted misogyny has never appeared so evident than now, when men who forced themselves upon so many women, openly brag about it, and then deny any wrongdoing, sit in the White House and in the Supreme Court, while a Congresswoman’s career crumbles before her for the crime of being who she is. The same people who are gleefully coming after her with torches and pitchforks on Twitter or the national news use those same platforms to defend the actions of the incumbent president, no matter if they relate to sexual misconduct or endangering national security; could the answer to this baffling paradox simply be about the gender of the political figure involved? Is the ‘boys will be boys’ mentality extending to the point where the most serious of crimes are forgiven for some, while harmless but non-conforming behaviours are vilified in others?
Of course, that is not to say that Katie Hill’s story is entirely unproblematic: she did engage in a sexual relationship with a member of her staff, which could give rise to questions of power dynamics. Yet, at the same time, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, for example, was never moved to consider resignation after the revelation that he used campaign funds on affairs with staff members. That a man in power will sleep with his subordinates seems to be accepted, and almost expected as a natural consequence of his position. The fact that the reverse does not apply likely stems from the notions of chastity and fidelity associated with women, at least unconsciously if not overtly, at all levels of society.
Then, there is the important question of how Hill’s private life made it into the public eye in the first place. The publication of the intimate photos without her approval is a vile invasion of privacy, not only for Hill, but for the other woman involved, a woman who never asked for her life to be displayed and dissected by the media. Revenge porn is an all-too-common tool for men to humiliate and, on occasion, entirely ruin the reputation of former partners that they are supposed to respect. And here is another practical example of the way this two-sided coin works: it is always the victim who is tarnished and has to suffer public ridicule, while the man who causes her suffering fades into the background, unchecked and many times unknown. In this particular case, ex-husband Kenneth Heslep claims he had been hacked for the photos, feigning ignorance and avoiding any responsibility, even when there is evidence of him trying to entice the media with promises of the ‘whole story’. In her resignation letter, Katie Hill promises to fight to “defeat this type of exploitation that so many women are victims to and which will keep countless women and girls from running for office or entering public light” – her words ring terrifyingly true. In addition to the emotional distress caused by such an act, revenge porn also serves as another way to control women, of keeping them from achieving their full potential, from being ‘too visible’, ‘too loud’, away from their prescribed roles.
Yes, Katie Hill has made mistakes, and she has handled them with grace and dignity, of which some other American politicians do not seem capable. As strongly as she is condemned by her adversaries, her colleagues and voters mourn the loss of a fresh voice, a true representative who would have stood up for them and their rights. Unfortunately, however, it looks as if what goes on in a woman’s bedroom is still more important than what she can provide for the community, and the public is still unforgiving of this victimless crime: the courage to live life according to your inner self.
