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stuffmatters

stuffmatters's Journal
stuffmatters's Journal
January 16, 2018

Congress needs to stop this cringeworthy sexist protocol.

The first time I ever watched a role call vote in Congress, I was absolutely stunned by this protocol of blatant sexism:

Every male senator and congressperson vote called/recorded as "Mr.", every woman Senator/Rep as "Mrs, Miss or Ms." Couldn't believe this idiotic, antique, offensive tradition had never been corrected.

There is no defense for defining a Congressperson or Senator by gender. Much less a woman in Congress by marital status. No one in real life or the press would ever call any senator or congressperson by any other title than "Senator" or "Representative".

I used to write my female senator (now retired) all the time about changing this obviously offensive anachronism. Never got any response, never saw this insulting tradition ever discussed in or outside the halls of Congress. I was reminded recently of this gratuitous discrimination by the still photo of Senator Feinstein's courageous throw down of those Fusion GPS records.... with her name plate "Mrs Feinstein" behind the documents. Stomach turning.

On the eve of the National Women's March, Congress should pass resolutions in both legislative bodies to address all members only by the professional titles of respect that they have earned and deserve: Senator and Representative.

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