LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — As surging numbers of women run for federal, state and local offices, some of those who have been elected in Nebraska say they have been facing worsening harassment that ranges from name-calling to pornographic emails.
The women largely blame the attacks on men they believe feel threatened by shifts in gender roles, and while acknowledging the comments are troubling, most say they won’t be intimidated.
“The part that’s hard to deal with is that in this day and age there should no longer be unfair targeting of women,” said state Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha.
No one tracks such cases of harassment in Nebraska or nationally, but women say the intensity of such attacks has increased, in part because social media makes such efforts so easy. The attacks come at a time when more than 300 women from the two major parties have filed to run for the U.S. House.
Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, argued the situation worsened amid the divisive 2016 presidential election. The strong feelings triggered by the presidential campaign combined with growing use of social media to embolden and connect more people willing to attack female politicians, Walsh said.
Following the presidential election, the #MeToo movement prompted more women to speak up, which in turn led more opponents to lash out.
“You can do it in a way that you don’t have to leave home, you don’t have to have money, you don’t have to look anyone in the eye and you can easily reach a large audience to try to silence women,” Walsh said.
Leirion Gaylor Baird, who has served on the Lincoln City Council since 2013, said the harassment she faces is more aggressive than ever before. She believes it comes from men who aren’t accustomed to seeing women in positions of power.
Gaylor Baird introduced a city ordinance to ban bump stocks, which enables more rapid firing of semi-automatic firearms, and the City Council unanimously approved the action. But she said she then endured the most aggressive, hateful opposition she’d seen in her five years in politics.
She took to Facebook to post one letter that swore at her and said “you not so bright females” are attacking America by regulating guns.
“While I appreciate passionate advocacy, I also firmly believe in civil discourse,” she responded. “Please check your misogyny at the door. #LegislateLikeAGirl.”
Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln and Thibodeau said they’ve faced harassment related to a bill they supported that would more strictly regulate so-called bottle clubs, where members pay a fee to join and can bring their own alcohol. Some of the clubs allow members to touch nude dancers, and Pansing Brooks and Thibodeau contend they are hubs for human trafficking.
Although several male senators spoke in support of the measure, Thibodeau said female senators have been the focus of criticism from bottle club owners and constituents who say the clubs have nothing to do with trafficking.
At one Waverly bottle club, the owner even posted a sign threatening court action against Pansing Brooks and used an expletive against Thibodeau.
Thibodeau also said she received profanity-laced emails and similar comments on her Facebook page.
The bottle club bill was later incorporated into another bill that was approved, but only after some requirements were removed.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said she’s found that harassment is typically spurred by women supporting legislation about women’s health or rights.
This session, several radio show hosts criticized Blood as being vulgar after she used the word “vagina” during legislative debate about a budget bill that denies federal family-planning dollars to health clinics that offer abortion referrals. Blood said the comments were sexist and unnecessary.
Blood, who also said she’s been sent porn, encouraged senators to report harassment to the Nebraska State Patrol.
“Until we stand up to them in a way that’s on an equal or greater level, it’s going to continue,” she said.
Male politicians in Nebraska have also faced harassment, such as a sign placed in U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s yard last May berating him for his Republican political beliefs.
But Blood said there is a difference in the way women and men are harassed.
“With women it’s, ‘Oh, she’s having her period,’ but with men it’s ‘Oh, he’s just having a bad day,'” she said. “Women are always defined by their anatomy.”
Female legislators have spoken about their experiences with harassment during legislative debate, on social media or at press conferences. Gaylor Baird said it’s vital to speak up and support women campaigning for political positions.
“We have to get to a point where women leadership is expected and not disrespected,” she said.