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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a powerful speech in reponse to a congressman who allegedly used sexist slurs towards her
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave an impassioned speech in response to a congressman who allegedly called her a “f****** b****” and that she was “out of [her] freaking mind.”
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who is the youngest woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives, claims Republican Ted Yoho made the remarks on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
During a 10-minute speech on the floor of the House of Representatives she said: “He called me disgusting, he called me crazy”
Otherwise known as ‘AOC’ she told her peers she was not looking for an apology but that the alleged actions of Mr Yoho stemmed from a wider issue of toxic attitudes towards women.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just gave a speech that was, simply put, historic. pic.twitter.com/XVrpnEbT0G
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) July 23, 2020
“This is a pattern of an attitude towards women and dehumanisation of others,” she said. “All of us have had to deal with this in some form. I have waited tables in restaurants. I have tossed men out of bars that have used language like Mr Yoho’s.”
“This is not new and that is the problem. It is cultural.”
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th district, explained she would not “stay up late at night” waiting for Mr Yoho to say sorry but would not let women be used as “shields.”
“But what I do have issue with is using women, our wives, and daughters as shields and excuses for bad behaviour. Mr Yoho mentioned that he has a wife and two daughters,” she said. “I am two years younger than Mr Yoho’s youngest daughter. I am someone’s daughter, too.”
“My father, thankfully, is not alive to see how Mr Yoho treated his daughter. My mother got to see Mr Yoho’s disrespect on the floor of the House toward me on television, and I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men.”
While Mr Yoho apologised for the “abrupt manner of the conversation” he also denied engaging in “offensive name-calling”. The Florida representative told the floor, “having been married for 45 years with two daughters, I’m very cognisant of my language.”
“Offensive name-calling words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleague, and if they were construed that way, I apologise for their misunderstanding. I cannot apologise for my passion, for loving my God, my family, and my country.”
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