FOCUS: Nathan Robinson | Katie Hill's Resignation Is a Travesty. This Is Not What Justice Looks Like

30 October 19

It's Live on the HomePage Now:
Reader Supported News

The mandatory evacuation order has been lifted in the county where RSN’s headquarters are located, but a “Red Flag” alert remains in effect until 4 p.m. Pacific Time. There is now a firefighting force of nearly 5000 on duty. According to our publisher, Marc Ash, the crews are making headway and appear to have the upper hand, but the situation remains in flux. The fire may continue to burn for weeks. Power remains off at the office, and Marc’s car is packed with the essentials to run RSN, in case he needs to leave. Please continue to donate — we appreciate all of your financial support. – Angela Watters, Managing Editor, Reader Supported News

Sure, I'll make a donation!

---

FOCUS: Nathan Robinson | Katie Hill's Resignation Is a Travesty. This Is Not What Justice Looks Like

Nathan Robinson, Guardian UK
Robinson writes: "There are very clear elements of slut-shaming and homophobia in the Hill story, and her resignation letter is deeply sad."

EXCERPT:

The media did not only publish evidence that Hill violated ethics rules. It also published photographs of her naked body. The Daily Mail offered its readers “shocking” photos of Hill nude, saying that her “wild lifestyle has been laid bare in a cache of texts and intimate photographs.” (The wild lifestyle consists of being naked, kissing a woman, and possibly smoking marijuana.) The Mail did not name its source, but it appears likely to have been Hill’s husband, who she claims is trying to get revenge on her. The husband said in his divorce complaint that he was upset Hill wanted him to be a “house husband” who stayed home and did chores.

It’s outrageous that any newspaper would publish these kinds of photos. Imagine what it would feel like to wake up and find naked photographs of yourself printed and seen by millions; it’s literally the stuff of nightmares. No wonder Katie Hill has vowed to use her post-Congressional career to fight “revenge porn.” The way Hill’s sex life has been sensationalized into something lurid—with headlines like “swing district”—certainly makes public service a less appealing career. Who would want to serve in Congress knowing that their most intimate details could become public overnight?

I do not take a position on whether or not Katie Hill violated House ethics rules. That’s the entire purpose of having an adjudication procedure. If she did, she should be disciplined. That might not actually include pushing her out of Congress; my own position is that most decisions like that should be left up to voters. The prohibition on sexual relationships with staffers is new, and there is something disturbing about the fact that after untold numbers of men have had such relationships in Congressional history, the first person whose career will be ended by it is a young queer woman.

READ MORE

---

Contribute to RSN

Update My Monthly Donation