Politics

NOW defends Christine O’Donnell against Gawker’s “slut-shaming”

Jon Ward Contributor
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The National Organization for Women on Thursday condemned the tabloid website Gawker for publishing an anonymous account of a man’s sexual encounter three years ago with Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell.

And the 2010 election cycle keeps on going.

NOW issued a statement late Thursday stating that “sexist, misogynist attacks against women have no place in the electoral process, regardless of a particular candidate’s political ideology.”

“NOW repudiates Gawker’s decision to run this piece. It operates as public sexual harassment. And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O’Donnell, but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere,” said NOW president Terry O’Neill.

O’Neill said that while NOW “finds O’Donnell’s political positions dangerous for women … that does not mean it’s acceptable to use slut-shaming against her, or any woman.”

Feminists Jessica Valenti and Megan Carpentier both condemned Gawker on their Twitter feeds during the day Thursday.

Donna Brazile, a long time Democratic operative, called the Gawker story “appalling.”

TheDC has asked Gawker’s publisher Nick Denton for comment.

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