A Democratic lawmaker in Massachusetts wants to remove a sign at the State House honoring General Joseph Hooker because she believes the sign is “offensive” to women.
State Representative Michelle DuBois says it is time to get rid of the “General Hooker Entrance” at the Massachusetts State House because she believes the sign is a “double entendre” posing as respect for a Civil War hero.
The sign is allegedly an assault on “women’s dignity” because the general’s name happens to double as an insulting word about female prostitutes.
R U a “General Hooker”? Of course not! Yet the main entrance of the Mass State House says otherwise.#Metoo it’s not all about rape & harassment but also women’s dignity A “funny” double entendres misrepresented as respect for a long dead general?
1 Keep statue
2 Take sign down pic.twitter.com/3H67dRXAzN— Michelle DuBois (@RepDuBois) March 14, 2018
“Female staffers don’t use that entrance because the sign is offensive to them,” DuBois claimed to WBZ-TV.
Hooker was a major general in the Union Army during the Civil War and was famously defeated by Gen. Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
A statue of the general sits opposite the State House entrance. However, DuBois believes that the sign is “out of context” and leads to too many distasteful jokes by teenage boys.
“Ive seen teenboys tease teengirls about being ‘general hookers’ waiting in line at the entrance,'” she complained on Twitter. “Either Gen’s first name should be added or change the entrance name.”
No way. Ive seen teenboys tease teengirls about being “general hookers” waiting in line at the entrance. Sign is out of context & either Gen’s his first name should be added or change the entrance name. This change is not a priority for me but I do think it should and will happen
— Michelle DuBois (@RepDuBois) March 14, 2018
DuBois said removing the sign is “not a priority” for her, but she still thinks it should eventually be removed or changed.