Dem Rep. Kaptur Says Women's Attire 'Invitation' to Harassment

For those of you hoping for a shift in the political winds away from Alabama, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) may have just come to your rescue.

According to Politico, Kaptur slut-shamed the dress habits of some women on Capitol Hill. During a private meeting on Wednesday, Kaptur said “I saw a member yesterday with her cleavage so deep it was down to the floor,” and concluded that “it’s really an invitation.”

The kicker to all of this is that Kaptur said this during a meeting to discuss sexual harassment issues.

Admitting that she “might get booed for saying this,” Kaptur noted that the military has a strict dress code and that men in Congress “have to wear ties and suits.”

Not surprisingly, Kaptur is getting savaged on social media over the statements. Here are a couple of the milder responses.

Someone please explain to @RepMarcyKaptur that clothing won’t entice or deter a man from making unwanted sexual advances. The ‘50s called, Congresswoman, they’d like their mindset back.

— Melani Robinson (@Melani_Robinson) December 13, 2017

Dem lawmaker says she's not blaming women–as she blames women for being sexually harassed. Says it's due to what they wear. Says strict female dress code would 'protect' women. (My brain is exploding in this craziness.) https://t.co/b8ldpnhSfB

— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) December 13, 2017

Kaptur has been trying to walk back the statements by recounting that, after her election to Congress, she became a “refuge for female staffers who had been mistreated by their bosses.”

Politico reports that the people in the room were stunned into silence after Kaptur shared her feelings.

Non-Twitter reaction has been limited to mostly local news sources thus far. Kaptur no doubt gets a little media protection because she is a Democrat. The outrage from people on her side is a bit strong for this to stay quiet, however, especially since her apology doesn’t seem to be working: