A rape survivor, a victim of child sexual abuse and a woman who said President Trump forcibly kissed her without her consent descended on the nation’s capital Tuesday, vowing to be a force in this year’s elections by sharing their own “Me Too” stories as a way to energize women to get involved in politics.
The women are running for office in their home states, claiming November will yield a sea change with more females running for office, leading campaigns and getting out to vote.
Just as the tea party and Black Lives Matter became forces in the 2010 and 2016 elections, the “Me Too” women said they want their movement to spell trouble for the powerful and corrupt male lawmakers they said are silencing their voices.
“We have to keep calling attention to this. We have a sexual predator in the White House and that’s not ok,” said Rachel Crooks, a candidate for Ohio’s House, who has accused President Donald Trump of kissing her without her consent in 2006 while she worked in Trump Tower.
Like Crooks, Pennsylvania state House candidate Katie Muth was triggered by Mr. Trump’s behavior during one of the presidential debates where she said he followed Hillary Clinton around on stage.
“The Me Too movement speaks to bravery and women speaking their story, but it also speaks to the fact that women aren’t believed and they aren’t respected and that has to change,” she said. “I consider 2018 the start of a revolution.”
Ms. Muth said she was raped several years ago by a married man, who was the cousin of her then-boss.
She called on male allies to step up and support the female candidates vying to change the political makeup.
Anna Eskamani, who would be the first Iranian elected to Florida’s state House, echoed Ms. Muth’s concerns, saying men could be better accomplices for their movement because women are already energized by Mr. Trump’s presidency.
“Having a sexual predator in the White House helps,” she said, of motivated female voters.
Ms. Eskamani has worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic in central Florida for years where she said she’s witnessed countless incidents of sexual abuse.
“We want women and girls to live in peace and we are doing that through our campaign,” Ms. Eskamani said.
The youngest candidate, 23-year-old Myya Jones, said she was sexually abused as a child and wants to speak out as a black woman in order to represent people in her hometown of Detroit.
She said black women kicked off the Black Lives Matter and “Me Too” movements, but haven’t had a main voice in the national conversation.
“Our issues are hijacked by other people,” she said. “I face sexism and racism at the same time.”
The candidates said gun control, education reform, improving infrastructure and closing the economic gap between men and women — as well as the wealthy and middle class — are issues they plan to campaign on in their districts.
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