#metoo backlash

[AkhilleusParticipant 2486]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article189152134.html

BY MARY ELLEN KLAS

Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

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DECEMBER 11, 2017 12:59 PM

UPDATED DECEMBER 12, 2017 08:19 AM

TALLAHASSEE
As Florida’s politically powerful men fear becoming targets of sexual harassment allegations, the new-found awareness of a male-dominated Legislature has come with a cost: Women are collateral damage.

Female staffers and lobbyists who returned to the Capitol last week for pre-session meetings discovered many male legislators will no longer meet with them privately. Accustomed to Tallahassee’s Southern culture, where men and women casually and routinely greet each other with hugs, legislators are doing an awkward dance to replace a hug with a handshake. And the fear of retaliation — against women who brought forward allegations or those who may in the future — is as raw as the fear that legislators’ political enemies could turn sexual harassment claims into new political weapons.

“I had a senator say, ‘I need my aide here in the room because I need a chaperone,’ ” said Jennifer Green, a veteran lobbyist, after meeting with a senator in his Capitol office to discuss a client’s issue. “I said, ‘Senator, why do you need a chaperone? I don’t feel uncomfortable around you, do you feel uncomfortable around me? ‘Well,’ he said, ‘anyone can say anything with the door shut.’ ”

Now, with allegations against Sen. Jack Latvala being investigated amid the national #MeToo movement, many women fear that as more speak out, the backlash against women working in the Capitol will grow stronger.

“The culture is one that has always favored men and always put women in a place where the cards were stacked against them,” said Sen. Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat. “I’ve walked around the building and you can look in women’s eyes and you just know they’re in pain. They’re terrified.”

A handful of powerful men control the legislative process, fueled by campaign contributions from special interests. Male lobbyists and legislators outnumber women in power and stature.

Related: Code of silence is breaking on sex secrets in Tallahassee

When allegations against Latvala, a Clearwater Republican and 16-year Senate veteran, emerged, Green, owner of lobbying firm Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, predicted that women would be the losers.

I’M GETTING THE FEELING THAT WE’RE GOING BACK 20 YEARS AS FEMALE PROFESSIONALS.

Jennifer Green, lobbyist

“I’m getting the feeling that we’re going back 20 years as female professionals,” she said. “I fully anticipate I’m going to be competing with another firm that is currently owned by some male, and the deciding factor is going to be: ‘You don’t want to hire a female lobbying firm in this environment.’ ”

Latvala is under investigation for allegedly groping a Senate legislative aide, Rachel Perrin Rogers, putting his hand down the shirt of a female lobbyist, and making inappropriate sexual remarks to Rogers over the course of four years. Latvala denies it all and points to his reputation as a “mentor” to female lobbyists, often requesting that companies hire female lobbyists close to him and that colleagues work with them.

Book delivered a second blow to Latvala last week when she filed a complaint against him for violating Senate rules by allegedly conducting a campaign to intimidate witnesses and damage Rogers’ credibility.

Related: Senator files complaint against Latvala for interfering in investigation

The Senate has hired a retired judge to serve as special master to hear the allegations and determine whether there is probable cause to confirm or reject Rogers’ allegations. If proven, they could result in a reprimand or expulsion from the Senate for Latvala. The special master’s report could come by the end of this week.

But long before Latvala’s alleged behavior made him the target of the most serious sexual harassment claims against a sitting senator in Florida history, he already had a reputation as someone who was not only crass and insensitive but, like many of his stature, immune from reprimand.

In July, he and his wife, Connie Prince, sent invitations for a weekend of festivities, from “an old-fashioned pig roast” to a lobster dinner at their summer home in Maine.

The occasion was to benefit “the Florida Leadership Committee,” Latvala’s political committee, which was ramping up his campaign, and for the Florida Senate’s Republican reelection fund. In the crowd of nearly 100 guests for the Saturday dinner were the Senate’s Republican leaders and dozens of lobbyists.

As Latvala stood before the group with a microphone in hand, he announced his prominent guests: Senate President Joe Negron, incoming Senate president Bill Galvano, Sens. Denise Grimsley, Kathleen Passidomo and Rene Garcia.

“And looking just like I’d like her to look, Sen. Debbie Mayfield,” Latvala bellowed as the Melbourne Republican entered. Mayfield, 61, is tall, blond and attractive. She was wearing an orange dress and entered “fashionably late” with her husband at her side, she recalled last week.

Debbie Mayfield Florida Memory
Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, wants to see reforms in place to make it easier for women to report allegations of sexual harassment.
Mark Foley, Florida Department of State archives
But Latvala’s comment killed the buzz in the room, say three people who were there. For those who know Latvala, a burly political veteran who built a business on the art of campaign mailers and was at the peak of his power as Senate budget chairman, a remark about the appearance of a female colleague was not surprising. What startled them was that he did it on an open microphone.

“It was very awkward,” Mayfield recalled last week. “Jack speaks before he thinks a lot of the time. I don’t think he means anything by it.”

But, she added: “Everyone in the room seemed to notice. I was taken aback by the whole thing. I felt that nobody told Jack that the rules have changed. You don’t do that.”

Speaking after this story was originally published, Latavala said he didn’t remember it that way and that he had spoken to other senators who were there. “It’s amazing how certain people remember it and certain people don’t,” he said.

Mayfield said she was outraged her freshman year as a House member when a group of freshmen male legislators lived together and ran their rented session home “like a frat house.”

They created a scoring system to rank female legislators and lobbyists, she said. One of them was asked what he wanted to do in Tallahassee and his answer was “to sleep with as many women as possible,” Mayfield recalled. “Who is investigating that?”

She said she believes Latvala’s accuser, but Mayfield also suggests that Tallahassee’s go-along, get-along culture may have allowed him to become “desensitized,” while those he may have shamed and offended did not feel free to complain.

“It’s hard to imagine her [Rogers] coming forward in her position if it didn’t happen,” Mayfield said. “I have to believe it happened. She would not have put herself through this if it wasn’t true. I wonder if Jack didn’t realize what he was doing? It’s the culture up here. This has not happened overnight but over the years has become accepted, almost expected.”

finally the wake up call and our course they blame men

Aloha means family you don't leave family behind. Who will be the next Draconarius for MGTOW? MGTOW = brothers = acceptance = belonging

[AwakenedParticipant 35202]

I really have no idea what any of this is about, and I’m very happy to not know either,

My Ignorance is Bliss.

Let THEM do what THEY’RE Going to do Anyways.

No Need or Desire to Waste My Time Watching or Commenting because I don’t wish to Participate at ANY Level.

In a World of Justin Beibers Be a Johnny Cash

[Solo MAN’S WisdomParticipant]

Akhilleus wrote:

Jennifer Green, lobbyist

“I’m getting the feeling that we’re going back 20 years as female professionals,” she said. “I fully anticipate I’m going to be competing with another firm that is currently owned by some male, and the deciding factor is going to be: ‘You don’t want to hire a female lobbying firm in this environment.’ ”

TOO.
F~~~ING.
BAD.

Welcome to EQUALITY.

When women lead, destruction is the destination. -- Me.

[UntamedParticipant]

So let me get this straight.
A bunch of government cronies are accused of Sexual Whatever, some admitting and others denying.

Then another bunch of government cronies take steps to protect themselves again false sexual accusations and they’re the bad guys??

What feminists want is to clear all government positions of Men and fill them all with weemins.
They’re dying to get a woeman president because when that happens it will be open season on Men.
Stay clear of weemins or suffer the consequences.
MGTOW for Life.
MGTOW is the ONLY way.
MGTOW is Men’s salvation.

Don't let them Blame, Shame or Tame you!
Give 'em NOTHING, not even an answer!
#GenderSegragationNow!

[joetechParticipant]

They’ve made their own bed and now they don’t want to sleep in it? Too bad. Self entitled, greedy women have caused this. How long will Americans put up with this?

"Don't follow in my footsteps...I stepped in something."

[xanthineParticipant 4903]

Untamed wrote:

What feminists want is to clear all government positions of Men and fill them all with weemins.
They’re dying to get a woeman president because when that happens it will be open season on Men.
Stay clear of weemins or suffer the consequences.

You are exactly right. And you can be certain the threat isn’t limited solely to government cronies. Everywhere there are women, men are in danger.

[UntamedParticipant]

xanthine wrote:

Untamed wrote:

What feminists want is to clear all government positions of Men and fill them all with weemins.
They’re dying to get a woeman president because when that happens it will be open season on Men.
Stay clear of weemins or suffer the consequences.

You are exactly right. And you can be certain the threat isn’t limited solely to government cronies. Everywhere there are women, men are in danger.

Correct!

Don’t help them.
Don’t trust them.
Don’t work with them.
Don’t listen to them.
Don’t socialise with them.
Treat every woeman as if she was a cop. Anything more and you open yourself up for a world of hurt.

Don't let them Blame, Shame or Tame you!
Give 'em NOTHING, not even an answer!
#GenderSegragationNow!

[Can’t Stump TrumpParticipant]

Oh boo hoo, poor weemins. Ever think about the MEN whose lives are destroyed by these lies? Men could be dropping dead in the streets, and the weeminz would still cry oppression.

Women are better at multitasking? Fucking up several things at once is not multitasking.

[AkhilleusParticipant 2486]

men are dying if you take away a mans ability to make a living you kill him.

Aloha means family you don't leave family behind. Who will be the next Draconarius for MGTOW? MGTOW = brothers = acceptance = belonging

[743 roadmasterParticipant]

It is a wake up call for every man. It is what mgtow has been saying from the start. Trust a woman at your own demise.
I think most if not all conservatives will get the message. DemocRats will not and will keep on learning the lesson. Just like most of the targets are democRats, they will not give up the idea they are above the law.

mgtow is its own worst enemy- https://www.campusreform.org/

[Anonymous 54]

Ice them bitches out! Jaja

Stupid c~~~s have made their bed.
They can lay in it.

Alone.

[IGMOW (I Go My Own Way)Participant 2572]

Apparently Chuck Schumer is claiming to have been the target of fake sexual assault allegations:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evabzn/someone-forged-a-sexual-harassment-claim-against-chuck-schumer-vgtrn

The moment anything can be weaponized against someone else, and that legitimized as a way to take someone down, someone is going to use it.

"I am my own thang. Any questions?" - Davis S Pumpkins.

[MaddladParticipant 765]

Another article blaming men for what women have done to themselves via false allegations..

[BeerParticipant 11832]

Maddlad wrote:

Another article blaming men for what women have done to themselves via false allegations..

And for many of the allegations that have some truth to them, it was really just women opening their legs for money, fame, and power…and years later they regret it. Its just too bad more people don’t understand that doesn’t make them a victim, it makes them a prostitute.

I’m just waiting for scandals to start rocking the military…we’ll get to see the results of Obama’s liberal policies making the military more inclusive and PC rather than making the military about being a soldier and doing a job.

[Author]

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