PETALING JAYA, July 28 — Sick of the sexist abuse women face in the workplace, particularly for their attire, one Australian MP has decided to take a stand against her critics.
Boothby MP in South Australia, Nicolle Flint chose to don a rubbish bag in response to the “sexist garbage” written in an article by ABC radio host Peter Goers — in which he heavily criticised her choice of clothing in typical male chauvinist fashion.
Sick of sexist garbage?
I am, which is why I’m calling out @abcadelaide’s Peter Goers rubbish views about my appearance, published in yesterday's @theTiser Sunday Mail.
It’s time women in public life are judged on what they stand for, not what they look like. #GarbagelikeGoers pic.twitter.com/tk9DRyM0nNAdvertisement— Nicolle Flint MP (@NicolleFlint) July 27, 2020
The 42-year-old took to her official Twitter page yesterday as she publicly called out Goers in a video for his “rubbish views” on her attire.
Flint said that in the post that she is sick of the sexist depreciation women in public life face, as they should only be judged by “what they stand for, not what they look like.”
“I’ve put up with a lot as a woman in politics. Police charged a creepy old man with stalking me. My campaign office was vandalised, calling me a skank and a prostitute who charges 60 dollars an hour,” she said in the video.
“Then yesterday, Peter Goers criticised the way I look.”
Liberal MP Flint added that Goers’ Sunday Mail column in The Advertiser in Adelaide, South Australia, condemned her for wearing pearl earrings, stiletto heels, a range of colourful jackets and tight black pants that reveal her ankles — not to mention her “pearly smile” too.
She then removed her black coat in the video to reveal the garbage bag underneath to make a mockery of Goers comments.
“So Mr Goers, what I want to know is, what should a woman in politics wear? How about a garbage bag to match your rubbish views,” said Flint.
Flint’s video has been viewed over 200,000 times with over 1,000 shares, as many social media users praise her for calling out Goers.
Not just for woman 👩 in public life . No one should be judged for what they wear or how they look. Ever . https://t.co/tUPH3iWPns
— hamptongirl (@hamptongirl) July 27, 2020
Whether you agree or disagree with @NicolleFlint, commenting on personal appearance is not acceptable. A sad indictment on how far we still have to go with eliminating sexism and misogyny in society. Bad editing by @theTiser to let that through.
— James Smith (@James_e_smit) July 27, 2020
Many users said that Flint looked “fabulous,” even in a garbage bag, while others argued that such content shouldn’t be allowed to be published in the first place.
ABC News reporter Jane Norman also replied to Flint’s post, saying that she was so pleased to see this kind of “sexist rubbish” finally being called out.
