Katie Hill, the disgraced former congresswoman and left-wing millennial sex pioneer whose story is being made into a feature film starring Elizabeth Moss, lobbed a virulently sexist attack at Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Wednesday.
Despite the widespread agreement among feminist experts that judging women on their clothes is flagrantly sexist behavior, Hill remarked that Barrett's "outfits are all way too handmaid-y." The tweet was a reference to the Hulu television series, The Handmaid's Tale, which is beloved by upper-middle-class white women. The reference was intended to suggest that Barrett desires a world in which women are enslaved for reproductive purposes.
Feminism! pic.twitter.com/wkbud4FCxs
— Alexandra DeSanctis (@xan_desanctis) October 14, 2020
Like most millennials, Hill is often compelled to post her thoughts on social media platforms. She apparently regretted doing so, and quickly deleted the tweet after realizing that misogyny isn't cool. It was also a bit off message. Hill's recently published memoir, She Will Rise, argued that more women should hold positions of power. As it so happens, Barrett is a woman.
Lesson learned? Probably not. Hill's comment was in line with much of the mainstream media's coverage of Barrett's confirmation hearing, which blatantly violated the feminist community's guidelines for anti-sexist reporting. While many liberals have embraced Hill as a feminist hero, her former staff members are disgusted by the veneration of their former boss.
"Katie Hill’s story—our story—is also one of workplace abuse and harassment," a group of Hill's former employees recently posted on the disgraced congresswoman's Twitter account. "Katie Hill is not a hero for women. We deserve heroes who embody our values even in the most difficult moments."