On September 27, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified that now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her in 1982. Photo courtesy of The New York Times
On September 27, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and recounted her experience of being sexually assaulted by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court on October 6. Judge Kavanaugh’s testimonial response was anything but convincing, and it exposed many of the double standards between men and women, especially as they relate to modern politics.
The most noticeable differences between these two testimonies were the tone and temperament of the speakers. Dr. Ford relived a painful trauma – one that has had lasting, harmful effects on her life – and yet, she was able to remain calm, collected, and polite towards those on the Senate judiciary committee. The most emotional Dr. Ford got on the stand was when she held back tears while describing details of her sexual assault. Kavanaugh, on the other hand, was aggressive with his testimony from the very beginning, and he only became more aggressive as the hearing continued. To fully understand the double standard demonstrated throughout the testimonies, one must imagine what would happen had the roles been reversed. Had Dr. Ford been as angry and emotional as Kavanaugh, she would have been described as hysterical, and her story would’ve been written off immediately. The fact that Kavanaugh maintained his credibility with Republican Senators despite his hostility was due solely to his gender. Furthermore, Judge Kavanaugh was undergoing a nomination to the Supreme Court; under no circumstances should behavior like the type he demonstrated be displayed by anyone who sits on the highest court in the land. If Judge Kavanaugh were a woman, the committee would not have tolerated anything close to that behavior.
These double standards are especially harmful in sexual assault cases like this, where men already have more power. It is overwhelming enough for anyone, regardless of gender, to come forward and detail their trauma and some of their most painful moments to the world; Dr. Ford and other female victims have the double burden of considering that their gender automatically makes them less credible than the men who allegedly assaulted them.
The issue of what constitutes a “credible” person has been affected by double standards throughout history. Dr. Ford is, by all means, an accomplished professional. She is a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine as well as a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University. These achievements have no doubt boosted her profile, but a woman should not have to have a “respectable” job in order to have her voice heard.
The differences in their behavior are most likely a result of the double standards that they have faced throughout their lives. Professional women such as , Dr. Ford often endure years of being labeled “too emotional” if they dare show anything other than poise and composure. On the other hand, professional men such as Kavanaugh often go through life being told that aggression will get them what they want. Had Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh been held to the same standard in the hearing, the Judge would have been ousted immediately.
This double standard is dangerous, as it disenfranchises all women, a group that comprises half the population; women shouldn’t have to work twice as hard and remain twice as calm to be considered equal to their male counterparts. There is no word to describe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford other than brave and composed, and this country did both her and itself a terrible injustice by not holding Judge Kavanaugh to the same high standards.
