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Katie Hill, 32-year-old, became the first ever openly bisexual person to be elected to the U.S. Congress in the mid-term elections of 2018. It was a real pride for this young politician and for our community.
But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Katie Hill was originally charged with having a relationship with a Congressional staff member, which violates Congressional rules, before seeing her nude photos made public.
Katie Hill denied this alleged relationship with a member of the Congressional staff. She clarified that she had had a relationship, but before her election with a campaign employee, and even if she found that relationship “inappropriate,” it is not a violation of rules.
Finally, she accuses her violent future ex-husband of orchestrating his revenge by publishing pictures of her naked.
On October 28, Katie Hill announced her resignation from the United States House of Representatives. In a speech on October 31, she urged women and LGBTQ+ people to get involved in politics, not to be afraid to fight for their beliefs. She said:
“Today, I ask all of you to stand by my side and commit to creating a future where this no longer happens to women and girls.
"Yes, I withdraw, but I refuse to let this experience frighten other women who dare to take risks, who dare to enter this light, who dare to be powerful.”
One can imagine that this case could dissuade women from running.
What happened to Katie Hill is everything I hate about politics. Here we have a woman who is sullied, humiliated, forced to resign and therefore forced to stoop in front of her opponents.
She added:
“I am leaving because of a misogynistic culture that has joyfully consumed my nude photos, capitalized on my sexuality, and allowed my abusive ex to continue this abuse, this time under the eyes of the entire country.
"To overcome this setback, women must continue to run, to run for office, to run as leaders, because the more we run, the less power they have.”
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