All Women and Victims Deserve to Be Heard, Especially Those of Color
National Organization for Women of New Jersey commends Tiffany Kaszuba for speaking her truth and reaffirms the organization’s commitment to ensuring that all women are heard. We recognize that ‘gatekeeping’ has long been used to continue the misogyny in all our patriarchal structures and call upon our elected officials, fellow advocates and media to join us in condemning any organization that seeks to silence women.
Throughout 2020, New Jersey has undergone a deep evaluation into the ways in which women’s voices are silenced in our political systems. If we are to overcome the pervasive, sinister, and deeply toxic climate of misogyny in politics, we cannot pick and choose which stories are heard and which are silenced.
The politicization of the #MeToo movement remains a significant problem in New Jersey and elsewhere. Weaponizing deeply personal and painful stories to serve individual political agendas hurts all women, and reinforces the barriers that have long prevented women from speaking out. Intersectionality plays a role in this dynamic, as even among victims, those of color find themselves further marginalized and discounted. None of this helps the movement – it only serves to hinder progress. Silencing women, or engaging in retaliation for their words, serves only to maintain the status quo.
The first step in any growing process is listening. NOW-NJ will continue to listen to and support the women who come forward with their stories, no matter how difficult they may be. For us to truly transform the political culture in New Jersey, we must make space for the difficult stories that go against the politically correct narrative and stand by those who tell them.
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Download the press release here.