While a new year is upon us, an age-old problem is rearing its ugly head in the Capitol: sexism.


As a female legislator, I often speak to groups of women -- from Girl Scouts and graduates to fellow female attorneys and aspiring politicians. I share my personal experiences and discuss the myriad of challenges females face in elected office. But I rarely convey how much chauvinism and sexism still go on in politics today because, quite frankly, I am embarrassed by it. I do not have the heart to tell a classroom full of girls that the same attitudes and animosity they encounter on the playground persist to our highest levels of government.

Sexism in the Legislature is usually more latent, but as of late it has become particularly blatant. Recently state Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, publicly and premeditatedly compared a prominent female professional in Lansing to a "hooker."

Everyone knows how supercharged such terms are, and this is a new low in a political realm that is already known for its cheap shots and name-calling. This is completely out of line, and I am appalled that anyone, let alone a legislative colleague, would exercise such inappropriate conduct.

Sadly, this is just the most recent and most prominent incident in a pattern of Jones' boorish and chauvinistic behavior and his leadership's apparent willingness to tolerate it.

This issue goes beyond a single remark from an individual legislator. Political discourse is decaying at an alarming rate. Debate has dwindled to degradation. From when I was first elected to now, the Legislature seems to be going backward in terms of the respect and decency in the way people are treated -- for both women and men.

When Jennifer Granholm was elected as Michigan's first female governor in 2002, it should have been a time when women of both parties felt empowered. Instead, it resulted in an apparent backlash toward female candidates and contributed to a dramatic decrease in the number of women elected and serving.

It is going to be difficult to change that and attract more female leaders if the Neanderthal quotient continues to grow. Much of the opposition to Granholm's policies came in personal and often chauvinistic attacks (i.e., calling her "Jenny" in formal statements).

As the first female leader in the state Senate, my rivals often seek to undermine me with dismissive condescension and thinly veiled sexism. In the past few months, Jones has insulted and intimidated a female conservative activist and a moderate pundit alike, notching two formal complaints by two women in two months.

With its "boys will be boys" mentality, the good ol' boys network in Lansing has gotten out of hand and must stop. A strong woman is NOT a bitch. A successful woman is NOT a hooker or a gold-digger. A compassionate woman is NOT overly sensitive and thin-skinned. And a passionate woman is NOT shrill.

A public apology from Jones and a strong rebuke from Senate leadership will be a start. Condemning this institutionalized sexism in the Legislature altogether would be preferred.

My colleagues often talk about promoting our state so our economy is not incorrectly viewed as a dinosaur. But how credible can we be when our standard-bearers act like cavemen?



Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat from East Lansing, represents Michigan's 23rd District in the Michigan Senate and is the Senate's Democratic Leader.