Ashley Judd, The Women’s March, Backpage, And Feminists’ Mixed Messages

Daisy and I talked about the FBI shutting down the sleazy website Backpage on our show Monday. And during our discussion, I wondered aloud what on earth Ashley Judd was going to do about the fact that The Women’s March is absolutely outraged about the shutdown. In case you haven’t heard, The Women’s March’s official Twitter account tweeted:

. The shutting down of #Backpage is an absolute crisis for sex workers who rely on the site to safely get in touch with clients. Sex workers rights are women’s rights. Follow @SafeSpacesDC @melissagira @swopusa @KateDAdamo @supporthosechi @anaorsomething for more info. https://t.co/S3Orx3aM8Z

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) April 7, 2018

And then:

In the coming days, we will be sharing more about sex workers rights to uplift this critical issue. We’re all still learning and as always, we have to listen to the voices of those most impacted. #SexWorkIsWork

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) April 7, 2018

In other words, the women of The Women’s March, CHAMPIONS OF WOMEN, are super pissed that a well known platform for child sex trafficking has been shut down, because #sexworkiswork.

So listen – I realize there’s a whole separate conversation to be had about whether or not sex work should be legalized and regulated, and the discussion is a valid one. But that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about the pretzels that feminists like Ashley Judd are going to have to twist themselves into in order to stay allied with The Women’s March.

Ashley Judd blocked COTR on Twitter ages ago, and honestly, I don’t even blame her, because we don’t let anything she does slide, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to have to face the realities of her endless hypocrisy that we’re constantly shoving into her face. I get it. But I have another account that isn’t blocked by her, so I decided to check and see if she had anything to say about this latest news from the Women’s March. I mean, Ashley Judd has spoken out A LOT about sex trafficking. To her credit (and you know I don’t credit her for much), she has been very vocal about keeping kids safe, and she’s participated in documentaries about the perils of sex work. She’s fiercely opposed to pornography, she’s outspoken about sexual exploitation – this is one of her pet causes. So I was really looking forward to seeing what she’d have to say about an organization she’s obviously extremely supportive of (Women’s March) openly decrying the shutdown of Backpage.

Oddly, as of the time of this writing, she hasn’t said a word yet. But I did find these gems from the not-too-distant past:

let me say. I HATE #BACKPAGE . #sex #trafficking site disgusting & coded for visitors to sell teens & kids. #apathappears

— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) January 27, 2015

Ok then. That seems fairly straightforward. And there was also this:

Anyway, I don’t think there’s much question about where Ashley Judd stands on the whole Backpage thing. But how will she square that with her involvement with The Women’s March? I mean, just recently she reflected about her experience wearing her stupid pussy hat and shouting about her bloodstained sheets at the first Women’s March. She wrote in part:

In the year since, and especially now as we find ourselves in the midst of a reckoning about the treatment of women, I’ve felt an incredible deepening in my sense of belonging, and in my safety and security in society. I feel more deeply known in my soul. I’ve shared my most intimate self with incredible numbers of people—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually—and it feels extraordinary. Even as girls and women remain at risk for sexual and gender violence, it’s clear that our society is changing at a breathless pace. This phenomenon is very dear to me, and I feel exponentially empowered by it. Let the world hear us all.

So what now, Ashley? Will you call out the Women’s March?

Come to think of it, will Kamala Harris call out the Women’s March? After all, it was Kamala as Attorney General who was responsible for the arrest of the Backpage CEO back in the fall of 2016. And yet, she is also a strong supporter of the Women’s March, calling it “absolutely personal to me.” Will she condemn their outrage at the shutdown of Backpage?

Because again, I can’t figure out where feminists are on this whole issue. Do they want women to use their bodies as they choose, or not? Are women sexually objectified or are they empowered when they show off their ladyparts?

TELL ME, ASHLEY JUDD, because you send out an awful lot of mixed messages about this.

Why are those wardrobe choices OK, but F1 Grid Girls aren’t?

Can someone please tell me how to feminism? Because I don’t get it.

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to Ashley and Kamala’s condemnation of the Women’s March.