Getty A 2011 radio show with GOP Rep. Jason Lewis reveals Lewis challenging the "trauma" of sexual assault survivors, saying "Is that really something that's going to be seared in your memory? Come on!"
GOP Rep. Jason Lewis, who is running for re-election in the state of Minnesota, once mocked survivors of sexual assault on a radio show in 2011.
Lewis made the comments during a November 2011 broadcast on his own radio show, “The Jason Lewis Show,” which ran from 2009-2014.
A law firm representing the radio network that produced Lewis’s show has sent CNN a “cease and desist” letter for using the copyrighted show, and has requested that CNN take down the audio. But CNN has insisted that it’s using the audio under the “fair use” doctrine.
Here’s what you need to know.
Lewis Mocked Women Who Experience Sexual Assault: LISTEN
Lewis was responding to the sexual assault allegations that were currently being leveled against then-Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. Cain was accused of harassing employees and have a 13-year affair.
Lewis said, “I don’t want to be callous here, but how traumatizing was it?” How many women at some point in their life have a man come on to them, place their hand on their shoulder or maybe even their thigh, kiss them, and they would rather not have it happen, but is that really something that’s going to be seared in your memory that you’ll need therapy for?”
This Isn’t the Only Time Lewis Has Challenged the Notions of Sexual Assault & Harassment
Lewis has a long history of challenging the notions of sexism and general treatment of women, having complained that it was no longer acceptable to call women “sluts”.
The comments came after conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a “slut” for testifying before a Democratic congressional group to argue that religious institutions should provide birth control. Lewis said, “Well, the thing is, can we call anybody a slut? This is what begs the question.
He continued, “Take this woman out of it, take Rush out of it for a moment. Does a woman now have the right to behave — and I know there’s a double standard between the way men chase women and running and running around — you know, I’m not going to get there, but you know what I’m talking about. But it used to be that women were held to a little bit of a higher standard. We required modesty from women. Now, are we beyond those days where a woman can behave as a slut, but you can’t call her a slut?”
Lewis later stood by his comments, saying on the Chad Hartman show in July, “The question becomes, have we come to a place in life where you can’t hold people to those standards, and you can’t shame people, male or female, for behaving in a way that our parents told us we shouldn’t behave? That’s really outrageous? That line of thought? That questioning? That conversation?”
He added, “I was paid to be provocative.”