A Fear Of Revenge Porn Shouldn't Stop You From Running For Office

By Amanda Litman


To young people thinking about running for office one day:


never let what happened to former Representative Katie Hill (D-CA) scare you out of your ambitions.


Earlier this week, Hill resigned from office immediately after a complex disaster connected with a consensual relationship she had with a member of her campaign personnel, an ethics complaint against her, and an ex-husband who was allegedly both abusive and involved in the posting of private photographs of the congresswoman without her consent — an act referred to as revenge porn, which is illegal in 46 states and Washington, D.C.


She was one of the 117 ladies who made history last year, flipping a seat in southern California from red to blue — she did so as a then-29-year-old bisexual woman and former director of a homelessness non-profit, running unabashedly as herself. Throughout her time in Washington, D.C., She was a leader amongst her peers in Congress. She was well known to be a mentee of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and she had a seat on the Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the method of President Donald Trump’s impeachment. For a first-time member of Congress, Hill was powerful.


there really is never any excuse for a relationship with a subordinate, and Hill herself conceded that point: “I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, nevertheless I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment,” she mentioned in a letter to her constituents. “For that I apologize.”


Nevertheless it is also no wonder that people — her ex-husband, those that work at right-wing media businesses, GOP political operatives, possibly a former Trump crony who’s spent time in prison for lying to federal authorities, and perhaps even some Democrats — have allegedly played parts in bringing her down. They attempted to prepare her an example of what occurs to girls who take charge as their full selves. They were scared of her power, and they’re scared of yours.


because the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, a business that recruits and supports young people like you running for office, I'd like to be explicitly clear: never let this scare you out of running.


you could run for office if you’ve been in sexual relationships or if you’ve taken private pictures or sexted — and you wouldn’t be alone, given that 88 percent of respondents to one survey mention they have. You could run if you’re one of the 10 million Americans who have been targeted by revenge porn. You could run for office if you’ve gone bankrupt; or in the event if you've student debt; or if you’ve smoked pot; or been arrested; or been addicted to opioids; or are LGBTQ+; or are fat; or in the event you are disabled; or are of any race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. You could run for office in case you are some or all of those things, and more. You could run for office if you’ve never cared about politics before, or if you’ve run for office and lost three times over. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not your turn or not your time.


I know Hill’s experience can make this feel like a Don't Pass Go, Never Put Your Name on the Ballot situation, however realistically: If it’s not your pictures on the world wide web, it’ll be something else. They plan to find a way to tear you apart, because they are terrified of you. Simply putting your name on the ballot is a sign that you are not settling for the status quo. Your presence is an affront to the way things “should” be. You will scare the living daylights out of the old boys’ club that’s been in charge for literal centuries — and of everyone else who has propped them up, too.


Your fear is the patriarchy’s oxygen. Never give it a chance to breathe.


once you run — so you have to — you will absolutely be contained to a double common, because up until girls in power the norm, we plan to be second-guessed. It will feel hypocritical and unfair. It is, especially if you’re a woman of color and/or LGBTQ+. The reality is that while Hill felt forced to resign, a male who brags about sexually assaulting females (and has been credibly accused of raping others) is in the White Home. Two boys who were accused of sexual misconduct have jobs for life on the Supreme Court. Hill’s very own Republican friend from California, Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, was indicted last year for using taxpayer cash to have affairs with three lobbyists, a congressional aide, and one of his staffers. He’s expected to face a criminal trial next year, and however, remains in his seat in Congress. The list of boys from both parties who have been accused of sexual harassment or assault is long and infuriating; more maddening still is the list of these who have kept their jobs. Right after all, straight, cisgender men’s sexual prowess and aggression is rarely punished; as an alternative, it’s celebrated.)


Your sexuality isn't shameful. Your body isn't embarrassing. You are not the one who should be scared this week. The people who weaponized photographs of Hill against her should be scared. The people who use a woman’s sexuality to manipulate and abuse her, holding her hostage to their whims — they should be scared.


Because over the last two years, ladies have risen up and run for office in record numbers, and there really is no sign of slowing down. Hill has already mentioned she’ll do her part to make sure that by fighting hard for laws making cyber exploitation and revenge porn federally unlawful. Each and every participant in the method of sharing her pictures will hopefully face implications. And girls are speaking up against the double regular, and calling the bluff that what you pick to do as a consenting adult would be used against you on the campaign trail.


“As more ladies under 40 run for office, we plan to have to identify how to stand with each other and mention it’s the leaking of those, not the taking of these, that is shameful,” Ashley Fairbanks, the creative director of Julian Castro’s presidential campaign, mentioned in a now-viral tweet. She later added on Medium that a fear of revenge porn has previously kept her from running for office, although that may soon change: “If I run for office one day, I can right now stand up and mention, I am actually not ashamed of this photo. I’m ashamed to reside in a culture where girls who get naked or have sex are the ones shamed for their actions  —  not the boys who rape us.”


Some young people have taken Ashley’s path and proudly declared they’ll release their own photographs, or share that they exist, claiming ownership over their images. That’s definitely an alternative obtainable to you, in case you desire to take it (and typically, the more direct you could be about your past, the better). Nevertheless you don’t have to do that in the event you don’t aspire to. The secret is that it’s your choice. As time goes on, the stigma around private pictures will fade — and hopefully, the stigma around sharing someone else's pictures without their consent becomes even more ferocious, and the legal and societal repercussions will be taken seriously.


Girls and other first-time candidates have run for Congress, like Hill, although tens of thousands more are running for school boards, city councils, and state legislatures. You could do that, also. Begin local, where the community impact is just as high nevertheless the political stakes are usually much lower. Find the problem you care about solving and the office that will let you solve it. Ensure your members friend and relative are on board. If you’re in a relationship, make sure your spouse is prepared to be your contributor and cheerleader. This will be hard, because no matter what, running for office is hard: Be prepared to spend literally thousands of hours knocking on doors to meet voters one-on-one — smear campaigns and mudslinging are much harder to prepare stick if a voter has a personalized relationship with a candidate.


With every election cycle, more young people — especially young females — are running and winning. And as that groundswell continues, private pictures will be far less and far less likely to destroy your campaign or your career, and no matter what, you won’t be alone. You’ll be piece of a movement of people who are taking power back.


I know you may still be afraid. That’s okay. Do it afraid. You won’t be the only, or the last. We’ll have your back.


Hillary Clinton’s email director. (The other emails.) Accountable for raising more than $330 million online. Charlie Crist’s digital director once he ran for governor in 2014. One of the opening staff at Organizing for Action as deputy email director. Email writer for Barack Obama’s re-elect. Northwestern University graduate. Bookworm. Feminist. Nationals fan. Dog owner. Amanda Litman is the co-founder and executive director of Run For Something.