Monica Lewinsky Was Disinvited from Event with Bill Clinton Because Women Still Pay for Men's Behavior
Monica Lewinksy reported Wednesday that she had been disinvited from an event on "social change" because President Bill Clinton had decided to attend. After Lewinsky made the comments on Twitter, the Huffington Post reported that the event in question was a "philanthropic summit" held by the magazine Town & Country.
Lewinsky made the remarks addressed to the "world," apparently declining to name the host of the event:
p.s. ...and definitely, please don't try to ameliorate the situation by insulting me with an offer of an article in your mag.— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@Monica Lewinsky (she/her)) 1525889279
Since Clinton's infamous affair with Lewinsky in the '90s, which led to his impeachment and trial in the U.S. Senate, the former White House intern has become a public speaker and activist. She addresses issues of bullying and social shame, drawing from her own experiences in the public eye and her harsh treatment by federal investigators pursuing misconduct by Clinton.
The treatment Lewinsky reported Wednesday shows that, despite the prevalence of the #MeToo movement, women are still being blamed for the mistakes of men.
While many Democrats and feminists defended Clinton's actions in the '90s as a mere private matter, many public thinkers have since argued that his relationship with Lewinsky, though consensual, constituted a significant breach of responsibility and abuse of authority. His powerful status as not only her boss but the president put her in a precarious position, an ultimately she was subjected to extensive abuse and mistreatment that he could have prevented.
Disinviting Lewinsky from an event at which she can offer a significant contribution in favor of the man who was the source of so much tumult in her life shows that we still undervalue women and habitually offer excuses for the misbehavior of powerful men.Â
