After speaking quite sensibly on LGBT issues, John Kasich just had to go and say this about rape…
Republican Presidential hopeful John Kasich has had quite a good week on LGBT issues, but now he has gone and said this…
First, the Governor of Ohio said he would not have signed a trans ‘bathroom bill’, like have been passed in Mississippi and North Carolina.
The bills restrict the rights of LGBT people, particularly those who are transgender.
Then he said his Republican friends need to “move on” from the equal marriage debate which, apparently is still going on. He even said he would still love his daughters if they were gay – wow.
In February, he stood firm on same-sex marriage – despite nearly all his rival candidates planning to overturn it – saying he would not.
He also split from his rivals on LGBT rights – by coming out in favour of anti-discrimination laws.
But now this.
Speaking at Watertown, New York, Kasich advised that a female college student should steer clear of “parties where there’s a lot of alcohol” in order to avoid being raped.
A first year student at the St Lawrence University asked Kasich: “What are you going to do in office as president to help me feel safer and more secure regarding sexual violence, harassment, and rape?”
At first he spoke about the importance of access to rape kits “if something happens to you along the lines of sexual harassment or whatever.” Then, Kasich claimed that Ohio is in the process of ensuring that the state’s college students know the state’s laws and “confidential policies” so “co-eds” are “not vulnerable, at risk, and can be preyed upon.”
“I have two 16-year-old daughters, and I don’t even like to think about it,” Kasich is quoted to have said by Slate.
“It’s sad, but it’s something that I have to worry about,” retorted the student.
Then he gave his main piece of advice, saying: “Don’t go to parties where there’s a lot of alcohol.”
His opinion on these issues seems fairly tame, however, compared to Republican Frontrunner Donald Trump who recently flip-flopped, first saying women who seek to have abortions should face criminal charges, then backtracking.
Ted Cruz has said he thinks women should not have access to abortion, even if they are raped.
But Kasich himself has said he would like to defund Planned Parenthood.
