Conservatives lashed out at Vice President Kamala Harris after she introduced herself by mentioning her pronouns and the color of the suit she was wearing during a roundtable discussion commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and exploring the effects of the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court ruling on reproductive healthcare access for people living with disabilities.
Harris—whose pronouns are she/her and who described herself as "a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit"—was merely doing a public service for visually impaired viewers who benefit enormously from the inclusion of descriptions.
You can see a video of Harris describing her outfit for visually-impaired viewers below.
\u201cVP: "I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit."\u201d— Greg Price (@Greg Price) 1658856919
Harris was following recommendations put forward by institutions such as the Perkins School for the Blind, which encourage image descriptions that include the placement of objects in an image, image style, colors, names of people, clothes, animals, placement of text, emotions (such as smiling), and general surroundings.
But Harris's actions angered conservatives, and the Republican National Committee (RNC) went so far as to mock her after tweeting out video footage of the moment.
\u201c"I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit."\u201d— RNC Research (@RNC Research) 1658856833
Right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh later commented on the video and argued that mockery is justifiable because he can "guarantee you don't introduce yourself in your daily life by describing your outfit."
\u201cThey mocked it because it's incredibly stupid and you know it's incredibly stupid which is why I can guarantee you don't introduce yourself in your daily life by describing your outfit\u201d— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1658859157
Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert also commented on the video, calling the use of pronouns "idiotic."
\u201cWhen you use pronouns to introduce yourself, I\u2019m assuming everything you have to say after is as idiotic as your introduction.\u201d— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1658862166
She later suggested that Harris's speechwriter had quit their job and that she had been spending too much time with President Joe Biden, whom Boebert referred to as "Geriatric Joe."
\u201cKamala Harris just introduced herself with she/her pronouns at an official event.\n\nShe then clarified that she was a \u201cwoman\u201d sitting at the table wearing a blue suit. \n\nThis is what happens when your speechwriter quits and you hang around with Geriatric Joe too long.\u201d— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1658861251
But many came to Harris's defense.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) noted that visual descriptions "are an accessibility practice for blind and low-vision people."
\u201cWe're hearing some folks may have questions about visual descriptions. Here's how and why to give one:\n\nVisual descriptions are an accessibility practice for blind and low-vision people. We do them to ensure that everyone can have context that sighted people may take in visually.\u201d— AAPD (@AAPD) 1658887167
The organization praised Harris, saying that it is "glad to see this accessibility practice expanded in government."
\u201cA good example of a visual self-description is: "I am a woman sitting at a table wearing a blue suit." \ud83d\ude09\n\nWe are glad to see this accessibility practice expanded in government, and hope to see more government leaders give visual self-descriptions in the future!\u201d— AAPD (@AAPD) 1658887167
Others called out the GOP for attacking people with disabilities.
\u201c.@VP: "I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit." \n\nThere are visually impaired people around that table and she's describing herself.\n\nRight wing media has lost their \u201ceverything is woke\u201d mind\n\u201d— Popitics (@Popitics) 1658939206
\u201cOn the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, @GOP thought it was a good idea to mock @VP for providing a visual description for people who are blind or have low vision. Keeping it classy, as always. #ADA32\u201d— Robyn Powell (@Robyn Powell) 1658880128
\u201cYou know this was a meeting with disability advocates, right? Common courtesy might not be something the RNC understands, but most Americans think we should have more of it. Go on ridiculing people for being nice though.\u201d— Tammy Duckworth (@Tammy Duckworth) 1658880681
\u201cRepublicans are truly awful for mocking the VP for providing visual descriptions for folks who are blind or have low vision.\n\nAt some point we have to just call out how cruel and disturbing their attacks are on the most vulnerable in our communities.\n\nThey are just gross bullies.\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1658882147
\u201cAs an author of the ADA, this is proof Republicans are not a party of inclusivity. If they paid attn to people with disabilities they\u2019d know VPOTUS was addressing people on the anniversary of the ADA that includes people who cannot see. A gross & ignorant attack. #PWDvote\u201d— Tony Coelho (@Tony Coelho) 1658883029
\u201cThe RNC is making fun of the Vice President for describing herself to a table of disability activists, including some who are blind.\n\nThere's truly no bottom for these people.\u201d— Matthew Chapman (@Matthew Chapman) 1658921607
Harris has had even her smallest actions scrutinized since she took office, a sign, according to her supporters, of the culture of rampant sexism and misogyny in Washington that regularly disparages women in power.
Harris has often been targeted by sexist critics who have questioned her capacity for leadership since she joined Biden on the campaign trail.
An analysis published by Time's Up Now, an advocacy and legal defense group founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement, reported that a quarter of media coverage incorporated at least one racist or sexist stereotype, including the "angry Black woman" stereotype.
These attacks were so pervasive that the organization announced a "We Have Her Back Campaign" to counter sexist, misogynist coverage of Harris ahead of the 2020 general election.
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