B.C. Liberal candidate Jane Thornthwaite is being criticized following a series of sexualized comments made online about the B.C. NDP’s Bowinn Ma.
The comments, made during a Sept. 17 virtual roast of former B.C. Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan, were screen recorded and later shared with Mo Amir, a Vancouver podcast host. Amir posted the two-minute clip to his Twitter on Saturday evening and asked women to chime in with their thoughts.
I’m not going to editorialize this.
Rather, I’d like to hear from women on how they feel about this clip.
I’m sharing because a woman reached out to me and asked me to do so (her email in below tweet).#bcpoli pic.twitter.com/AiDwFmBT7F
— Mo Amir ॐ This is VANCOLOUR (@vancolour) October 11, 2020
In the clip — which included B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson — Thornthwaite is heard sharing a story about Ma and Sultan’s interactions, implying flirtatious behaviour between the two.
“Bowinn is a very pretty lady, she knows she’s got it, and she knows how to get Ralph going,” says Thornthwaite to laughs from the other participants. She then goes on to describe an event where Ma and Sultan were “stuck on the couch together — very, very close together — for almost the entire time.”
In response, Sultan groaned, prompting Thornthwaite to say, “Yes, Ralph. You remember that. We were supposed to be networking and all this — but Bowinn knows how to get you. She knows how to get you.
“Ralph would be sitting on one couch, say, the middle of the couch and Bowinn would be right up next to him, cuddling, cuddling, cuddling — a little cleavage there — and Ralph would be enthralled with her,” said Thornthwaite, as other participants chuckled.
Others seen participating in the call included Abbotsford West candidate Mike de Jong, West Vancouver-Capilano candidate Karin Kirkpatrick, former Liberal MLA Kevin Falcon, Liberal party member Jess Ketchum, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky candidate Jordan Sturdy and former Liberal MP Gordie Hogg.
Listen, I am Ralph’s Successor. I’m pretty sure that automatically makes me the funniest on this entire team.
Register here to watch me give an “homage” to Ralph: https://t.co/y56oF8qQgn #ralphroast #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/XDJs3E7cuW
— Karin Kirkpatrick (@KirkpatrickWVC) September 10, 2020
The Sept. 17 event had been promoted as The (Virtual) Roast of Ralph Sultan and was open for online registration via the B.C. Liberals’ website.
Backlash to the comments on Sunday morning – which happened to be International Day of the Girl – has been pointed, with many calling for Thornthwaite to apologize and others chiming in to share their own experiences of sexism in the workplace.
“Being a woman in politics is difficult. Being a racialized person in politics is difficult. Being young in politics is difficult. If you’re all three, apparently people will talk about you behind your back like this,”
. “I’m not surprised by the BC Liberals but it’s not nice to see.”
Thornthwaite is the incumbent in the riding of North Vancouver-Seymour, running against the B.C. Greens’ Harrison Johnston, the NDP’s Susie Chant and Libertarian Clayton Welwood.
“I’m still collecting my thoughts on the video, but it’s shocking and saddening to see,” said
. “I don’t want your vote out of spite, I want to earn it with my policies, my honesty and my dedication to this riding.”
My campaign team is made up entirely of women and non-binary people under 22
I am disgusted that we have elected politicians like @jthornthwaite who would make gross, sexualized jokes about people like them@BowinnMa deserves better, all young women and femmes deserve better https://t.co/A27p2iwhvk
— Harrison Johnston (@Harrison4NV) October 11, 2020
Johnston tweeted his disgust, noting that his campaign team is all women and non-binary people under the age of 22.
“I am disgusted that we have elected politicians like @jthornthwaite who would make gross, sexualized jokes about people like them,” he said. “@BowinnMa deserves better, all young women and femmes deserve better.”
Others have called for Thornthwaite to resign, calling the comments indicative of what’s perceived as the B.C. Liberal party’s out-of-touch approach.
This makes me feel so gross.
That she said it, that everyone sits there & laughs, & that old-style politics has made things inhospitable to so many for so long.
Those days are numbered.
Solidarity with @BowinnMa, who represents a new way forward.@jthornthwaite should resign. https://t.co/n3GeeAO34C
— Kate O’Connor (she/her) (@katenoconnor1) October 11, 2020
On Sunday morning, Thornthwaite responded to the backlash on Twitter but stopped short of offering an apology, stating only that she supports women in politics.
“I have huge respect for all women who push through glass ceilings. I’m one of them. So is Bowinn Ma,” she said.
“Ralph Sultan has the same respect and a soft spot for his fellow UBC engineer, and I made light of that at a roast. I have always and will always support more women in politics.”
In response, another Twitter user again called for Thornthwaite to apologize and resign.
“But you didn’t just ‘make light’ about it at a roast, you state that you ‘told people the story’ at later points in time. Apologize, resign and spend some time working on your internalized misogyny,”
.
I have huge respect for all women who push through glass ceilings. I’m one of them. So is Bowinn Ma. Ralph Sultan has the same respect and a soft spot for his fellow UBC engineer, and I made light of that at a roast. I have always and will always support more women in politics.
— Jane Thornthwaite (@jthornthwaite) October 11, 2020
Thornthwaite later followed up with a second tweet that did apologize for the comments.
“I wish to add this. The comments I made at the roast for my colleague Ralph Sultan fell flat and were inappropriate. I unreservedly apologize for making these comments,” she said. “I have reached out to Bowinn Ma to apologize to her directly as well. I commit to doing better moving forward.”
I wish to add this. The comments I made at the roast for my colleague Ralph Sultan fell flat and were inappropriate. I unreservedly apologize for making these comments. I have reached out to Bowinn Ma to apologize to her directly as well. I commit to doing better moving forward.
— Jane Thornthwaite (@jthornthwaite) October 11, 2020
Shortly after, Ma shared her own statement to Facebook and Twitter to denounce sexism, and explained that the interaction described by Thornthwaite was Ma “deliberately speaking closely with an elder who is very hard of hearing.”
“The video of B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson watching on as a multi-term BC Liberal North Shore MLA sexualized my interactions with another multi-term BC Liberal North Shore MLA is a deeply uncomfortable characterization of my efforts to extend kindness across partisan lines. However, this is not about me,” said Ma.
“Young women deserve a province that encourages them to take on leadership roles without fear of sexism. If we want more young women and people of colour to enter politics, we must commit to creating environments that respect them. The comments and reactions in that video do the exact opposite.”
We need to be a province that enables young women to take on leadership roles without fear of sexism. British Columbians deserve better from their political leaders. pic.twitter.com/sE3MbnKbSZ
— Bowinn Ma (@BowinnMa) October 11, 2020
B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan also praised Ma for her response in a tweet.
“You’re a powerhouse and a role model to so many, @BowinnMa. I’m so proud to have you on our team,” he said.
B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau also called Thornthwaite’s comments “apalling,” calling out the unrealistic standards women are held to.
“If women are not warm in the workplace, we are castigated as rude,” she said. “If we are friendly, we get this.”
This is appalling.
If women are not warm in the workplace, we are castigated as rude. If we are friendly, we get this. @BowinnMa is incredibly professional and her ability to forge friendships across party lines makes the legislature better. She is owed an apology. https://t.co/xhwCxWJ6mS
— SoniaFurstenau (@SoniaFurstenau) October 11, 2020
You’re a powerhouse and a role model to so many, @BowinnMa. I’m so proud to have you on our team. https://t.co/PVfh52hFUM
— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) October 11, 2020
The backlash comes just days before an Oct. 13 leaders debate.