The American porn star and writer Lorelei Lee said Bernie Sanders was disrespectful to her mother during one of his speeches at a Democratic Socialists convention decades ago, because the event organisers failed to provide promised childcare.
Lee, 37, revealed the story on Twitter after Sanders voted for the controversial FOSTA-SESTA law against sex trafficking, which many sex workers argue makes them less safe, not more. Sanders quoted the stripper-turned-rapper Cardi B to say she “is right” about strengthening social security. But he was met with criticism by sex workers opposed to FOSTA-SESTA. And Lee added her own story to that backlash.
According to her anecdote, Lee’s mother signed up to the convention and wanted to take then 18-month-old Lorelei with her. She was promised childcare, but on arrival was told by organizers there was no longer any budget for it.
“So she was like, okay, taking my kid to these talks then,” Lee tweeted. “She went to hear the keynote speaker [Bernie Sanders]. We were in the back of the room. I was playing with a toy and making some toddler noises.”
“The keynote speaker stopped what he was saying and said, ‘could someone tell that child to be quiet?’ My mother has never been a patient woman. She lost it.”
"She stood up and started to shout. ‘How dare you,’ she said. ‘How dare you pretend to support families and working women when the first thing you cut during a budgeting failure is childcare.’ She told that story my whole life, but it has never felt more significant than this week, when our friend Bernie, who voted for #FOSTA, tried to make himself relevant by quoting @iamcardib.
“Oh, and btw, you want to know Bernie's response? He said: ‘Maybe some of the women here can get together and look after the kids.’ Yep.”
newsweek.com
