***Disclaimer: TW: sexual assault
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing calls for resignation after seven women have publicly accused him of sexual assault or harassment. Several women, including former aides Lindsey Boylan and Karen Hinton, reported that Cuomo had touched them inappropriately at work or social functions. Other women, including former aides Charlotte Bennett and Ana Liss, reported that Cuomo asked them inappropriate and invasive questions about their sex and personal lives. Despite several allegations, Cuomo has reaffirmed his position that he never inappropriately touched anyone and that his other behavior was unintended or misinterpreted.
If Cuomo does not resign, nor is removed, he will likely continue this behavior. Both former president Trump and President Biden have faced several sexual assault allegations but have remained in power. At this point, many women are not surprised that powerful men continue to abuse their positions of power. We continue to blame men (rightfully so) for their actions, and feminists have recently criticized systems and institutions rooted in the patriarchy. Yet, what is surprising and disappointing is the lack of female solidarity.
Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, shared that Cuomo would ask her invasive questions, try to see her as much as possible, claimed to have a “crush” on her, and even kissed her without consent. Boylan implied that the tipping point for her resignation from Cuomo’s office was the fact that the women she worked with did not just ignore Cuomo’s behavior but became hostile towards her for it. She feared that others would think that her achievements were only due to the fact that Cuomo valued her for her appearance, not her hard work.
Ava Desantis, a mutual aid organizer in Albany, New York, spoke about her reactions to the allegations and what she thinks the next steps should be. She believes that while Cuomo’s behavior is disappointing, it is not surprising. She notes that this situation is an important one to reflect on because of the role that women are playing in upholding the patriarchy. Recent conversations on feminism have pointed out the fact that simply putting women in power does not equate to feminism. This is because women can be complicit, or even take an active role in, the oppression of other people. Desantis explains that “You can climb up the ladder, and throw someone under the bus to call it liberation because you’re a woman…I think it goes to the fundamental point of not viewing women’s liberation, as you know, as individualistic…”
So what exactly are the next steps? No one should place responsibility on Cuomo’s victims, and Cuomo himself is solely responsible for the actions that he took. Yet, we also have a responsibility to recognize why it took years for Boylan and others to come forward and why abusers remain in power despite credible allegations. Women are not inherently feminist because they are women. Even radical feminists can be unknowingly complacent in everyday manifestations of the patriarchy.
Female solidarity must be built and not assumed. Even in communities where female solidarity seems inherent, it is important to identify gaps in feminism and to question the subtle ways the patriarchy pervades our everyday spaces. We often assume that we have to compromise with the patriarchy to make any progress. Yet, as Desantis pointedly suggested, sometimes “You have to go to the root of the problem… maybe we have to build a different system.”