Cross-posted from Dump Comstock
Barbara Comstock has been grandstanding for months now, pretending to be a champion for sexual harassment victims. The next time Comstock sits down for a softball media interview, the press should ask her about the radical anti-women’s group she belongs to.
The group was originally named “The Women for Judge Thomas Committee” and was formed for the sole purpose of discrediting Anita Hill. One tactic employed by this group, was to find women who were evidently not harassed by Clarence Thomas, and then present this as “evidence” that Anita Hill was making the whole thing up. After they were done trashing Anita Hill, the group changed it’s name to the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF).
Barbara Comstock is a long time member of the Independent Women’s Forum.
In this video she is speaking on national television in front of an IWF banner and proudly proclaiming her membership in the group.
“It’s nice to be here with my fellow IWF members”
Barbara Comstock is not just a member of the IWF, she also served as a paid consultant and legal strategist. It was in this capacity that she attacked the National Organization for Women (NOW).
“We know NOW [the National Organization for Women] will be everywhere,” said Barbara Comstock, a consultant and legal strategist for the group. “They have been crying wolf for 20 years, and we’re going to counter them.”
Comstock’s involvement with the IWF runs deep, but let’s take a closer look at the group itself, before we return to her role in the organization.
Sexual Harassment
The IWF purports to support women, but they’ve been less than supportive of the #MeToo movement. While the rest of us have been horrified by allegations against prominent politicians and executives, the President of the IWF is worried about unfair accusations.
“These allegations can be incredibly damaging if you wanted to derail a candidate.”
If you’re looking for a series of excuses for sexual harassment, IWF has you covered:
- Minimized the problem of gender discrimination because it’s “not universal”
- Worried that false #MeToo accusations “unfairly defame the accused”
- Criticized harassment victims for being too negative, stating that “#MeToo isn’t the right answer to sexual misconduct”
- Accused ABC News of “pushing a victim narrative” when they released a poll showing that 54 percent of American women said they experienced unwanted sexual advances.
- “Sexual Harassment Training Isn’t Just a Waste of Time: It’s Harmful”
Rape
Comstock’s IWF friends congratulate themselves for having the courage to defend rape culture.
According to one IWF article, it’s a real problem that people are always believing refugees and women of color when they report their rapes.
“Blame whatever it is on the white man and, in cases of rape, always believe the woman over the man.”
Men who attend college should be very careful, as that is one of the most common places to be falsely accused of rape.
“There are clearly some women out there who are deeply confused about what it means to be raped, and they are, in many cases, being misled by the adults around them.”
IWF is also very worried that attempts to curb campus rape will lead to an increase in male suicide.
“University efforts to combat campus rape are causing boys to die by suicide, IWF worries.”
More highlights from the IWF twitter feed:
- “Federal agencies can’t agree on what #rape is”
- “Sometimes, women lie about rape”
- “Euro-Feminists In Meltdown Over Immigrant Rape”
Violence Against Women
The IWF opposed the Violence Against Women Act because it “single[d] out select victim groups for special protection.”
According to the IWF it’s women that are causing all of the violence:
“… wives instigate violence, including severe violence, against husbands more often than husbands do against wives.”
Coeducation
With all of their victim blaming, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that IWF feels the best policy is to keep women away from men.
- IWF spent $50,000 on an amicus brief arguing that Virginia Military Institute (VMI) should remain all male
- IWF also wrote an amicus brief opposing the enforcement of Title IX
Equal pay
By now you’ve probably guessed the IWF’s position on equal pay. IWF opposed the Paycheck Fairness Act arguing that women were already protected enough by current law.
“If a woman is truly the victim of wage discrimination, she already has the ability to sue.”
The IWF is also worried about the unintended consequences of equal pay for women.
“IWF Executive Director Sabrina Schaeffer said the Paycheck Fairness Act could backfire because it has the potential to increase the cost of employing women.”
Barbara Comstock and IWF
Barbara Comstock is a long time member of IWF and she remains actively involved with the organization to this very day.
- Comstock has been a member of IWF since at least 1998 – most likely years earlier – since her good friend Barbara Olson was a founding member.
- She was a paid consultant and provided legal strategy
- She spoke an IWF meeting in February 2015
- Comstock was the guest of honor at an IWF award ceremony where she received the 2015 Woman of Valor award
- She is on record as saying “The best women are always at IWF events”
- Attended IWF events as recently as March of 2017
Of course with all things Comstock, there’s always a money connection. She has received at least one donation from IWF as well as several individual contributions from prominent IWF members.
Heather Higgins – Chairman, IWF Board of Directors
Kurt Pfotenhauer – husband of former IWF President and CEO Nancy Pfotenhauer
Randy Kendrick – IWF board member
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