The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday accused the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) of “sexualizing and objectifying” female flight attendants with a dance routine at a campaign event for party chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Sunday.
The union said in a statement that the flight attendant outfits worn by the dancers — dubbed “the stewardess support team” by organizers — increased the risk of sexual harassment for female cabin crew.
It called on Ko and TPP Taipei City Councilor Chang Chih-hau (張志豪), a former pilot who helped arrange the performance, to apologize for the dance, which it said compounded the difficulties and sexism faced by female flight attendants.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The union said that airlines made the sexualization and objectification of female flight attendants “a selling point” by forcing cabin crew to wear impractical and tight-fitting uniforms that are designed to be revealing.
Former union secretary-general Liu Chia-wei (林佳瑋) said the performance left her “heartbroken.”
Chang said that the TPP had never sought to objectify women, pointing the finger at the organizers of Sunday’s rally, saying they should be responsible for explaining the dancers’ outfits.
TPP spokeswoman Lin Tzu-yu (林子宇) said her party respects all vocations, as well as the professional judgement of the dancers involved in the performance.
Ko’s campaign spokeswoman, Chen Chih-han (陳智菡), said the performers were part of a professional dance troupe that chose the outfits based on the theme of the performance.
“There was no intention whatsoever of disrespecting or objectifying any profession,” she added.
People these days are seeking to find fault with Ko at every turn, she said, asking whether the troupe would also be accused of disrespecting Japanese or Koreans if they wore kimonos or hanbok.
“No organization or person has the right to demand an apology for exhibiting one’s bodily autonomy,” she added.
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