A Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) spokesperson on Sunday defended against accusations of objectification following criticism over sexualized flight attendant outfits worn by dancers at a campaign event.
The controversial dancers performed on Saturday at the inaugural event of a women’s campaign support group for TPP Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in Taipei.
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union in a statement condemned the “terrible objectification and sexualization” of flight attendants and demanded an apology from Ko and TPP Taipei City Councilor Chang Chih-hao (張志豪), a former pilot who organized the performance.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Less than a week before, the union had delivered a petition to the National Human Rights Commission calling for a ban on discriminatory dress code requirements for female flight attendants among Taiwan’s major airlines, which still mandate pencil skirts and enforce appearance rules.
Ko’s campaign spokeswoman Chen Chih-han (陳智菡) said that the performers were part of a professional dance troupe that chose the outfits based on the theme of the dance.
“There was no intention whatsoever of disrespecting or objectifying any profession,” she added.
People these days are finding fault with Ko at every turn, she said, asking whether the troupe would also be accused of disrespecting Japanese or Korean people if they wore kimonos or hanbok.
“No organization or individual has the right to demand an apology for exhibiting one’s bodily autonomy,” Chen added.
Chang also defended the performance, saying the organizers wanted to hold an event that showcases beauty.
“That’s a good thing,” he said. “There was no objectification of women. Everyone is reading too much into it.”
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