‘In what universe is this ok?’: Republican lawmakers criticised for bringing up Cardi B’s ‘backside’ in debate

Republican senators in Georgia received an online backlash for ‘sexist’ comments after mocking rapper Cardi B’s ‘backside’ during a debate on anaesthesia legislation

Male Republican lawmakers in Georgia received a social media backlash from female colleagues after publicly mocking rapper Cardi B’s “backside” during a debate on the state House floor.

On Monday Kasey Carpenter, spoke on a bill about anaesthesia legislation in which he said, to general laughter: “Is it not true that this bill will provide safety measures to ensure that Cardi B’s backside implants will be safe and ensure a lifetime of effectiveness?”

Lee Hawkins, chair of the house’s health and human services committee, replied: “You promised me you wouldn’t get into this booty bill thing. But yes, this provides protection for any type of procedure in an outpatient setting.”

Following the debate, multiple Democratic, female representatives in Georgia posted online about their male colleagues’ alleged history of “sexist” comments.

Kim Schofield, a Democratic state representative, tweeted that she was “appalled.”

A screen grab from a debate in Georgia’s House of Representatives on Monday in which two Republican lawmakers, Kasey Carpenter (left) and Lee Hawkins (right), referenced Cardi B’s “backside” (Georgia Statehouse live cam)

Ms Schofield added: “Women of the Georgia Legislature have endured multiple sexist public comments on the House floor. Today was the height of it. Rep. Kasey Carpenter asked about how a bill would affect @iamcardib implants on her backside. Not ok!”

Shelly Hutchinson, a Democrat representative and social worker, tweeted: “Women of the Georgia Legislature have endured multiple sexist public comments on the House floor.”

“In what universe is this ok?”, said Democratic representative Renitta Shannon.

Dr Jasmine Clark, another Georgian Democrat in the house, tweeted: “If fighting voter suppression and other bills wasn’t enough, we are also having to endure penis jokes, jokes about geriatric porn, and parliamentary inquiries about Cardi B’s butt. Y’all, I’m tired.”

Carpenter, who has not yet commented, is a restauranteur who was first elected in 2017. He has largely kept a low-profile, apart from sponsoring a bill that would allow undocumented, young immigrants to pay in-state tuition fees.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) wrote last year that women make up just 30-per-cent of the general assembly, although the state reportedly has the highest amount of female legislators in the South, according to figures from Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.

In the piece titled, ‘Georgia’s female legislators still face glass ceiling, current and former female lawmakers, spoke of being kept out of high-profile roles and male colleagues “squirming” if they brought in their children, or breastfed.