GOP Boss Apologizes to Luxenberg, Who Cites a 'Teachable Moment'

MANCHESTER, CT — The head of the local Republican Town Committee has apologized to state Rep. Kelly Luxenberg over a letter interpreted by his counterparts to be insensitive toward women.

Meanwhile, Luxenberg said she is "taking the high road" and using the incident as "a teachable moment."

"My October 24th Letter to the Editor in the Journal Inquirer was intended to help people understand the serious need for change in Connecticut this November," Manchester Republican Town Committee Chairman John Deeb wrote in an e-mail to Luxenberg. "In it, I support both male and female candidates for office. Unfortunately, it has been brought to my attention that my comments regarding your candidacy may have been interpreted as sexist toward women. That was not my intention and I sincerely apologize for any such interpretation. I regret my choice of words and wish to apologize to you personally and anyone else who may have been offended. I do look forward to a fair and democratic process between now and Election Day."

The apology came at 2:22 p.m. Wednesday, about 90 minutes before Luxenberg. a Democrat running for re-election, hosted a rally on the steps of Cheney Hall in response to the letter.

"We wanted to show the double-standard, she said. "But I want to use it as a teachable moment to show people that is is not OK to treat women that way."

In the letter to the editor, Deeb implied Luxenberg, a first-term state House member, should not be re-elected so she, "would be able to stay home with her family."

That triggered an animated response from Democratic Town Committee Chairman Mike Pohl, who said the letter's remarks were "sexist" and "out of touch."

Luxenberg spoke briefly at the rally, attended by about 60 people, including Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

"While it may have been printed about me publicly, this is the kind of bias that women experience every single day that has somehow become acceptable once again in 2016," she said. "Women are told, 'You're pushy ... you're passive ... you’re too loud ... you’re too quiet ... you’re too warm ... you're too cold ... you’re too pretty or too plain ... you have too many children ... you don’t have enough.

"This was about all of us – not just women, but men too – it was about being told what we need to do or where we need to be, not based on our character, qualifications, or merit, but based on a sexist stereotype.

"We need to send a strong message to our sons and daughters that anyone can do anything and everything, that we need equal pay for equal work, that we need the same educational and job opportunities, that having children or not having children does not define a woman, that paid family leave is an issue for everyone, that education is the greatest equalizer of our time, and that our futures need to be valued.

"These are the things that I will continue to lead the charge on in Hartford – for every single one of us because a woman’s place is in the House, the Senate, and wherever wechoose to serve the people of Connecticut .

Photo Courtesy of Kelly Luxenberg for State Rep