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Ocasio-Cortez condemns Yoho for verbal abuse

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gives a speech rejecting Ted Yoho’s apology after he denied using a sexist slur against her.

US Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back on Thursday against a Republican congressman who reportedly used a sexist slur against her, saying that she was taking a stand for all women to declare his behaviour is “not acceptable”.

“What I believe is that having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an impassioned speech on the House floor.

“Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man. And when a decent man messes up, as we all are bound to do, he tries his best and does apologise, not to save face, not to win a vote. He apologises genuinely to repair and acknowledge the harm done so that we can all move on.”

Ocasio-Cortez was joined by fellow Democratic lawmakers, many of them women, who relayed their experiences to colleagues in which they were demeaned.

Ocasio-Cortez recounted the confrontation in her speech and said she was “minding my own business” when Ted Yoho approached her and called her “disgusting”, “crazy”, “out of my mind” and “dangerous”.

Repeating his words, Ocasio-Cortez said she is no stranger to being the target of “dehumanising language”, and said his behaviour further demonstrates there is a “pattern of an attitude toward women and dehumanisation of others”.

This video was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Hassan Ghani.