Clementine Ford Has Apologised For Joking That The Coronavirus Isn’t Killing Men Fast Enough
by By Zac CrellinAussie writer Clementine Ford has apologised for a tweet in which she joked that the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t killing men “fast enough”.
She said the tweet, which has since been deleted, was a reference to the fact women are being disproportionately burdened with domestic and childcare duties during the pandemic
“I’m a big enough person to admit when I’ve misjudged something,” she wrote.
“I still stand 100% behind my fury at men exploiting women’s unpaid labour (exacerbated by the global pandemic), but I’ve reconsidered my flippancy in discussing it.”
Later in the thread, she added: “Regardless of what people want to think about me, I have no wish to compound harm and grief for anyone, nor be dismissive of the very real impact and fear a crisis like this presents.”
Ford was recently awarded an arts grant from the City of Melbourne to support artists and writers through the pandemic.
After the tweet, several high profile names including Derryn Hinch and Peter Ford slammed Ford and mentioned the grant.
On Monday, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp told the Herald Sun she’d asked the council to review the independent process which awarded Ford the grant.
“I found these comments offensive and distasteful and I agree with the sentiment of outrage expressed by many members of our community,” she said.
Ford ended her apology by making it clear she was not capitulating to the throngs of men who troll her every post.
“Anyway, this acknowledgement isn’t for the men who are looking for any reason to ignore patriarchal impact but for the people genuinely hurt by my words,” she wrote.
“I’m sincerely sorry, and I wish I had framed my argument in better terms and in a way that didn’t compound harm.”
Image: AAP