https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/12/01/paul-ryan-and-harvey-weinstein-are-both-fathers-of-daughters/
I was actually listening to NPR when they were interviewing Paul Ryan on the issue of sexual harassment, and I distinctly remember him saying the part mentioned in the article, "I want my daughter to grow up in a country — she’s 15 years old — where she is empowered and respected." This was the entirety of his argument against sexual misconduct. I also remember that while Ryan did go on to explicitly criticize Roy Moore, he then dodged questions about whether President Trump should be held to the same standards as members of Congress.
While there is nothing wrong with citing concerns for one's daughters in the context of sexual harassment, I think Danya Ruttenberg does a good job of highlighting the potential pitfalls of using this as a central argument. Specifically, she states:
There’s a widespread cultural trope underlying the language of “as the father of daughters,” and the reason the phrase is so easy to reach for as a metaphor also gives away the problems with it. It’s the dad coming to meet his daughter’s date with a shotgun. [...] Fathers, here, are protectors. Of their daughters. Of their honor.The comments section is equally interesting. I'm curious if others have thoughts on the topic!
Of, ultimately, their virginity.
This is really interesting, and I agree that this is a common appeal made by fathers and even brothers. This conversation made me think about my own family. When I came out, both of my parents learned a lot about LGBTQ issues and advanced their understanding of liberal politics more broadly. I think that family dynamics such as this can provide a good incentive for education, but I do agree that the welfare of your children is not the only reason to support feminism, queer rights, etc.
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