A Louisiana state legislator smashed her fellow lawmaker’s birthday cake, also complaining on Twitter that the bikini theme was sexist and offensive.
The controversy began Friday, when Rep. Mark Abraham received a cake from his colleague, Rep. Jack McFarland, which depicted a bikini-clad torso with a purple unicorn tattoo on the hip. “Happy Birthday, Mark Abraham,” a sign accompanying the cake read. “He likes his cake and eats it too!!!”
NOT appropriate!Stand with @TeamKCP and @HelenaMorenoLA who are standing up for us no matter the # of cakes.Note candles. #itsnojoke #laleg pic.twitter.com/TUxiCWK1An
— Jennifer Greene (@JJGreene03) November 19, 2016
Sen. Karen Carter Peterson spotted the cake, made by Rep. McFarland’s wife, in the legislature’s anteroom. She reportedly began yelling profanities at Abraham, then destroyed the cake by smashing the sign into the middle of it.
Peterson said on Twitter that a staffer had told her the birthday boy also had a second cake that looked like a vagina — a claim that both Abraham and McFarland denied.
“When I told her there was no second cake, she said, ‘You’re a liar,’ and I said, ‘You’re a liar,” McFarland told the Advertiser.
The LA St Cap not a "locker room"! If folks want to celebrate bdays like this, don't do it here! #offensive #lalege pic.twitter.com/WSkF3YyLn9
— KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) November 18, 2016
Exactly! I arrived at Jt budget meeting to find this. Just crazy. How many ppl had seen and just walked by it…#lalege is not a lockeroom! https://t.co/bHAxk1e41m
— KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) November 18, 2016
It is a BIG deal! This can't be normalized…it's offensive and shldnt be tolerated. #allege is not going to condone this foolishness! https://t.co/QxXoas72FO
— KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) November 18, 2016
Women should not be afraid to call out offensive behavior when we experience it! https://t.co/HAFOl9616q
— KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) November 18, 2016
Exactly!
Waiting for any member to denounce….don't hold your breath! #lalege https://t.co/KU80337P9t— KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) November 18, 2016
Rep. Helena Moreno also denounced the cake.
This isn't ok at any workplace and certainly not at the LA state Capitol. #itsnojoke #lalege https://t.co/3zNcz23Bei
— Helena Moreno (@HelenaMorenoLA) November 19, 2016
The cake — and lawmakers’ strong reaction to it — was the subject of much debate on social media.
If you want to eat a cake shaped like a beheaded woman in a bikini please don't bring it to the office where you decide how the state runs
— Kaitlin Marone (@immerspaetlin) November 18, 2016
@abc13houston did I miss the point to the bikini cake story? This was offensive? Pls stop being offended so easily!! News? That's not news!
— Kevin Page (@kelvinpeg67) November 20, 2016
@meganromer Can be viewed as overreaction, but why sexualize a cake in work place? Happy B-day is sufficient. Bikini is for pvt party
— JPG (@jamiepgomez) November 19, 2016
@TeamKCP You need to lighten up you clearly can't take a joke it was just bikini cake. You need to get a life clearly don't know what
— Ben Bruex (@Buffy619) November 20, 2016
@VoteMarone @theadvocatebr I see this less as "bikini cake" and more like "headless limbless torso cake," is that just me?
— Alison Fensterstock (@AlisonF_NOLA) November 19, 2016
Old, white men in government find nothing wrong with bikini cake in Louisiana State Capitol: https://t.co/eCImneVWbn
— Adam Salsman (@asalsman) November 21, 2016
