Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to backlash regarding her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala.

On Wednesday (Sept. 15), Ocasio-Cortez addressed criticism she received for wearing a gown featuring the phrase "tax the rich" to the black-tie event this past Monday, Sept. 13.

"I thought about the criticism I'd get, but honestly I and my body have been so heavily and relentlessly policed from all corners politically since the moment I won my election that it's kind of become expected and normalized to me," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "The irony is that when women in power take the prospect of criticism to be to be cautious in their actions, they are then criticized for being ‘inauthentic’ and ‘too calculated.'"

She added that despite the criticism, many people are now having conversations about taxing the hyper-wealthy, and that she made her statement in front of people who openly lobby against taxation.

"Honestly our culture is deeply disdainful and unsupportive of women, especially women of color, and working class women (and LGBTQ/ immigrant/ etc) from the bottom up — whether it's lack of childcare support or especially reserving pillory for elected women and femme people," she continued. "The more intersections one has, the deeper the disdain."

Ocasio-Cortez explained that numerous elected officials attend the event to continue to allow the public to visit cultural institutions. She noted that anyone can visit The Met for a relatively low price and see the exact same costume exhibit as the Met Gala attendees.
@AOC Instagram Story
@AOC Instagram Story
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See AOC's apparently controversial gown, below.

Earlier this week, conservative group American Accountability Foundation wrote an ethics complaint regarding AOC's Met Gala attendance and dress. Despite the fact that the House allows members to accept free tickets to charity events, the group argued that the Met Gala is not public as the guest list is curated by a private company, Condé Nast.

New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who also attended, was not hit with an official complaint.

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