They don’t mention the hashtag, though.
CM Dwight Boykins
Houston city councilman and mayoral candidate Dwight Boykins is facing backlash for a recent incident in which he allegedly advised a group of students to “keep their legs closed,” among other comments that some attendees said made them feel uncomfortable.
The District D councilman’s remarks came Friday afternoon during a “youth advocacy summit,” where Boykins and Mayor Sylvester Turner separately addressed middle and high school students about getting civically engaged.
While talking to a roomful of teenagers, Boykins told the students to “keep their legs closed” and joked about dating one of them, according to accounts from multiple students.
In a statement issued Monday, Boykins said he was asked to offer the students “words of inspiration” and “help them understand the important role they play in our future.” He said he intended to “speak frankly about the pitfalls which I have seen derail the future of many of our youth, including teen pregnancy…an issue I have firsthand experience with in my own family.”
[…]
An invitation to Boykins, released to reporters Monday, shows he was invited to talk about his personal story, time as a council member and why he is running for office, while Turner was invited to hold an “intimate conversation” on mental health, criminal justice and other policy topics.
Many of the students were “eager to make a difference in the 2019 Mayoral election” and encouraged to volunteer on campaigns, the invitation reads.
In an audio recording of a segment of the event, a female student can be heard confronting Boykins about his comments.
“You’ve made some comments that have made me a little bit uncomfortable. You’ve joked about dating some of us,” the student said.
“Not dating you. I mean, that was an example,” Boykins interjected.
“You’ve pulled and singled out a few of the girls, you’ve told us to keep our legs closed,” the student continued, also alleging that Boykins “didn’t really answer” a question about gender equality.
Boykins responded by apologizing and insisting that he did not intend to make the group uncomfortable.
“That’s really important for me to know that you understand, it wasn’t personal,” Boykins said. “It was trying to warn you guys what’s out there.”
One female student described the room as being “tense, but people were afraid to say something.”
In a second statement Monday, Boykins said “a few seconds” of his talk “overshadowed my entire conversation which was meant to ensure that our youth have the best opportunity to succeed in life.”
See here for the background. There are a few new details but other than the second statement, which to me still sounds like weasel words, nothing substantial has happened since this first came out. But at least now more people are aware of this. KUHF has more.
Sounds like good advice to me. For all the talk of empowerment, who his going to pay here bills while a young, single mother as he was describing. He could have used more “acceptable “ language but his heart was in the right place.
No, he was creepy and inappropriate. Slut shaming 13 year old girls and asking to be their boyfriend is never ok.
I am with Jason. None of us were there anyway so we didn’t hear it. We do know he is running for Mayor. I think he should fly the Betsy Ross Flag at all of his events.
He specifically requested that his remarks not be recorded. He has “apologized “. He needs to resign, quit running for mayor, and stay away from minors.
Boykins is a perfect Narcissist. He is not self aware and not smart enough to know he unseated himself. City Hall and the City of Houston will be a better place as a result.