Robyn Ingraham Facebook

Local activist shows support for N.S. election candidate ousted over ‘boudoir photos’

Jul 23, 2021 | 6:54 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A former Nova Scotia Liberal candidate, Robyn Ingraham, posted a statement to Instagram saying that she was allegedly forced to withdraw her candidacy over boudoir photos.

“I explained that I love to show off the artwork on my skin, and I have no problem taking boudoir photos alone and with my friends. I’ve used multiple platforms to express myself online, some including Instagram, Tumblr and OnlyFans,” read the statement.

Ingraham claims that she was upfront about her boudoir photos and Onlyfans account and it was only after she was accepted as a candidate that the party allegedly told her to step down and to blame it on her mental health.

“There is always that sense that women’s sexuality must be controlled so an implication of sexuality is immediately going to disqualify a woman because she is automatically going to be considered not as serious,” said Co-Founder of Inspiring Women Among Us, Dr. Annie Booth.

Here in Prince George former Green Party candidate, Mackenzie Kerr, came to Ingraham’s defense by tweeting out her own boudoir photos.

“We are still not there as a society, that’s why I decided to post them. We are never going to progress as a society if we don’t talk about it and we continue to hide it as we have been told since we were young girls. We have been told that we can’t do these things if we want to look professional,” said Kerr.

Women continue to face a double standard when it comes to what they are allowed to do and how they are allowed to look versus men.

“The Premier of Nova Scotia had a DUI and there was a male cabinet MP in the Parliament that was seen nude on zoom and he didn’t lose his job. She was a candidate and she wasn’t allowed to run even though she was forward about her past,” continued Kerr.

Booth added that women will always be judged more harshly.

“You see a number of male politicians, look at the USA’s former President who was accused of rape and harassment and many of their careers survive and just get the ‘boys will be boys’,” continued Booth.

Kerr says that this should not deter the next generation of women from seeking a political career and in fact, push them harder to make a change within the workplace.

“We need more people like that in office, not the opposite. I hope we are changing things by speaking up about them. Making sure we are putting those things out there and saying this does not determine my professionalism,” added Kerr.

Ingraham’s statement has been shared thousands of times online and she hasn’t made any further comment.