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On Beacon Hill, newly elected women are mistaken for legislative aides. Repeatedly
- Tram T. Nguyen
- Feb 1, 2019
- 1 min read
By Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe
Close your eyes and consider the words “state rep.”
Whose image springs to mind?
Tram T. Nguyen, a youthful-looking Vietnamese-American woman elected to the House in November, pointedly challenged that assumption on Twitter this week, when she recounted an exchange with a lobbyist who just couldn’t see her as a legislator.
“Lobbyist: ‘Are you Rep X’s aide?’ ” Nguyen wrote on Twitter.
“Me (in full suit): ‘No.’
“Lobbyist: ‘Are you Rep Y’s aide?’
“Me: ‘No. I’m Rep Nguyen.’
“Lobbyist: ‘Oh, you’re Rep Nguyen’s aide.’
“Me: ‘No! I’m the representative.’ ”
“This is why we need more women,” Nguyen wrote, specifically calling for more women of color in leadership positions.
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