Former N.S. Liberal candidate says she was dropped because of 'boudoir photos'
A woman who was briefly a Liberal candidate in the Nova Scotia election says the party asked her to lie about why she dropped out and cite mental health concerns.
Robyn Ingraham said Wednesday in a social media post the real reason she was dropped in the riding of Dartmouth South was because of revealing photos she had posted in the past -- photos she said she had disclosed to the party.
"During the application process I was very open about my story and my time in front of photographers' lenses," she wrote, noting that she has used multiple platforms to express herself online, including the OnlyFans subscription service. "I explained that I love to show off the artwork on my skin, and I have no problem taking boudoir photos alone and with friends."
Ingraham said she had explained to a number of people in the party when she applied that if her photos became public, "there would be a teachable moment for the community and province."
She said she heard from the party Friday night -- the eve of the election call -- that the photos had become public, adding that the next morning she was told she was being dropped as a candidate. She said she was asked to blame her mental illness as the reason for exiting the campaign.
Ingraham announced Saturday she would not be running, citing "the time commitment and intensity of a campaign and the impact it will have on my mental health."
But in her social media post Wednesday, Ingraham said she didn't want to leave that impression with the public. "After sitting with the fact that I let myself and those around me down by hiding behind my mental illness to save something bigger than I -- I was furious," she wrote.
Ingraham, a barber and small business owner, also published an email she said she sent to Liberal Leader Iain Rankin, saying the party had made a mistake by forcing her out. "The misogynistic behaviour of those above you is not tolerable. It's not my job to make old white men comfortable," she wrote.
"Once again, I have every right to use 'my' body for whatever I want. That includes taking photos and selling them online if I see fit. The faster this government acknowledges and protects us humans, the sooner they will have the support from the province as a whole."
Rankin, who was campaigning in Sydney, N.S., on Thursday, said he wants to talk to Ingraham before commenting on her allegations.
"I have tried three times to connect with her, and left another voice mail this morning. Respectfully, I think the right thing to do is to wait for that conversation to take place before addressing the issue further," Rankin said in an emailed statement.
"What I can say is that the Nova Scotia Liberal party embraces people from all backgrounds, and I think you can see that, with almost 40 per cent women on our slate of candidates. I'm going to continue to advocate for equity and diversity and finding candidates from marginalized communities, different backgrounds and life experiences."
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston said Thursday he sees a disturbing pattern emerging, linking Ingraham's case to the resignation last month of former Liberal cabinet minister Margaret Miller.
"When you couple the comments from Margaret Miller, who had all kinds of concerns about misogynistic behaviour in the premier's office ... there's a pattern there that people should be concerned about," he said. Miller did not give a specific reason for leaving but said at the time her decision "does not reflect on my feelings for the party or my hardworking colleagues."
New Democrat Leader Gary Burrill said his party is committed to ensuring women and gender-diverse candidates are a central part of politics in the province.
"Considering the climate of misogynistic attacks on women candidates, it is incumbent on political parties to stand up for anyone facing attacks to ensure more people from a diversity of backgrounds are able to successfully run for office," Burrill said in an email Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.