Unequivocally Feminist Except When He's Masculinist

"I issue this statement reluctantly, in response to mounting media pressure to confirm that I was the reporter who was the subject of the Open Eyes editorial, published in the Creston Valley Advance in August of 2000."
"The incident referred to in the editorial did occur, as reported. Mr. Trudeau did apologize the next day. I did not pursue the incident at the time and will not be pursuing the incident further. I have had no subsequent contact with Mr. Trudeau, before or after he became Prime Minister."
"The debate, if it continues, will continue without my involvement."
Rose Knight, former journalist, reporter for Creston Valley Advance, B.C.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he does not believe he acted inappropriately towards a female reporter some two decades ago. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

"Over the past weeks, since this news resurfaced, I've been reflecting, we've all been reflecting, on past behaviours. "
"And as I've said, I'm confident I didn't act inappropriately, but I think the essence of this is people can experience interactions differently and part of the lesson we need to learn in this moment of collective awakening ... people in many cases, women, experience interactions in professional contexts and other contexts differently than men."
"I apologized in the moment because I had obviously perceived that she had experienced it in a different way than I acted or I experienced it."
"Again, I've been reflecting on the actual interaction and if I apologized later, then it would be because I sensed that she was not entirely comfortable with the interaction that we had."
"Like I said, I've been working very hard to try and piece it together, and even when the original editorial came out at the time I was fairly confident, I was very confident, that I hadn't acted in a way that I felt was in any way inappropriate."
"I think people understand that every situation is different and we have to reflect and take seriously every situation on a case-by-case basis. That's exactly what we're endeavouring to do." 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Ah, youthful indiscretions! On the other hand, growing up with privilege and entitlement can blind one to the fact that sensitivity to others and adherence to good social manners are traits that by age 28 should be the norm. Justin Trudeau speaks endlessly of his sensibilities as a 'feminist' his empathy for women's trials and tribulations as female in a male-centric and -dominated world. He is adamant that women must always be believed irrespective of how long ago they suffered transgressions upon their physical sovereignty.  

And he has repeatedly, quickly and without second thought or consideration to circumstances, much less a hearing for the accused's 'side of the story', dismissed members of his Liberal caucus at the slightest hint of sexual impropriety forced on women. On this occasion, however, he is able to rationalize that men and women view such matters from polarized perspectives. The woman may be affronted by a man's overture, while the man may be of the opinion -- in fact convinced -- he did nothing wrong.

Trudeau falls into the latter camp, believing that what he was accused of -- groping -- was misinterpreted, because this is what the woman involved believed happened, while he knows it did not. He apologized because he sensed that his inappropriate -- whatever it happened to be -- benign gesture, physical touching, had offended her. He apologized for leaving her with the impression that he had done something, which he had most definitely not, and not for groping her. Byzantine reasoning otherwise known as mental squirming.

He cannot deny that he apologized since in that editorial condemning his churlishly rude behaviour citing his very words: had he known she was a journalist writing for a national paper he would never have been so 'forward'. A strange apology by anyone's standard of appropriate accountability. Physically accosting her would have been quite permissible in other words if she hadn't been reporting for a news agency whose readership was wide and impressionable.

And he certainly wouldn't want to leave the impression that he is a political mountebank.

As prime minister and as Liberal Party leader before that, he felt it appropriate to subject those whom he denounced for their sexually inappropriate behaviour to women, to an independent investigation. Any time Justin Trudeau has been investigated for inappropriate behaviour unbecoming his position he has been found wanting. In this particular instance as well, he has been revealed once again to be a virtue-signalling empty vessel otherwise known as a hypocrite.