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Haughton defiant over breast comment, says he meant no disrespect

Published:Monday | October 7, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Haughton ... "I’ve been in the Senate five months now and the only time I get aired is when I say something out of the box."

Embattled Opposition Senator Dr Andre Haughton took to the airwaves this morning defending the controversial comment he made in the Senate on Friday as legislators paused to recognise Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"I am a breast man, when asked, 'which part of the female you prefer' - breast, otherwise, the breast," he said in the Upper House.

Haughton was speaking after Senator Dr Saphire Longmore, a breast cancer survivor who has had a double mastectomy.

He said he sympathised with her and proceeded to tell the story about his aunt who died from breast cancer before his controversial comment.

Speaking this morning on Television Jamaica’s 'Smile Jamaica … It’s Morning Time', Haughton said there was nothing for which to apologise.

"Look at the hypocrisy, I spoke about the importance of modern medicine to cure breast cancer; my aunt, she died from breast cancer; I spoke about the importance of breastfeeding because my mother breastfed me, and all they got from it was the fact that I love breast and expect me to apologise for saying that I love breast!" he exclaimed.

Haughton also said, he often makes valuable contributions in the Senate on a range of social and economic issues but they are ignored by the media.

"The media is interested in nonsense some of the times," he said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Senator who is also a university lecturer, said, he did not intend to be disrespectful.

"I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I don’t know how comes my statement is being taken in a negative way when all I meant was positive," he said.

Then, he made another hit at the media's coverage of the Upper House.

"As a matter of fact, in the Senate, if you don’t say anything outrageous it don't come on the news," Haughton said. "I’ve been in the Senate five months now and the only time I get aired is when I say something out of the box."

Pressed by co-host Simone Clarke, Haughton said, however, he now understands people’s position that his personal preference may not have been relevant at the time of his Senate comment.

He said he never seeks to objectify women, belittle them or disrespect them in anyway.

Appearing later on the morning programme, psychologist and clinical sexologist Dr Karen Carpenter said Haughton should say sorry for the utterance.

"At the level of his education he ought to have been able to speak in a way that shows greater emotional intelligence," Carpenter said.

Haughton has been facing a social media backlash since his comment on Friday, but he has also been using his Twitter platform to reject the criticism.

IN HAUGHTON'S OWN WORDS:
"Many of you might think it’s uncharacteristic for a male to speak about breast cancer. Saphire, I share your pain and I sympathise with you on what you have been through. I had an aunt who died from breast cancer, my father’s sister, Aunty Mar. Maureen Haughton was diagnosed with breast cancer somewhere around 2013.  She did one operation and we thought she was safe and two years later it came back but she wasn’t lucky, she died. As a child growing up I always love breast, my mother always say I’m a breast man, even when I was one year and two months I was still drinking breast milk. I am a breast man, when asked, 'which part of the female you prefer' - breast, otherwise, the breast."

Now, give hope and save lives, that’s the theme of this breast cancer awareness month and I commend the efforts that have already been made by the Ministry of Health, by the government and other organisations but there is more work to be done,” Haughton said.

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