NH Republican Calls Women 'Vaginas' in Email

New Hampshire state Rep. Peter Hansen is in hot water for referring to women as "vaginas" in an email sent on the state legislature's internal listserv early this month, the Huffington Post reports. Following a colleague's speech on a "stand your ground" gun bill, Hansen offered the following critique via email:

• "What could possibly be missing from those factual tales of successful retreat in VT, Germany, and the bowels of Amsterdam? Why children and vagina's [sic] of course. While the tales relate the actions of a solitary male the outcome cannot relate to similar situations where children and women and mothers are the potential victims."

Hansen's colleagues have been happy to offer critiques of their own. "There is no excuse for anybody to use such disrespectful language—especially an elected official," state Republican chair Jennifer Horn said yesterday. "I strongly condemn his disrespectful and shameful remarks." Hansen has since apologized, sort of: "Can there be any doubt my comment is being misinterpreted and taken completely out of context? ... I apologize to those who took offense," he said in a statement. (This after he initially refused to budge, arguing, "if you find the noun vagina insulting or in some way offensive then perhaps a better exercise might be for you to re-examine your psyche.")