US Vice President Mike Pence has been attacked in the media following publicity of his long-standing decision not to dine alone with a woman who is not his wife.
His stance, which he had previously made known 15 years ago, again came to public attention after it was mentioned in a profile of his wife, Karen, in The Washington Post.
Sections of the media have been quick to jump on the revelations, branding Pence a misogynist.
Billy Graham Rule
The article discussed at length the closeness of Pence and his wife, the strength of their marriage, and how supportive they are of one another.
Pence’s policy, known as the ‘Billy Graham Rule’, has been lauded by some, but criticised by others.
Feminist and author Jessica Valenti, writing for The Guardian, called it “old-school sexism”, and said: “The vice-president’s rule is insulting for men and limiting for women”.
She also branded it “an archaic take on gender roles” and that it is the kind of message “taught to teens in abstinence-only education classes”.
Laudable
Others accused Pence of having “weird hang-ups” and means he “cannot have a working relationship with any women”.
However, Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor for The Federalist, commended Pence’s approach to marital faithfulness.
She wrote: “he’s a smart man who understands that infidelity is something that threatens every marriage and must be guarded against”.
Hemingway also added that she has seen, both in her personal life, and in the media, countless marriages destroyed by infidelity, and that Pence’s position was laudable.
‘Strong marriage’
Pence originally spoke to The Hill, a US political newspaper, in 2002, after he became a congressman, to explain his position.
He said: “It’s about building a zone around your marriage”, adding that putting himself in certain situations could inadvertently send out the wrong message.
In response to a BBC enquiry, Pence’s press office stated: “He set a standard to ensure a strong marriage when he first came to DC as a congressman, clearly that worked.”