Men, women teach columnist a lesson for ‘sexist’ Hurricane Harvey tweet

A photo tweeted in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey was given a sexist colour by a Twitter user, instigating a debate on gender roles.

A photo of the devastation Hurricane Harvey unleashed and the rescue operations that followed was given a sexist colour by a Twitter user, instigating a debate on gender roles.

“Woman cradles and protects child. Man carries and protects both. This is how it ought to be, despite what your gender studies professor says,” read the caption. (@MattWalshBlog on Twitter)

Matt Walsh tweeted an Associated Press picture of a police officer Daryl Hudeck carrying Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded by floodwaters in Houston, Texa.

“Woman cradles and protects child. Man carries and protects both. This is how it ought to be, despite what your gender studies professor says,” said Walsh, who describes himself as a columnist, writer, speaker and father of three, about the photo.

That Walsh chose to portray an “act of kindness” as a man, woman issue immediately drew criticism and ire.

@MattWalshBlog tweet:

The Associated Press photo has been shared 10,000 times:

One user pointed out that there were several female emergency relief workers.

Hurricane Harvey that has claimed at least 35 lives and affected 32,000 people slammed into the Texas coast on August 25. With winds up to 130 miles per hour, it is the most powerful storm in over a decade to hit the mainland United States.