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Read the press release here.

Brooklyn Pol Cancels Controversial 'Women's Business Event'

A photo submitted to the website City & State shows the offending flier.
A photo submitted to the website City & State shows the offending flier.
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cityandstateny.com

BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn politician's push to teach women the ladylike arts of "Posture, Deportment and the Feminine Presence" has fallen flat on its face.

State Sen. Marty Golden has pulled the plug on the controversial program he was offering as a way to help out-of-work women land jobs, his spokesman said Tuesday.

"Each year, Sen. Golden holds several well received events to provide options to his constituents for personal and business development," spokesman John Quaglione said. "Our upcoming event, which we have chosen not to hold, is similar to ones being organized by other elected officials, as well as classes conducted in local high schools."

The event was first reported by City & State New York, which posted a photo of the taxpayer-funded publicity flier that had been submitted by an offended reader. It touted a program that, according to Golden's website, would teach women to "sit, stand and walk like a model."

The event announcement has since been taken down from Golden's website, but not before sparking a firestorm. 

Facebook event popped up announcing a protest of the event and state Sen. Liz Kreuger, a Manhattan Democrat, decried it as being akin to teaching women to walk around with a book on their heads.

"I have to say, I think that Marty Golden is completely out of touch with the reality for women in the 21st century," Krueger said.

Julie Kirshner, president of the Brooklyn-Queens chapter of the National Organization for Women, called it "ridiculous."

"You'd think there would be someone in his campaign who'd understand or realize that this would be embarrassing, and apparently there isn't," Kirshner said.

The event was to be held at the Bay Ridge Manor, which is run by Golden's brother and wife,  according to state records.