Is the CIA having its own #MeToo Moment? Gina Haspel on the Sexist Microaggressions she Suffered at the Hands of Waterboarded Prisoners

As a progressive, I often take issue with President Trump's lack of decorum and divisive rhetoric, however, I'm always willing to give credit where credit is due. Last week the president announced his decision to appoint Gina Haspel as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the only thing I can say is: It's. About. Time.

I applaud the president's decision to appoint a woman to head the CIA. While some "Bernie Bros" allege that Haspel oversaw a "torture" program in 2002, I think it's safe to say that these losers are really just afraid of a strong woman. Don't mansplain war crimes to me.

Despite widespread condemnation by mediocre white males, Gina Hasbel has proven that she is more than qualified to serve as director of the agency. Over the course of her trailblazing career what I found most impressive about her was her steadfast determination in the face of adversity as she oversaw a CIA black site.

After being assigned to the secret Thai prison code named "Cat's Eye," Haspel frequently struggled to prove herself in a hostile work enviroment made worse by the near daily sexist microaggressions she had to endure at the hands of the prisoners she waterboarded. In the "enhanced interrogation" sessions she administered, Haspel related that she suffered from Tone Policing. All too often, prisoners would call her "aggressive" and "shrill" when the very same behavior by male officers was given a pass. Time and again prisoners would call her a "bitch" during the torture sessions. When Haspel rightfully called them out on their sexist behavior, prisoners would gaslight her, an equally insidious microaggression on its own.

Indeed, the anachronistic workplace culture Haspel describes seems more like the 1950's setting of the hit television show "Mad Men" than the modern, professional environment one would expect in a CIA black site.

Time and again Haspel would remind prisoners about her preferred pronouns and time and again prisoners would callously misgender her as they begged for air. Despite the hostility she encountered #ShePersisted.

You go girl!

Finally, as Haspel is all too aware the wage gap is real. Despite her seniority, Haspel earned less for the same amount work as her male colleagues, receiving only 8 kilos of black tar heroin in comparison to the customary 10 kilos typically given to CIA officers as payment.

I applaud the incoming CIA director. While no doubt some sexist dinosaurs will criticize her for her role in destroying 97 interrogation video tapes, I must point out that she later denied that allegation #believeallwomen.

As the mother of two young girls, I am proud that there are strong women like Gina Haspel to look up to. Today my girls can know that if they work hard, they too can administer clandestine torture programs in defiance of international law.