WARNING: This article contains a graphic cartoon depiction of sexual assault.
A controversial cartoon drawn by Halifax-based artist Bruce MacKinnon will be added to the United States Congressional Library, The Chronicle Herald reports.
The cartoon, which went viral during California professor Christine Blasey Ford's testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last month, depicts Lady Justice blindfolded and pinned down by Republican hands, her scales splayed out. Her mouth is covered by her political attacker β an explicit reference to Ford's claims of an alleged sexual assault by U.S. Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"I don't know a lot about (the Library) to tell you the truth, but it's an honour to be included. It's the last place I expected one of my cartoons to end up," MacKinnon told the Chronicle Herald.
"I guess it's something that they consider this cartoon as being worthy of being included there. I would think that most of what they put in the collection is American material. It's quite a stride for me."
The paper reports that Meg Metcalf, the librarian for women's, gender, and LGBTQ+ studies at the congressional library, nominated the cartoon for inclusion.
Since the cartoon was published on Sept. 29, it's generated both praise and criticism on social media.
MacKinnon defended the cartoon to The Washington Post, saying, "as a cartoonist, I deal in symbols, and Lady Justice is a powerful one."
He said that Republican members of the committee sought to "smother justice before it had a chance to be heard."
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MacKinnon has used Donald Trump's presidency to ruffle feathers several times. Earlier this year, he connected President Trump to Bill Cosby when the latter was found guilty of sexual assault.
And late last year, he depicted a robed Ku Klux Klan member tickling a writhing Trump.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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