Republican grills Smithsonian official over 'crotch harness' exhibit

Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) asked Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig to explain a past LGBT exhibit with a “crotch harness” in a tense Wednesday hearing on Capitol Hill.

Miller chimed in with other GOP lawmakers criticizing the Smithsonian museums’ administration by displaying images of sexually explicit exhibits, including “Illegal to be You: Gay History Beyond Stonewall,” which closed in 2021. Hartig defended herself against accusations of liberal bias at the museums in light of a July 4 White House report calling for reform over alleged anti-American messaging in the Smithsonian’s exhibits and materials.