Dem Aftyn Behn reflects on gender roles in resurfaced audio: ‘I don’t want children, I want power’

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn is facing intensified scrutiny after a resurfaced audio clip captured her describing recurring dreams in which she screamed, “I don’t want children. I want power!”

The comments, tied to her therapy sessions and reflections on advice from her mother, were posted online on Monday, November 24, and have sparked significant backlash just days before Tennessee’s 7th District special election.

Behn, who currently serves as a Tennessee state representative, is running against Republican Matt Van Epps in the special election scheduled for next week.   

Aftyn Behn challenges Southern norms on motherhood, success, and power 

In the audio recording, Behn recounts her therapist’s directive to transcribe her dreams. She explains that she repeatedly dreams of standing in a cafeteria full of women and declaring, “‘I don’t want children. I want power!’ And just screaming it at the top of my lungs.”

Behn connects the dream to guidance she received growing up, saying her mother urged her not to have children so she could avoid the professional sacrifices often associated with motherhood. She then expands her commentary into a broader critique of the societal expectations placed on women, especially in the southern United States.

According to Behn, the political world has failed to meet the needs of working mothers. She argues that women who choose to marry and raise families often find themselves navigating “deeply patriarchal structures,” which she says shape career opportunities, political participation, and perceptions of success.

Behn adds that in many Southern communities, traditional benchmarks such as family size, home size, and children’s schooling are often used to measure a woman’s achievements.

“I think in the South, it’s incredibly difficult to shake those [patriarchal structures], especially if you’ve grown up here and that all you’ve been told is the definition of success, the metrics of success is how many kids you have, the bigger the square footage of your house, and where your kids go to school,” Behn said.

Critics argue her phrasing alienates voters who prioritize family values, while supporters contend she is highlighting real systemic hurdles faced by working women.  

Viral Nashville rant deepens backlash against Aftyn Behn’s campaign image

The dream-related audio follows another viral clip from last week in which Behn expressed disdain for parts of Nashville, the city she is campaigning to represent.

In that recording, she said: “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it.”

 After widespread criticism, Behn clarified that she had been venting frustration about the overwhelming tourism that has reshaped Nashville in recent years. However, political opponents have seized on the remarks as evidence that she is out of touch with local culture.

With the race intensifying, the resurfaced audio clips have placed her campaign under added pressure at a pivotal moment.