Okay, everyone, let’s get one thing out of the way before you read this: if you are planning on commenting on this post about Donald Trump saving this nation and how Hillary Clinton should be behind bars, stop reading now and for the love of God, please don’t comment.
If you follow me on social media, then you know that I definitely would consider myself a liberal, I was a huge Bernie Sanders supporter, and now I’m very obviously voting for Hillary Clinton. My vote was decided before this 11 year old video was released. My vote was decided before Trump’s running mate and “fellow” Republicans began pulling support from him. So, let’s just take politics out of this entire scenario and talk about “locker room” talk.
Maybe it’s because I’m a girl and I’ve never been in a men’s locker room to hear what “someone” is saying is apparently quite common. However, I can tell you that I know plenty of guys who play(ed) sports and even they have announced (and/or told me) that these types of things are NOT said in locker rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are some pretty vulgar things said, but the ideal of forcing oneself upon a female is NEVER discussed.
I guess my definition of “locker room” talk is guys saying things like, “Oh, she has a nice rack,” or “Dang, she’s hot.” I just never would’ve thought that something like, “…oh, I’d grab her by the p****,” would be something that guys would talk about. Maybe I’m wrong, but forcing one’s self upon a female is not something that most people would brag about.
For those of you who are going to want to chime in on the comments section and say, “Oh, boys will by boys. They don’t actually mean that,” YOU are part of the problem. We live in a society where a simple “no” from a girl isn’t enough for a male to quit his advances. A girl saying, “I have a boyfriend” is taken more seriously than a girl simply denying a man’s advance. We live in a world where objectifying women isn’t looked down upon because it’s become NORMAL is this society. How sad is that? I don’t go a single day without hearing some sexist comment said about another woman, but I don’t even react. Most women don’t. We live in a world where women are “equal,” but don’t have the same basic rights as men.
Did you know that women still make 80 cents to every man’s dollar? Did you know that women only make up for 4.2% of CEO positions in the United States? Did you know that women only make up about 20% of Congress? And sadly, women are 4x more likely to experience sexual assault and domestic violence than men.
Let me rephrase and repeat if you didn’t understand the first time: Every 1 in 4 women will experience sexual assault at some point in their lives. Think about that. Your sisters, mothers, grandmothers, wives, friends; some of them will more than likely face unwanted sexual contact (if they haven’t already).
So, no, Donald Trump. I don’t accept your apology. I don’t accept the fact that what you said is just “locker room” talk. I refuse to let you throw away that comment like it’s nothing. The fact that you think that your statement is socially acceptable in a locker room is just as disgusting as you saying it an office. And let me also point out that YOU WERE NOT IN A LOCKER ROOM. You were in a public place, surrounded by people and cameras, about to be taped about your appearance on a soap opera. What went through your mind that day when you decided bragging about trying to force yourself upon a woman was okay?
I refuse to let women (and people ) continue to think that it’s okay to make derogatory statements about women simply because it’s normal and you know that women won’t do anything about it. That’s where this ends. I am standing up. I refuse to let my gender define me. I will not stand for people talking down to me simply because I’m a female.
I cannot support someone who condones objectifying women in a disgusting way. I cannot support someone who thinks that it’s okay to say things solely because he’s a man. And can I just say:
THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USING DIRTY WORDS AND GLORIFYING NONCONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTACT.
I am done being treated like an object. I am over “boys being boys.” But most of all, I’m tired of rape being the center of jokes. I’m tired of girls accepting unwanted advances in fear of what men might do.
How about we destroy the idea that men should respect women because we are “their” daughters, mothers, and sisters. How about we reinforce the idea that men should just respect women.
Women are people, too.
DISCLAIMER: I do not think that all men force themselves upon women. I also recognize that men do have discriminatory things said about them AND that they are victims of sexual assault as well. This article is not meant to be a political stance against Donald Trump, it is meant to focus solely on this latest “mishap.”
Chapter Thirteen 