While
there have been enough derogatory statements made throughout this election
season to create an entire book series, I would like to hone in on one in
particular. Recently, a video recording of
our potential next President, Donald Trump, was released in which he repeatedly
demeans women’s bodies and exerts his perceived
entitlement to any woman’s body (Fahrenthold, 2016). Of course, his recent comments are beyond
disturbing but hearing a notorious misogynist
(Cohen, 2016; Bahadur, 2016; Bloom, 2016; Graves, 2016; Mak &
Zadrozny, Mindock, 2016; 2015; Nelson, 2016) speak as though he is entitled to
any woman’s body was far from surprising.
The
statement I would like to focus on is, “locker-room
talk” (Jenkins, 2016). Upon the public
release of this disturbing recording, Donald Trump did not admit to any
wrong-doing, did not genuinely apologize for his vulgar statements, but instead
attempted to take down every man with him.
At that moment, Donald Trump did much more than confirm what we all
already knew about him; he elicited significant and powerful reactions, and
gave us the opportunity to respond. On
one hand, this incident has been a wonderful opportunity for men, particularly
athletes and feminists, to stand up against rape culture and overtly express
support for their mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and friends. On the other hand, this deplorable attempt at
an excuse has also given men the opportunity to admit they too, perpetuate the
very rape culture that has undoubtedly impacted their mothers, daughters,
sisters, wives and friends. Let me be
clear: Trump was discussing acts which constitute as sexual assault, discussing
sexually assaulting women is not “locker-room talk,” it is not to be dismissed
as “boys will be boys,” it is not an indication of power, and it is so far from
anything we, as a society, should accept from anyone, let alone someone who may
be handed a wealth of power. This
hateful and derogatory speech, which promotes violence against women and girls,
could only possibly be produced by an emotionally impaired and deeply insecure
being. As Michelle Obama recently so
gracefully put it, “strong men don't need to put down women to make themselves
feel powerful” (Cillizza, 2016). In
addition to being insulted as a woman, I feel as though the good men in my life
have been insulted as well. By eluding
to the idea that this is how men speak with each other, Donald Trump is
accusing all men of being as emotionally impaired and as deeply insecure as he.
Donald
Trump has made an effort to divide groups of American’s, and we are being given the opportunity to either fall
victim to his attempts or stand up against his attempts. I invite you to use this opportunity to learn
more about those you surround yourself with and use your personal experiences
to teach. Get curious, ask uncomfortable
questions, make this personal, and use the opportunity to empower not only
yourself but also those around you. When
someone claims it is acceptable to “grab (a woman) by the pussy,” clarify if
they are admitting they are okay with another man bragging about about sexually
assaulting their mother, wife, or daughter.
Offer a new perspective, “can you please repeat your comment with your
mother, wife or young daughter in mind?”
Discuss rape culture and use the opportunity to educate, "these are
just words until your loved one becomes the one of the millions of women who
have been sexually assaulted” (RAINN, 2016).
While this incident is undoubtedly angering and upsetting, I truly
believe that we as feminists should be able to use our emotion in a productive
manner by engaging in civil, data-driven conversations regarding the
devastating impact that the perpetuation of rape culture has on all of us
humans. I encourage you to use this
opportunity we've been given to genuinely appreciate feminist men who object to
this behavior as well as the opportunity to learn more about, empower, and
influence those who feel the need to support rape culture. Conversation leads to action, let’s do what
we can to produce actions that lead to empowerment and equality rather than
fear and oppression.
References
Bloom, L. (2016). Why the new child rape case filed against Donald Trump should not be ignored. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/why-the-new-child-rape-ca_b_10619944.html
Cillizza, C. (2016). Michelle Obama’s speech on Donald Trump was remarkable. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/ 2016/10/13/michelle-obama-just-put-a-huge-and-emotional-exclamation-point-on-trumps-hot-mic-tape/
Cohen, C. (2016). Donald Trump sexism tracker: Every offensive comment in one place. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/donald-trump- sexism-tracker-every-offensive-comment-in-one-place/
Fahrenthold, D. A. (2016) Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html
Graves, L. (2016). Jill Harth speaks out about alleged groping by Donald Trump. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/20/donald-trump-sexual- assault-allegations-jill-harth-interview
Jenkins, S. (2016). Donald Trump’s idea of ‘locker room talk’ is as demeaning to men as it is to women. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/donald- trumps-idea-of-locker-room-talk-is-as-demeaning-to-men-as-it-is-to-women/ 2016/10/10/7e34718a-8eee-11e6-a6a3-d50061aa9fae_story.html
Mak, T. & Zadrozny, B. (2015). Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex. The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/27/ex-wife-donald-trump-made-feel-violated-during-sex.html
Mindock, C. (2016). Donald Trump accused of raping 13-year-old girl: Lawsuit from Casey Anthony attorney allowed in federal court. International Business Times. Retrieved by http://www.ibtimes.com/donald-trump-accused-raping-13-year-old-girl-lawsuit-casey- anthony-attorney-allowed-2430441
Nelson, L. (2016). Donald Trump's history of misogyny, sexism, and harassment: a comprehensive review. Vox. Retrieved from http://www.vox.com/2016/10/8/13110734/ donald-trump-leaked-audio-recording-billy-bush-sexism
Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). (2016). Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence
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