I have many issues with the Trump and the GOP. Currently my issue is with the notion that what was most recently revealed about his attitude towards women is “Just locker room talk”.
That’s bullshit, what he was talking about is sexual assault. I don’t give a damn about the graphic language he used. I have used that type of language as has Molly, now I have never used them in a locker room, and I will need to check with Molly but I am pretty sure that she hasn’t either.
It isn’t about swearing because Molly could out swear Trump in her sleep. It is about the abuse of power.
“Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
“Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
This is what wrong, even though he apologized it was for the language and not the lack of respect for consent. He doesn’t understand consent, he just takes what he wants because no one can touch him. This is a powerful message that many men all around the world believe is true and now that they have a role model who is being told by powerful and influential people that he didn’t do anything wrong.
This will do such harm in the future, so many will follow his lead and think they are doing no wrong. I can’t imagine why people who claim to be about values would support this. I can tell you that if we were to hear Molly’s son say anything along these lines he would know in no uncertain terms that his behavior was completely unacceptable.
Sadly since I don’t think any voice of reason will reach Trump or those who have condoned this behavior that is all that we can do. Stop it when we see it around us and encourage others not to speak like this, or think that it is Okay.
I hope that other will do the same.
Michael
I kind of agree, but I also kind think there’s a kind of truth to the ‘locker room’ thing. I don’t know if you saw my tweets this morning but I was watching a documentary about frat boys last night and what struck me about that was that they all claim to be ‘good guys,’ but away from the public eye, in the company of men only, their behaviour, and the way they talk about women, is horrific. This is what I think he meant by ‘locker room,’ – that there are still places where powerful, middle class white guys get together and talk about women in this way and justify the way they assault them. It’s not confined to the locker room – it’s happening in universities and workplaces all over the place. None of which excuses it, of course, but I think just dismissing the ‘locker room,’ thing, rather than examining it more closely, would be a mistake
Well considering the life I have had you would have thought I would have encountered it. But I almost never have. And I can’t imagine anything or any location that would make that kind of talk OK
Michael
It isn’t confined to the locker room, it’s the language I hear every single day. ‘Luckily’ most of the time they quieten down when there’s a woman within earshot, although I actually think that’s worse in a way. Whilst I don’t appreciate hearing it, it shows they know it’s wrong if they feel the need to censor themselves.
It’s the people who support his behavior and attitude that surprise me the most. A senator came out in support of Trump insisting that grabbing a woman by the pussy is NOT sexual assault, but entirely a man’s right and privilege to do so. This is the same senator who said that if women breast-fed in public, men had the right to pull on women’s nipples in public to “punish her”.
I’ve been on the receiving end of sexual harassment, molestation, sexual assault and rape since I was three years old. I’m now 65 and still getting it, just recently being told by a man that I didn’t know my place and he should be the one to show me what it was.
I am a sexual submissive, but I submit to whom I want, when I want, not by the demand of some entitled prick who doesn’t understand or believe in consent.
As more and more men come out and agree with Trump, (even sadder still, are the women who do), and feel that they now have a blanket permission slip to do whatever they want to women, whenever they want; reports of rape is just going to go up.. if any actually do report, and majority of women don’t, simply because of this attitude.
Trump has no respect for women, considers them good for only one thing. He fears women who have autonomy, intelligence and strength and tries to bully them to make them back down. Many other misogynists will start to follow his example.
His political campaign has already pushed progress backwards and I fear how badly it will get if he actually wins the election.