By now I'm sure you're all aware of what was said on the so called "Trump Tapes". And if somehow aren't, let me fill you in. About a week ago, a recording of presidential candidate Donald Trump was leaked, and let me tell you it is not pretty. The recording is a conversation from 2005 between Mr. Trump and Billy Bush, who at that point was still on Access Hollywood.
The problem arose, obviously, in what he actually said because during this conversation, Mr. Trump almost brags to Billy about how because he's famous, it's okay for him to sexually assault women. His exact words were, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” And to be fair, this by itself doesn't seem as bad, I do realize this. Yes, it is still sexual assault, but it is by not the worst thing he said that day. “And when you’re a star, they let you do it, you can do anything.”
Let me first say that, it does not matter who you are. You could be George Clooney, Drew Brees, you could be the President of the United States. Sexual assault, because what he's describing is sexual assault, is never okay and is always a crime. He could have stopped there, quit while he was behind, but no, it gets worse.
Because when Billy Bush said "Whatever you want," as a confirmation of Trump's previous statement about being able to do anything when you're famous, Trump responded, “Grab them by the p-ssy, you can do anything."
Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I don't particularly care that he said the p-word. That is not my issue here, and that is the wrong issue to focus on. I don't care that his terminology was crude, I care that he is telling another person how it is okay to sexually assault women because he's quote unquote a star. That is not an acceptable thing for anyone to say, especially someone who is now running for public office, the presidency to be exact.
Both Trump and some of his supporters have tried to excuse his words by calling them "locker room talk" and saying that its okay because every man speaks like this behind closed doors. I, and many other people, call bullshit on this.
As someone who was an athlete for about seven years, let me tell what locker room talk really is. Hint: it has nothing to do with sexual assault, or anything sexual. Locker room talk is complaining about how we aren't looking forward to playing a team because they're either really good or really bad. It's coach coming in and talking us up. For some people, it's prayer. And yes, I am but a mere woman and I cannot possibly speak for male athletes. So I'll let them speak for themselves.
These are all statements from professional athletes and coaches, denouncing Trump's words as most definitely not "locker room talk". And they aren't the only ones. Lebron James, Chris Kluwe, and many others have just flat out said that they do not talk about sexually assaulting women in their locker rooms.
The whole issue with even calling it "locker room talk", is that the name is meant as an excuse. Supporters are trying to excuse what he said, as "oh every guy talks like this, why are you so surprised when he's said all these other degrading things about women". And yes, Donald Trump has said some awful things concerning women, but that doesn't mean we don't get to be surprised about this. It's appalling, no matter how many other bad things he has said, and there have been many.
Calling it "locker room talk" just normalizes and encourages rape culture a little bit more. That's essentially what he and his supporters are doing, they're saying its a normal thing for a man to degrade women in such a way, to boast about sexual assault when it obviously is the exact opposite of being normal.
This just encourages the whole "boys will be boys" sentiment, meaning that if a man says or does something as deplorable as this, he does not have to be held accountable. It encourages people like Brock Turner and David Becker to think that they can rape and sexually assault a woman and receive no consequences.
Nothing about this is okay. None of it. But I have to reiterate that I do not care that he said the word pussy. I don't. That isn't my issue, nor should it be yours. Because if he said something about getting turned down and being okay with it, but said it in the same crude manner, that wouldn't be a problem. If he said what he said in a refined way, it would still be equally as bad. It's what he said, not how he said it. And none of it is acceptable.
