Here is the blunt truth:
If you voted for Donald Trump despite his predatory past, you are complicit in his sexual violence, end of story.
Misogyny was in part the foundation of Trump’s hateful rhetoric his entire campaign- he proved over and over again his respect for women was conditional, dependent on if they bruised his fragile ego. He publicly disparaged and abused women so frequently it has negatively affected the self-esteem of adolescent girls. From his nonchalant conversations surrounding sexual assault to his eleven alleged victims, he caused so many women intense physical and mental distress.
Trump’s rapacious past was exposed piece by piece this election, but you still cast your vote in favor of a man with a double-digit list of victims and a narcissistic personality. I felt sick as I watched the presidential race, and grew sicker as it became clear Trump would become the president-elect. Two of my closest friends, both gay, began sobbing as they processed the implications Trump’s victory would have on their healthcare and basic human rights. I experienced a heartbreaking panic attack as I realized the man who reminds me so much of my abuser will soon be president.
Unity in our country relies on tolerating opposed political beliefs, but this election was an arduous and personal narrative for so many survivors in America. Thousands of women shared their assault stories online, and exposed their deepest wounds in hopes you could empathize with their pain. Though studies have shown only 2-10 percent of assault claims are fabricated, you decided those brave women all falsely accused Trump. And if you did believe his accusers, even one, did you value party lines more than a victim’s life? The most hurtful fact is your vote for Trump told me that the one in four women and one in six men who experienced sexual violence do not deserve safety, nor a voice.
You chose policies over collective pain, Hillary’s emails over human rights, and a wall over women.
Your call to “come together” feels more like an attempt to solicit survivors and minorities into silence, and we will not accept it. If you truly want a unified America, trust from survivors must be built and earned- volunteer at the YWCA, donate to a local women’s shelter, or simply find the humility to apologize to the 25% of American women you ignored and willfully damaged.
Since the presidential election, I have already read countless accounts of Trump-inspired hate crimes, as well as reported sexual assaults, with perpetrators using Trump’s win as their excuse:
This is the United States that 60,265,858 of you chose.
Trump Protest at The Utah State Capitol
You may complain about protesters, claiming they are whining and crying because they lost the election, but this is not about simply losing versus winning. Communities all over the country are grieving and afraid their basic rights will be stolen. As a survivor, how can I feel safe with a predator as my president? How can I be content, knowing half of you do not take sexual assault seriously? How can I forgive my family and friends who cared more about an email scandal than my well-being?
The days following the election have been overwhelming and depressing; I feel like I have a weight in my stomach, anchoring me down to the reality that bigotry and misogyny are profoundly ingrained into American culture. Yet, my community of advocates will trudge through this nightmare, endure the backlash and survive once again.
This is not my shame and guilt to own: it is yours.
