Article after article I have read of women sharing their disgust over Donald Trump’s remarks about women. These articles are not to blame an entire gender but to raise awareness about the culture that has been created. Women are treated less than, treated as weak, and treated as sex objects, even by other women.
In a recent article I read, the author wrote about the first time she kissed a boy and the first time someone grabbed her ass. For me, the only people touching or grabbing my ass were my friends who were girls. Most of the unwanted groping and kissing that was done to me was done by women. My first kiss was technically stolen from me in my freshman year high school by a woman I now despise for that. What I count as my real first kiss happened with a guy I dated when I was 19.
The first time I was catcalled happened when I was 14. The first time I saw a man would rather stare at my boobs than my face was when I was 11 or 12. Even when I thought I was acting tough or acting more like “one of the guys” that just turned men on more. Everything I did was turned into an attraction or a turn on by all the guys around me until I had no more guys who just wanted to be my friend.
When I was 18, I was sexually assaulted by my boyfriend at the time. I had many people tell me that it couldn’t be sexual assault if you are in a relationship with them. False. “Sexual assault is any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent.” Just because I was in a relationship with him does not mean I automatically agree to all sexual acts. If I say no, it means no. If I say stop or hold on, it means stop, no matter if I am in a relationship with them or not.
When I was 19 I worked at retail store and I got a call from a customer I had helped previously that day. He asked me out on the phone. I felt so uncomfortable and freaked out that when he asked if I had a boyfriend I lied and said yes hoping he would leave me alone. He quickly hung up the phone.
This is just a brief view of what I have experienced in my life as a woman. And I am tired of it. I am tired of being sexualized for almost everything I do, or using the phrase “I have a boyfriend” to fight off men. I am done fighting people on this. What Donald Trump said is unacceptable and should not be taken lightly. This is not okay, myself and so many other women will not stand for it anymore. You want something to grab? Grab something useful like respect and common sense and leave women alone. We are not weak, we are not helpless, and we will not stand for this anymore.
