It’s election season. I’m not sure if a more obvious sentence has even been uttered. As primary season winds down and general election season kicks into gear, the candidates are in more places than ever before, between news coverage, social media, and your super conservative aunt that keeps texting you “Make America Great Again," there’s seemingly no escape from politics. One of the more interesting facets of this electoral season is why certain aspects of one particular candidate’s character continue to be brushed off. We’ve talked about Hillary Clinton’s emails and confirmed that Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer, yet there’s one thing that continues to be ignored seemingly every time the subject is broached: Donald Trump’s ongoing blatant sexism. It seems to be fine with Trump supporters, and the large sect of the conservative party that now begrudgingly supports him, that our soon emperor-to-be not only frequently belittles women in a demeaning way, but also has a clear history of sexual abuse. Trump's sexist comments and behavior have become material for late-night talk shows instead of being acknowledged as horrifyingly hate filled statements indicative of a flawed, oppressive view of the world. All this makes you wonder: When did running as a Republican make it okay to be a chauvinistic creep?

We are talking about a man who New York Magazine once quoted as saying “women: you have to treat ‘em like sh*t.” The same man who truly believes all women should worship at his feet and are only useful in terms of fulfilling his needs. He’s made a political platform out of publicly humiliating and tearing down successful women who dare to stand up to him. This is a person whose employees and peers have openly discussed their uncomfortable and traumatic experiences caused by his unwanted sexual advances, volatile verbal abuse, belittling commentary on their appearances and so much more. It’s become more and more apparent that Trump has no desire to treat women as his equals. Quite the opposite, he wants to ensure they stay far below him, to make sure that they know they are lesser, unless he deems them "worthy". Come November, half the country will be politically defined by Trump. It’s shameful that these characteristics help define a man who now defines a party, a party in which my family belongs, a party in which I once belonged.

I’m asked repeatedly by friends, family and colleagues why I won’t consider voting for Trump. Usually after stifling an outburst of inappropriately loud laughter, I try to explain to them that besides his ridiculously offensive (definitely racist, but that’s an article for another time), hateful, and ineffective political agenda, as a female, I find the thought of voting for Trump disgusting and terrifying due to his abhorrent treatment women. I am then greeted by a flood of excuses made on Trump’s behalf: “You just don’t like him because he’s not P.C.,” “He just says what we’re all thinking anyway,” “You’re just against free speech,” “Those incidents were just misunderstandings,” and my personal favorite, “He’s not sexist, he’s funny.” I’m sorry I don’t find Trump’s crude behavior and repugnant sexism funny -- Oh wait, I’m not. I’m not sorry at all.

To the contrary, I’m baffled as to why this discussion is even necessary. I thought, or perhaps a better word choice would be that I had hoped, we were at a place in society where blatant sexism was deemed unacceptable. Yet this election season has taught me that despite the decades of progress we’ve made in the last two hundred years, we’re still miles away from a place of equality. Instead of calling out displays of sexist behavior and language, society has gone out of its way to make excuses for it. We have to realize that at some point we are guilty by association. Donald Trump’s success thus far goes to prove the systemic underlying problem that still plagues this nation.

There may not be anything I can do to keep Donald Trump from taking the Republican nomination, or even the presidency (#BegrudginglyHillary2016). Yet I can stand up for what I believe in. I can decide to not sit by in silence and complacency, pretending that he’s not a disgusting misogynist. I will continue to talk about his horrific actions and behaviors and I will not apologize for it. For those of you that made it this far that believe in Trump, I’m not here to belittle your intelligence, but rather create a dialogue and hopefully illuminate an aspect of Trump’s candidacy that you haven’t yet seen. Trump’s sexism? It’s not a footnote people, it’s a major plank in an unqualified candidates platform that needs more attention, not less.