The 2016 presidential election has consisted of one scandal after another; the most recent being the leak of a lewd conversation from 2005 starring running candidate Donald Trump alongside television host Billy Bush. On the tape, Trump is caught vulgarly bragging about kissing and touching women without their consent. Immediately after the leak, Trump gave a brief apologize and labeled his conversation about women as just “locker-room talk”.
The term “locker-room talk” has circulated among many Trump supporters and has given people the opportunity to justify his behavior. They labeled his conversation as a typical conversation heterosexual males have in private, but there is a difference between sex talk and sexual-assault talk.
People shouldn’t aim to justify Trump’s so-called “locker-room talk”. At Hewitt, awareness about women’s condition in society is constantly brought upon by the many feminist topics we discuss. Through the discussions we have held, I have gained several unique insights. The information I have learned at Hewitt has helped shaped me into the person I am today.
As Naomi P. ‘18 says, “The type of encouragement provides reminds us that no one but ourselves can tell us how to feel or act as women”.
People are also justifying Trump’s remarks by saying it was a one-time thing 11 years ago. However, we should not overlook such a vulgar comment made by him when he was 59-years old simply because it was a long time ago. Even if I were to overlook Trump’s “locker room talk”, I would not find it possible to overlook the several allegations of sexual assault that have been made against him. The “locker room talk” was just a talk, but these allegations represent the possible follow-up of these words.
Lilah H. ‘18 says, “It is not okay for our possible future president to think it is remotely okay for men or women to verbally or physically sexually assault another human being no matter the gender”. We are possibly putting the fate of the most powerful country in the world in the hands of a man that condones sexual assault. Although Trump claims that it was a one-time thing that won’t happen again, we don’t know what will actually happen if he’s elected president.
His comments are not merely “locker-room talk”; they are degrading to women and cannot be justified. By dismissing the topic as something trivial and irrelevant, the oppression of women will continue to grow.