“To All the Women…”

Last night, I finally had some time to sit down and watch Hillary Clinton’s concession speech. All was fine, even when she said “Donald Trump is going to be our next President,” until she started the segment to the women and little girls. Until Bill Clinton mouthed proudly “That’s my girl!” behind her. Until girls attending the speech were filmed sobbing tears of sorrow. Until that. That’s when it sunk it. That’s when I found myself bawling for half an hour.

There is not another minority that has it worse than women when it comes to discrimination and hate crimes. For starters, the fact that women are still labeled a minority is insane. This world is half men, half women. Minority my ass. Quit referring to women as minority. Quit treating women like minority. Quit treating minorities like minorities. But that’s a separate argument.

We work twice as hard to bridge the gap between treatment of men and women. We are viewed as inferior just because our minds and bodies strengths are not strong in the same aspects as men’s are. Just because some of us can’t deadlift a cow in our spare time, society thinks we are weaker. Just because some of us face our emotions and deal with them in the moment as opposed to bottling them up or masking them, society thinks we are weaker.

Hate crimes have spiraled out of control already. The reality is, if it continues, all women regardless of who they voted for, are about to face even higher levels of all types of harassment.

Now what I’m about to say next is not meant to be offensive. In fact it disgusts me that I even have to present my argument with these words. Unfortunately, it’s the reality of the matter, and I’m heartbroken.

In this society, the following things that have been spoken to or about women:

• You’re rich? You must be a conservative snobby Trump supporter who went to private school and had a maid clean up her crap all her life. What a pampered spoiled brat. Does daddy buy you everything?
• You’re poor? Ha. I could tell by your ugly old clothes. If you need extra money, you can always be a stripper or a hooker.
• Oh my God! You’re so pretty for a (insert minority race(s) here).
  • What, she can’t just be flat out pretty?
• Oh my God! That girl is so ugly. That girl is so fat. What is she wearing? She’s gross. No wonder she has no friends. She wouldn’t even look cute in Instagram photos. Like can she not?
• Transgender? Lesbian? Bi? Queer? Anything that isn’t straight? Wow you’re fucking weird. Are you not a mistake God made or something? This can’t be right. You’re a walking sin. Tuck your dick in and get the fuck out of America.
• Eww, her weave stinks.
• I wonder if she’d be prettier without a hijab on.
• I wonder if she’d be prettier without Orthodox Jew skirts on.
• I wonder if she’d be prettier if she shaved and cut her hair. She looks like a wolf or a man. Maybe just a straight werewolf.
• Oh my God she’s so beautiful. She’s literally like a pageant queen or model. But, I bet she’s really stupid. I mean she has big boobs and a big butt. Since when have hot chicks been smart anyways?
  • You know, because beauty and intelligence are TOTALLY correlated.
• What a typical sorority girl.
• Shut up. You’re a woman.
• Calm the fuck down, woman.
• Suck my dick, bitch.
• I’d probably just try to fuck her when we’re drunk and that’s about it.
• I’m smarter than you. I’m a guy. You girls just get all emotional and shit.
• Look at that hoe.
• Get back to the kitchen.
• I can do that, but you can’t. You’re a girl.
• The Purge is coming, America. It’s coming.

Take a moment to let that sink in. It’s bad, right?

Now here is the worst part point: no matter what you look like, what your ethnicity is, what your religion is, what your sexual orientation is, what you’ve accomplished in life, what your job is, what you believe in, or who you voted for this election, the potential to be a victim to sexual assault and harassment has just increased significantly.

As someone who has been assaulted before, as a friend of many who have been viciously raped, this strikes a fear in me so deep that I haven’t left the bubble that is my campus for two days. I have panic attacks when I think of what living in New York will be like for me next year, even though New York is one of the most liberal and accepting melting pots. Just the fact that anyone malicious can be hiding in the numbers of a big city makes me lose sleep. Just the fact that I have to walk around in fear of being assaulted or harassed again makes me lose my sanity.

Nothing you do to try and change who you are or what you look like or believe in will prevent you from sexual harassment. Trump’s supporters have taken statements he has made to a whole new level, and they’re going to “grab any pussy” they want because it’s ingrained in their minds that they can. They don’t care who you are. The more “flavors,” the happier these children are. Actually I don’t even want to call them children as that is an insult to beautiful kids everywhere. The more “flavors,” the happier these deplorable criminals are.

So woman to woman, protect yourselves and each other. Be who you are proudly but safely. Don’t let anyone take away your rights. Don’t let anyone tell you who you can’t be, what you can’t believe in, and what you can’t look like. And as much as we don’t need men to stand our ground, if you’re a male and you see a female falling victim to hate crimes or abuse, do something to fight with her against it because it’s the right thing to do.

We can’t win easily. We haven’t been able to. But we’ve taken so many incredible strides, and we can’t stop no matter who is President. “This loss hurts. But please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.” 

That’s my girls.

 

-E.