Defeating Trump's 'Boys Will Be Boys' Mentality

On November 9th I was disappointed to be an American citizen, because the man elected into office is unfit to serve as president of this country. I fear for the next four years. Donald Trump does not understand the Constitution, immigration, religious freedom or foreign policy. But most importantly he has bragged about sexual assault and has been quoted multiple times degrading women and treating us as secondary to men. Secondary to him.

Mr. Trump, you dont know me and I doubt youll ever meet me. However, you apparently feel that you deserve to tell all women how much they are worth by the way they look; that their appearance will determine their success. Or as you said of Republican candidate Carly Fiorina: Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?

And as you were caught saying on tape in 2005 , When youre a star You can do anything. Grab em by the p---y. Im astounded that our commander in chief-elect is someone who has joked about sexual assault and then dismissed it as a cultural norm, calling it locker room talk. As Jacob Tamme , a husband, dad and tight end for the Atlanta Falcons said in a series of tweets: please stop saying locker room talkit's not normal. And even if it were normal, its not right. The attempt to normalize it as any type of talk is wrong. I refuse to let my son think that this is just how men speak.

Sadly, you, our new president-elect, responded: btw even Peyton Manning mooned a female in college. Boys will be boys. Get over it! I am on a committee of 10 students women and men -- who meet every week on my college campus to discuss how to combat sexual assault. We talk about ways to dispel rape culture and specific strategies and programs to prevent assault. Maybe its because we grew up in a different era, but we dont think boys will be boys. We believe all people are equal and deserving of respect and dignity. Its apparently not a concept you grasp.

I started wearing make up in sixth grade, against the wishes of my mother, who reassured me every day that I was beautiful. However, instead of believing her, I fell sway to cultural norms that told me makeup was required. This year my eighth grade sister began wearing makeup to school. She is such a beautiful young woman and I know that the ideas she creates in her head are worth more than any product that she will ever put on her face. But its hard to change culture when the president-elect has spent decades making lewd comments about females of every age, from 20-something Miss Universe contestants to random 10-year-olds.

We will fight the rape culture that you helped perpetuate, Mr. Trump. I will take every opportunity to tell women that their worth is so much more than their looks. And Ill encourage young women like my sister to listen carefully to Hillary Clintons advice in her concession speech: never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.