this story matters

I be­lieve very strong­ly in the pow­er of so­cial norms (the nor­ma­tive func­tion).

When a so­cial leader, say a man who would be Pres­i­dent, con­dones or en­dors­es a be­hav­ior, it nor­mal­izes that be­hav­ior, ef­fec­tive­ly giv­ing so­ci­ety per­mis­sion to in­dulge in the be­hav­ior no mat­ter how detrimental. 

I think chal­leng­ing norms is the ul­ti­mate key to so­cial progress, but it is also the hard­est goal to achieve from grass­roots ac­tion be­cause our so­cial norms de­fine our world. From the be­gin­ning, Trump has nor­mal­ized both racism and misog­y­ny, his re­cent­ly dis­cov­ered “grab­bing pussy” re­marks are just part of that larg­er damage.

Many peo­ple will shrug it off as “lock­er room talk” or just the ig­no­rant words of one man, but to do so ig­nores how so­cial norms are both a valu­able mech­a­nism of pow­er and de­fine our so­cial structures. 

“Grab­bing pussy” re­in­forces the pa­tri­archy, the rape cul­ture, and the ob­jec­ti­fi­ca­tion and ha­rass­ment of women. It doesn’t mat­ter if “many men think” or “act like this” – what mat­ters is by tol­er­at­ing these kinds of re­marks from a so­cial leader, we are defin­ing what is ac­cept­able cul­tur­al be­hav­ior and as an own­er of a pussy, it’s be­yond NOT okay.

So yes, this sto­ry mat­ters. Just like his words on peo­ple of colour, the dis­abled, and every oth­er group he targets. 

He’s em­pow­ered peo­ple to fol­low his lead and just as dam­ag­ing, nor­mal­ized hate speech and be­hav­ioral as­sault from a Pres­i­den­tial can­di­date and who even knows what that will lead to in our future.
 

 
 

—na­tal­ie michelle

Flom­mist Na­tal­ie Michelle does­n’t have a bio. She just rants. Copy­right © 2016 Na­tal­ie Michelle.

Il­lus­tra­tion by flom­mist Dan­ny Joe Gib­son. Tongues (Pink), copy­right 2016 © DJG.

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real america’s garbage back to school blues got you down? say their names nuts and gum – to­geth­er at last just so far get the hell out of our society things I have learned this elec­tion cycle wak­ing up from old school america