Newly-released recordings of GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump seem to have finally broken the back of his political ambitions. But as we process the fallout in rescinded endorsements and campaign chaos, there’s a risk of forgetting that the predatory behavior Trump crowed about is rampant at all levels of society—and has lasting, devastating consequences for victims.
Following the Friday revelations, Canadian writer Kelly Oxford called on women to share stories of their own assaults on Twitter. Responses now number in the millions.
Https://twitter.com/kellyoxford/status/784758511347511296
Many of the stories recount precisely the behavior that Trump bragged about being able to get away with thanks to his fame.
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First time I was 8 or 9, in a swimming pool. A group of guys aged 14-16 swam by and one of them groped me down there.#notokay
— Willemijn (@wilmijntje) October 9, 2016
@NekoCase at Church camp! Male counselor offers to hold my hand, reaches into my pocket and grabs my vagina, I was 12!
— Katy Vernon ❤️ (@katyvernonmusic) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford first physical assault, 12yo, 18yo firefighter volunteer walked me home and put his hands down my pants. #NotOkay
— keira (@keira_reckons) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford My next door neighbor "weighed" me by picking my up by the crotch. I was 8. #notokay
— Mara Kieval (@MaraKieval) October 9, 2016
The still-mounting responses can be tracked in Oxford’s response feed on Twitter, and under the hashtag #notokay. It’s a depressing scroll, painting a picture of rampant abuse of women and, especially, very young girls. One consistent theme is abuse of power by pastors, camp counsellors, doctors, supervisors, and teachers.
Donald Trump is, clearly, not the only man in America who believes his status makes it okay to “do anything.”
The episode highlights Twitter’s enduring importance as a medium, even as it has sometimes struggled as a business. The majority of incidents of groping, harassment, and child abuse never enter the justice system—even violent rapes are notoriously under-prosecuted. But collecting these stories in one place, in the victims’ own words, helps capture the extent and severity of the problem.
For more on Trump, watch our video.
Oxford herself illustrates another aspect of Twitter’s power. She was one of the platform’s most influential early users, with Time naming hers one of the best accounts on Twitter in both 2011 and 2012. That visibility helped her launch a career as a screenwriter and author, even though she was based far from the entertainment industry.
But her biggest accomplishment yet may be galvanizing a conversation around a rampant, toxic epidemic.
Https://twitter.com/kellyoxford/status/784934911887106048