Thread: Trump's reaction to the election is a clear (albeit perhaps extreme) example of what happens when powerful entitled men, who are always used to getting what they want are told this time no. 1/

Imagine Trump (or similar men) being told no in other situations. No you can't kiss me. No I won't have sex with you. Do you imagine he'd react well? Accept that you were saying no to him? I don't think so. 2/

Now imagine being the woman in those scenarios - would you say no? Would you risk being the centrepiece of a violent outburst or fit of rage? I don't know if I'd manage to. 3/

Instead, would you go along with it - say nothing and hope it was over soon? Indeed this might feel like the only choice or if not the only choice certainly the safest one. 4/

After the fact, how would you feel if people told you it was your fault? You should have said no, should have protested, shouldn't have let this happen. How would you feel when no one understood that you couldn't say no? 5/

We live in a world in which people like Trump don't believe that they can be told no. We also live in a world that allows him to think this. 6/

Every time we dismiss - for example - someone's experience of sexual violence - on the basis that they 'could have said no' - we ignore the power dynamics that might make that no near on impossible. We further the narrative that what these people want is what they get. 7/

And yet, we are surprised when this sense of entitlement results in the most outrageous behaviour - i.e. declaring that you have won an election before all of the results are counted etc. 8/

Election outcome aside, I hope as a result we begin now to think more seriously about the everyday instances that feed into these larger systems of power and entitlement. And I hope we all begin to see that we all have work to do to challenge them. 9/

And finally - I hope victim's of sexual violence (whether at the hands of powerful men or otherwise) are greeted with more compassion if they come forward. If Trump is willing to ignore election results, it's not hard to imagine what would happen to a women who says no. 10/end