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Olympian Gabby Douglas has apologized for her remarks that many read as victim blaming sexual assault survivors, including her teammate Aly Raisman.
Raisman went public with sexual abuse allegations against former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar this past week, who is facing charges for 22 counts of first-degree sexual conduct from gymnasts, The New York Times reports. She also took to Twitter yesterday (November 17) to speak out against the undying victim-shaming on her timeline.
“Just because a woman does a sexy photoshoot… does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse,” she wrote in a powerful note. “What is wrong with some of you? It is because of you that so many survivors live in fear.”
We are all in this together. If we are going to create change I need all your help. pic.twitter.com/q9d12z0KHn
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) November 17, 2017
Douglas, a fellow member of the gold medal-winning 2016 Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team, The Final Five, contested Raisman’s statement in a now-deleted tweet.
“It is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy,” she quote-tweeted Aly, “dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd.” She also responded to one upset Twitter user by arguing that sexual assault “goes both ways.”
u misunderstood me. not blaming the victim at all. no man should look at any woman that way.
— Gabby Douglas (@gabrielledoug) November 17, 2017
it goes both ways.
— Gabby Douglas (@gabrielledoug) November 17, 2017
Teammate Simone Biles was decidedly not here for it, and she responded with screenshot of Douglas’ deleted comment.
“Shocks me that I’m seeing this but it doesn’t surprise me,” she wrote. “Honesty seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her. I support you Aly & all the other women out there! STAY STRONG.”
Biles’ response went viral, drawing over 60,000 likes and 22,000 retweets — and, unsurprisingly, no small amount of ire directed at her teammate.
shocks me that I’m seeing this but it doesn’t surprise me… honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her. I support you Aly 💕 & all the other women out there!
STAY STRONG pic.twitter.com/CccTzhyPcb— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) November 17, 2017
A few hours later, Douglas took to Twitter to respond to the outrage.
“I Didn’t correctly word my reply,” she wrote. “I am deeply sorry for coming off like I don’t stand alongside my teammates. Regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. I am WITH you. #metoo.”
i didn’t correctly word my reply & i am deeply sorry for coming off like i don’t stand alongside my teammates. regardless of what you wear, abuse under any circumstance is never acceptable. i am WITH you. #metoo
— Gabby Douglas (@gabrielledoug) November 18, 2017
Perhaps the backlash will inspire Gabby to examine her own words and actions with a stronger lens, and to recognize how her deep-rooted societal assumptions about assault are both harmful to individuals and perpetuate rape culture as a whole. Regardless of how “provocative” a woman may be dressed, an assault is never her fault, and to suggest that it is promotes a false narrative that our world is already hard-pressed to overcome.
