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Gaetz should have been stopped sooner.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Apr 02, 2021
Most of us somehow missed it, but back in January 2020, GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz was accused of creating and engaging in "game" with his male colleagues in which they would score points for and rank their sexual conquests.
The basis of that 2020 revelation dates back even further to Gaetz’s time as a freshman legislator in the Florida House of Representatives, painting an increasingly disturbing picture of a man with a long history of getting away with sexist, dangerous exploitation of women.
It was recently revealed that the Justice Department is investigating allegations that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in 2019, during which he broke federal sex-trafficking laws, claims which he profusely denies.
But as more is uncovered about the Florida representative, more questions must be asked about how long we can overlook such accusations.
What is the sex game Matt Gaetz is accused of creating for himself and fellow male representatives?
Accoring to a Tweet posted by Politco reporter Marc Caputo when he was working for the Miami Herald back in 2013, the game in question was fairly simple.
Representatives would earn one point for having sex with a lobbyist, two points for having sex with legislative staff, three points for having sex with another legislator, and six points for having sex with a married legislator.
Allegations against Gaetz keep rolling in.
More specific reports about the “sex game” emerged in a piece published by the Miami Herald in 2017 , though the details didn’t initially mention Gaetz by name.
In 2020, State GOP Rep. Chris Latvala incriminated his fellow Republican representative by tweeting that Gaetz "created a game where members of the FL House got 'points' for sleeping with aides, interns, lobbyists, and married legislators."
Among the targets of the game were staffers who the legislators heard were virgins.
In keeping with more recent allegations, Gaetz appeared to use the game to target younger women, in particular junior staff members, exposing a disturbing power imbalance in his sexual exploits.
"Games" like these are all too familiar to women everywhere, from high schools to Capitol Hill.
Women are subjugated and shamed; men are high fived and promoted. Sexist games, sexual exploitations, and their justifications are part of the making of many “great” men.
Facebook was conceptualized shortly after Mark Zuckerburg made a website to rate female Harvard students on their looks. Now he is one of the most powerful men in the world.
Donald Trump joked about sexually assaulting women before passing it off as “locker room talk.” He went on to win a presidential election, even after the recording of him saying these things came to light.
It’s a consistent narrative of “boys will be boys” while girls will be victims.
Gaetz has also been accused of repeatedly bragging about his sex life and showing off nude photos of women he had sex with to his House floor colleagues.
It was said to be part of his “reputation,” a reputation that repeatedly condemned women to positions of inferiority. A reputation created within the walls of a building that is supposed to protect women from men like Gaetz — not employ them.
Gaetz crimes come from years of collective complacency.
Gaetz’s behavior mimics that of a misogynistic frat boy hellbent on dehumanizing the women he sleeps with.
Sex trafficking minors is likely his most extreme offense, but it is not one that someone becomes involved in overnight. It is an act bred from years of sliding by on less severe acts.
This is a man who many watched engage in a game targeting women for points on a scoreboard and said nothing.
This is a man who many saw showing off nude photos of women without their consent and said nothing.
With the entire Justice Department spearheading an investigation, these allegations are rolling out from beneath the rugs they were swept under. But what about the women who called out these acts in the first place?
Florida Senator Debbie Mayfield first publicized Gaetz’s game back in 2017, after she had become aware of it during her freshman year as a House member and called on the House to investigate it.
Clearly, the necessary action was not taken, as Gaetz only managed to mount more power in the four years since.
Refusing to listen to women and not investigating these early allegations only directed Gaetz down an even more dangerous path in which a teenager became his victim.
Representatives and government staff adding their “What Gaetz Did” stories to the ever-growing pile exposes the dangers of ignoring obvious perpetuations of rape culture.
If no one is shocked by the outcome of Gaetz’s behavior then all who enabled — or even ignored him — are complicit in some way.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment.