Street harassment.
It's a big issue these days. Being the subject of cat-calling, whistling, and other derogatory remarks is generally thought of as offensive by most females. The "offenders" always try to play it off as a compliment, something we girls should be proud of receiving. I can't say that I have too much experience with the problem of harassment for a few reasons.
1. I don't go out much. Not that I'm a homebody (though some of my friends would disagree), I just don't feel the need to go out to bars and get drunk. I drink socially a couple times a month but I don't know the bartenders in town by name nor do I have a favorite watering hole.
2. I'm from a fairly small town. Only ~23,000 people here. Not a huge calling for nightlife and generally people are polite, even when drunk.
3. I'm not a size 2. Generally speaking the people I know that are the victims of street harassment are thin, naturally pretty, and -though I don't want to condemn their style choices- don't leave much to the imagination in terms of clothing choices.
Now, don't get me wrong, a girl who wears short shorts and a crop top shouldn't feel like a piece of meat. I don't think that what a girl wears should be an excuse for men to act like pigs. However, I tend to dress more modestly, which could attribute to my lack of experience.
On to the story.
While in Lincoln recently, a friend and I were walking back to the hotel after checking out some live music/DJ's. The following is a scene we encountered.
2 girls and a guy (let's call him Joe) were walking in Downtown Lincoln. The three of them walked past a guy on a cellphone who then decided to whistle at the girls. The girls obviously weren't bothered and both hollered a "thank you" as the kept on walking. Joe, however, didn't like it one bit. He turned around and started to confront the guy but the girls pulled him away and begged him to keep walking.
I think more guys should be like Joe. He was willing to put himself in danger to stand up for the girls he was with that night. He couldn't have gotten in a fight with more than a couple guys, while he was most likely intoxicated. Personally, I am grateful for Joe for showing those 2 girls that they are worth more than a whistle or a cat-call, and that there are still genuinely decent guys in the world, willing to stand up for others.
** Please note, Joe could be a complete jerk, I don't really know him. But in that moment he was a true gentleman.**
~~Later 'tater. Alligator. Don't Be a Stranger. Bye!~~
No comments:
Post a Comment