Scrolling through Twitter this afternoon I came across this video. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A dunno can’t get the link to work).

[tldw: clips of a woman walking around NYC and they documented all the comments that men said to her as she passed them on the sidewalk. There was as much catcalling and general harassment as you might expect. Do NOT read the comments]

Right after I watched the video, I needed to run an errand. It was Saturday afternoon, around 4:30pm. In about 7 blocks I heard at least 15 separate occasions where men talked to me, catcalled, or generally got in my face somehow. One incident involved men following me down the road for half a block, one had a guy screaming at me when I didn’t respond when he asked “can i have you”, at least two told me to smile, one told me where I could find a pool because it looked like I needed a dip (because I’m so hot? That one was a bit abstract). At no point did I feel unsafe - it was a busy day and I’m pretty strong so I’m not that easily intimidated. But it’s just plain unpleasant and I am so over it. Some people (see YouTube comment section mentioned above; I did not heed my own advice) might have you believe that having random men say hello or call you beautiful is flattering and not harassment but the 10 minute walk felt like a fucking gauntlet. It is absolutely harassment and it prevents me from just being in the world the way I want to be.

Not that it matters, but I was wearing (not particularly short) cut off shorts, a T-shirt, sneakers, a hat, and sunglasses (the latter two I explicitly wear to be Invisible). I changed into these clothes before my walk because I was worried that the (generic athletic) sundress I was wearing around my house might garner unwanted attention on the street.

I got to my friend’s place and picked up my bike and biked home, fast and free.

6:26 p.m. - 2019-06-01