Lately, I’ve experienced a lot of oppression from men. Since I work late downtown, I’ve both experienced and witnessed lots of catcalling. I’ve had men I just met try to grab me.
A few weeks ago I had a shift until 8:15 pm, and because of the APEC summit, I had to walk 10 minutes up to Powell to catch a Lyft home. While I was waiting, this man (who was twice my age!) came up to me and grabbed onto my hand. He wouldn’t let go, even when I tried to tug it away. The man asked me to party with him, even after I told him I was 16 years old. He asked for my number repeatedly, even though I said that I had a boyfriend and that I was uncomfortable.
I don’t understand why it’s hard for some men to back off, and I really wish I could say this is the first time I’ve been disrespected by a man while I was out on my own.
More men and young boys need to be taught that treating women like that isn’t okay. No one wants to go outside when they’re afraid that they’re going to get hollered at by grown men. I hope men can change and learn to respect girls, because it’s not impossible. It’s just basic human decency.
