Street Harassment: White Women Experience It Too

This is a subject that has always made my blood boil.  The subject of street harassment.  A common misconception among men, and sickeningly enough among some women too, is that it has to do with the woman herself.  There are all sorts of excuses.  We’ve all heard them.  ”Look at the way that she is dressed”, “She’s pretty so she should expect that”, “That’s the way that men are”, “Just ignore them”, or the ever disgusting “You should appreciate it now.  You’ll miss it when you get older”.  Yeah.  Like I’ll actually miss being treated like an empty headed little object.  I even had my aunt say to me when she was here a few weeks ago, after some douchetard guys were giving me that look and smiling, why I didn’t respond.  Women will understand what I mean by “the look“.  It’s that “I’m undressing you with my eyes and you can’t do anything about it” look.  I tried to keep my temper, and tried to say something that wouldn’t insult her personally, and told her that it was insulting to think that a woman should be flattered by a man who would be so disrespectful towards her and that I would never respond to a man who behaved in that way.

I read a lot of articles and websites devoted to street harassment.  Whenever I read any of these women’s stories I feel a sense of solidarity with them because I know exactly how they feel.  Also, it’s because any woman who has ever been harassed while simply walking down the street will understand that we are all in this together.  However, there is one thing that never fails to piss me off, and no it’s not women who seem to condone this sort of behavior.  It’s from black women who imply, and sometimes flat out say, that white women don’t experience this kind of behavior, or if they do then it isn’t as bad as what they experience.  I’ve even read a few articles by white women who actually apologize in a way for getting angry when a black man (note: I am not saying all black men so don’t jump up my ass) harasses them because of “white privilege”.  Whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean.  Fuck that.  My feelings at being harassed by some random idiot in the street shouldn’t be any less valid than a black woman’s.  Does it really matter about race?  Isn’t the larger issue harassment and how men act like women are just pieces of property waiting to be claimed by whatever male decides that he wants to stick his dick in her?

I live in a mostly black/Hispanic neighborhood.  I hate walking around this neighborhood because I have to deal with comments and noises and stares, etc.  You know the drill.  The same thing that every woman experiences around all men at any given time.  I’ve had men do that thing where they say “Mmmmm” as they are leaning in towards you.  Look asshole.  Get away from me before I kick you in the balls so hard, you won’t be able to have sex for a month.  Last week I was going to the grocery store and there was this guy with his back to me talking to a guy in a wheelchair.  All of a sudden, the guy who had his back to me turns around and gives me that up and down look.  I was so pissed off.  The jerk in the wheelchair must have said something.  There was no reason for him to turn around, and when he did, he didn’t have to look around.  He zoomed in on me like I was a piece meat.  I hate the comments.  ”Ooooh girl.  You so gorgeous”.  Do these idiots that say this really think that women care?  We know what we look like.  We don’t need some random loser on the street to tell us.  And God forbid we ignore these pathetic idiots, then it turns from “Damn you gorgeous” to “Fuck you, you ugly bitch” really fast.  

Honestly, there isn’t enough space for me to go into depth on the aspects of street harassment that piss me off.  I don’t have a problem with women who dress skimpily.  It isn’t my thing, but the women who do aren’t “asking for it”.  That line really pisses me off.  The women who do piss me off are those who appear flattered by this kind of crap.  Do they really think so little of themselves that their only dose of self confidence comes from a disgusting pervert shouting his opinion of them at them.  Stop giggling.  Stop saying “thank you”, stop even talking to these men.  They aren’t complimenting you.  They are telling you that it doesn’t matter what you are, to them you are a piece of you know what.  

Black women and white women unite.  This isn’t a fucking competition over who gets harassed the most or the level of harassment or the deeper meanings of it.  It’s about all women getting together and presenting a united front that we are not pieces of decoration to make a man’s world brighter, that we are women who don’t appreciate some random man’s “compliments”.  Putting up all these “It’s worse for us” barriers only hurts what women are fighting for which is the right to walk down the street without men harassing us.