Today is the blog-a-thon against street harassment organized by the Blank Noise Project. To me, opposing street harassment is as basic as being against hunger, or violence, or allowing people to suffer from curable medical conditions because they are poor. Street harassment is intended to bully women and make them fearful to walk around without the “protection” of men. It’s a tool of the patriarchy that could fairly easily be dismantled if laws against it were passed and enforced, because unlike crimes such as domestic violence, it is carried out in public. Recommended Blank Noise Project posts include those of: Dancing Chaos, Anuja, Babita, Neha, Neela and Windy Skies.
Two years ago I was walking down the street when I heard a man harassing a woman about fifteen feet behind me. As I spun around and started to walk over, the woman ducked into a store and the man continued walking in my direction. I asked him what the hell his problem was, and we argued for about five or six minutes about why a woman might find unwanted sexual advances from a man three times her size frightening or humiliating. I don’t know if I made a dent (rationalization seemed to be speciality of his). I always regretted not going into the store afterward and telling the woman what happened. I think she would have appreciated knowing that someone stood up to him and for her. Ironically, I didn’t tell her in part because I didn’t want her to think I was trying to take advantage of the “male protection racket.” Such are the hang-ups of a male feminist.
Well, I’m very glad you did what you did.