TODAY: When I walked down the street past a group of 4 men, they sized me up and down and then told me I looked good in my pants. I felt intimidated, embarrassed and angry that I couldn’t just walk down the street peacefully –without any anxiety. When I got to work –(I’m a waitress)—I had one table of two men who told me they liked me because I was “gorgeous”—asked my name, where I’m from, if I’m single. I just wanted to do my job and not be on public display to be commented on and asked intrusive questions. Later a Man I waited on grabbed my arm and started to brush his hand along my wrists and elbow. I told him, “I didn’t give you permission to touch me”—his other friend grabbed my hand and kissed it and told me not to take things so seriously. I felt violated and gas lighted and powerless to state boundaries. When I got home I told my boyfriend about what was happening at Dalhousie with the Dentist Facebook page—and how I thought these men should be suspended from school for their violent hate speech about their female class mates. He said “Do you really think it’s hate speech?”—I responded—“If it were about race—and these were violent and demeaning comments about black students—would you think its hate speech then?”, he said “I guess I would.” Why is gender, misogyny and sexual violence viewed as Oppression *light*--? So this was just one day—out of about 20 years of days like this. And I got to thinking that the fact that I have to argue and explain to my male friends and peers—to PROVE—that this 1. Happens, 2. Hurts and diminishes my quality of life and 3. Is Unjust---reflects how embedded sexism and gendered violence are in our culture—and it makes me so very tired and disheartened. It’s real. Just because I have legal rights to political and economic equality with Men doesn’t mean I live in a culture where I have the same respect and privilege as men. Don’t ask me to prove it. I live it.
—Andromeda