Women have been dealing with cat calls, yodles, hollers, and nonsense from men for many years.I'm not sure it's a racial issue, a sexual issue, or anything else in so much as it is a control issue, a power issue, a male centered world issue.
Men feel they rule the roost and sadly they think it's proper behavior to 'compliment' women as they see it.
As women see it -we can't walk down the street w/o the name calling and derogatory commentary.
It's sickening, disgusting, and non stop harassment.
I think if they had a clue how it makes women feel they would stop.
I'd add another twist to this idea because as an only girl growing up with three brothers I never had a sister or a female role model and I think for girls it's important to have that female empowerment.
I grew up as a 'scapegoat' or 'blacksheep' of a family of narcissists.
To this day at 46 yrs of age I'm not accepted into the group and have disowned my own family.
So with this said, my self esteem was obviously not sky high to start but to make it worse my parents were strict Catholics and strong believers that you can't wear feminine clothes like skirts, dresses, or heck even wear makeup. I was given the tomboyish hair styles like Dorothy Dickenson hair style back in the day and taken to 'barber shops' while playing softball, dodgeball, baseball, and wrestling...not quite ideal.
Add to this once you go out you're asked why you're so pretty and why you don't smile and you can imagine the havoc it wreaks on one's persona as a young impressionable child in the boondocks of an extremely rural location.
I couldn't wait to escape the madness only to learn it's much the same out on the streets and even in churches.
To this day I still get asked why I'm wearing shorts, pants, black attire, why I do my hair a certain way, wear birkenstock sandals, etc...Do men get asked this on the street?
In church as the only female usher I was chased out and had the basket ripped out of my hands by two white male ushers. The priest said the men need time to come around yet never one apology.
All of this after divorcing a malignant narcissist who left me and my 3 young children homeless, bankrupt, w/o child support for over a year and a half in the court system and you might not have to wonder why I want to shove the roaming eyes up their arses.
Have you ever got behind the ones that use the rear view/side mirrors to stare you down?
Ever speak to them as they look at your chest or comment on your legs?
I wear shorts almost year round because of having heat stroke (unable to regulate temps) and will drive with window down. It doesn't mean I want commentary on my legs.
As a former model I was always admired for my legs, eyes, face, etc...never my character, my professional accomplishments, community involvement, national accolades, or my morals, my values, my overall ability to serve others through volunteering.
It's because of the Me TOO, Times Up, and others that we are making great strides.
What bothers me is the Women's Movements and Marches that focus on body parts and vaginas rather than brains and brawn.
We want to be recognized for who we are but showcasing female body parts is not the way to go.
I'm glad you put a face to the art and the statements as it's powerful to see and moving to read.
A great read with fresh, personal, revealing stories that get to the heart of the matter.
We must all work together collectively to make a change!
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