I’m not new to street harassment (unfortunately), but this is the first time that an event has ever occurred so close to my home. I currently live a measly 3 or 4 houses away from where this happened. This is also not the worst thing ever said to me BY FAR. But the events that occur after it have truly left me SHAKEN.
Its about 10 on a pitch black Friday night, and I’m walking home from having dinner with a friend. I begin passing a house (7 Ivy Avenue, Toronto Ontario) that has 3 older ‘gentlemen’ (I use the term loosely) standing outside it. (I assume having a smoke.)
As I start passing by, they whistle….I ignore it…then one of them says in a sexual voice, “How about you come give us a kiss?” …I take a step to walk away when I hear them about to start saying more. I lose it. I have stuff like this happen bi-weekly!
I yell back, telling them where they can promptly go, to which they laugh of course, make “oooOOoooOoo” sounds, and one of them says, “Oh yeah, I still got it.”
I start walking off in a rage as they are still laughing…and they watch me go into my home. (Great, they know where I live.)
Now, normally I get mad, complain to my friends a lot, and then try and ignore it till next time. But I’m MAD and just plain SICK of it. So I called the police and am forwarded to the station in my area, where I ask them, “What are my rights as an individual to NOT be sexually harassed on the street?”
The officer seemed confused and asked what I meant. I explained my situation, saying how often these events occur, and what I could do to STOP the harassment.
To which I was told to, GROW THICKER SKIN.
Never in my entire life have I been so disgusted…I cannot believe that was the option given to me, for protecting myself!!!
You better believe this will not be the end of it.
– JaguarGrin
Location: 7 Ivy Avenue, Toronto, Canada
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beckie weinheimer says
a thicker skin. I’ll give him a thicker skin! I wish. So sorry. keep on talking and posting. If we unite we can beat them, the bastards!
Leah says
That’s absolutely awful! I’m from Toronto as well and I’ve noticed that it’s been getting progressively worse in terms of street harassment. Which makes it even more insulting when the police tell us to “grow a thicker skin.”