At the age of 9, a man told me I had sexy legs. It caught me off guard and I thought wow, I’ve never been called sexy before. Shortly after men whistled at me and told me I should unzip my sunflower skirt. I lost my innocence.
My teenage years were a time of yearning for acceptance so I wore short skirts and belly shirts just to get attention. It was an awkward time and I thought it was normal to the point that I confused my self-worth based on a guy’s opinion.
My twenties turned dangerous: I would get followed or receive scary threats. Now in my late twenties I get defensive and stick up middle fingers.
I’m still finding ways to handle the situation, that’s why I take this matter seriously. Someday I know I might have to face this again with a little girl when she gets her first catcalled by a grown man and I’m going to explain why it happened. As if it’s a milestone in a little girl’s life, like getting her first period. It’s an unpleasant surprise but eventually you learn to deal with it. How can that be possibly explained to a child? The thought of it disturbs me.
– Maria
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
