what were you wearing Archives | Stop Street Harassment

I was walking to class when a man walked out of a Rite Aid with 3 other people.

He said, “How’s it going sugar?”

I made eye contact.

He proceeded with, “An ass like that make a blind man wanna see again.”

I immediately felt as if it were my fault that I was being harassed.

I was wearing jeans a black t-shirt. Nothing about my outfit was revealing. It was terrifying.

We must raise awareness of harassment and how it affects men and women everywhere.

— AJ

Location:

Harrisburg, PA

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

Yesterday Jezebel asked this question in an informal poll on their website. Today they posted the results:

I clicked several of the choices and I also clicked “other” and wrote in running clothes because I’ve been harassed the most while running.

Some of the other “other” options they listed include:

while picking my nose
in a bar, in a car, in a hat, on a mat…
carrying stacks of books around from the library
in scout uniform, in overalls and in granny jumpers
wearing a hijab
walking, waiting for a bus, generally being female
wearing USMC camo uniform
with women/with my girlfriend/at pride and/or queer events
walking to a restaurant with my parents at age 13
picking up dog poop
giving a guy a lapdance.
doing the time warp
in an ambulance after I broke my LEG.
While at the top of a 20 foot ladder.
entering a house of worship
Unbathed in the aftermath of a hurricane by out of state rescue workers.
dressed as the Virgin Mary (not a joke)
karate uniform
dressed as a toy soldier for a production of The Nutcracker, at age 12
crying my eyes out over a family death
walking my son in stroller; attending a pro-choice lobby day at my state capital
wearing my Arby’s uniform
while having a job interview at an outside cafe
crying/ about to get an abortion
Like a fucking Amish lady
As a 9 year old, wearing overalls.
with horse-manure stains on my clothes and hay in my hair
wearing ann taylor
in a gargoyle costume (it was Halloween, and no, I wasn’t a “sexy gargoyle.”

In India, Blank Noise collects articles of clothing to show how men harass women in all sorts of clothes and that women “Never Ask For It.” This poll demonstrates the same thing. What is so frustrating to me about gender-based harassment compared to other forms of harassment is how much time we have to spend undoing victim-blaming, showing that this is an issue that women don’t bring on themselves, and proving its existence.

As hard as it may be for some people to believe or to have to face, the reality is that every day women are harassed by men just because we are women, not because of what we wear!! This is a societal problem and it must end before women will ever have a chance of achieving equality with men.