Previously, the topic was objectification of women. Included was a quote by Anna Quindlen: “What is female and what is sexual?” The better question would be: what is female and what is sexual harassment?
According to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment violates Title VII and is a sex discrimination. EEOC defines sexual harassment as:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
However, sexual harassment is not only a problem in the work place but a problem many face in everyday life… Sometimes harassment may occur when you least expect it: On the Streets.
Harassment by delviking, on Flickr
What allows men to street harass women? Stoya [NOTE: Not suitable for work or children under 18!] claims that even before she entered her field of choice, she was harassed by men. She mentions that she receives more respect from pornography fans than walking on the streets. In her own words:
Let me remind you that in a room of pornography fans, who have actually seen me with a dick in my mouth and who can buy a replica of my vagina in a can or box, I am treated with far more respect than I am walking down the street.
Porn stars have feelings and are no less human than me and you. So what makes it okay to grope them whenever you feel like it? It is NEVER alright to touch others inappropriately no matter the situation. The quote causes me to truly wonder where the respect for people has disappeared to. Has our society morphed to such a distorted state where we are no longer able to respect others?
This past wednesday around 2pm by the park on 1st Ave. and 68th St., I experienced verbal sexual harassment first hand. My mother and I passed a group of high school aged males while walking to New York Presbyterian Hospital. Upon passing, one of the guys said, “Excuse me, I would like to put my dick in your mouth.” I pretended not the hear the comment and just kept walking. While walking I was tempted to turn around and take a photo of them to post here, however I did not. After reading the first 4 sentences of Professor Daniel’s article, Rethinking Cyberfeminism: Race, Gender and Embodiment, I wish I took a picture.
It was shocking to even HEAR this type of comment let alone it coming from a high school kid’s mouth! What gives anyone the right to say such vulgar comments to anyone? Those types of comments are just utterly disgusting and it makes people think less of you, so why do it?
The Unstoppable Bra 