Yesterday I was walking home from work wearing a plain unisex crewneck t-shirt, and I was in a good mood. An elderly gentleman walking the opposite direction smiled at me and I prepared to say hi, as exchanging greetings with strangers is common and conisdered polite in my neighborhood, and is even expected. I smiled at him as he approached and said hello, and he said “well, you’ve got some pretty little titties, don’t you?” as I passed. I felt violated and ashamed, and walked the rest of the way home with my arms crossed over my chest. I’m used to street harassment when I wear tank tops and dresses, not because I’m into victim-blaming but it just seems to happen, and I can brush it off because (unfortunately) I expect it. But something about how I had been ready to have a perfectly polite exchange of greeting but instead received a crude comment about my body was especially disheartening, and it ruined my afternoon and made me extremely self-conscious.

Submitted on 7/3/12 by “MK”

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault? Submit your story to help raise awareness about the pervasiveness and harmful effects of street harassment. All submissions are posted anonymously unless otherwise specified.