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Sorry, Men. It’s Not Us, It’s You
Women feel threatened, whether or not you think our fears are well-founded.
Earlier this week I was out for a walk by the lake near where I live. Two men came rushing up a hill toward me, away from the lakeshore. They were moving FAST, and I sprinted to the other side of the trail, quickly grabbing my husband’s arm and positioning myself behind him. I didn’t realize until I got out of their direct path that one of the men had cameras dangling from around his neck. Both of the men were wearing masks, so I wasn’t too concerned about them breathing on me. All I noticed in the moment was their rapid movement, their speed, their size, and that they were coming right for me.
Why did I react like this? I was scared out of my mind. Out in the open, in the early evening, on a walk with my husband.
My heart was pounding and I took my husband’s hand as we walked away. “They’re photographers?” I asked him, feeling slightly foolish. “Why were they running?”
I have felt threatened by men on the street, in coffee shops and on walking trails. Men have whistled at and cat-called me from moving cars and across busy intersections. A tall, imposing older man bumped into me on purpose at a concert in an attempt to get me to leave my prime viewing location. He used his body to try…
