The Aftermath.
20,000 notes later—I have 250 messages waiting for me. I have about 300 disqus comments I haven’t looked at. My post is on reddit. Something called r/tumblrinaction. Men are saying that they are disappointed in me. That I drank the feminist Kool-aid.
To all those men mad at me, I’d like to tell you a little story. Couch your anger for just a second. You can yell at me more when I am finished.
My friend was at an evening establishment. A place with alcoholic beverages. A man approached and proclaimed his attraction to her physical features. He expressed a desire to court her. She informed him that she did not have interest in men. She enjoyed the company of other women. A detail she had no obligation to disclose, but she did anyway because she felt it would end the encounter.
He refused to believe her. He thought it a ruse.
As the night progressed he persisted, ignoring her sexuality and numerous rejections.
My friend walked out to her car in a dark parking lot.
He followed.
He confronted her yet again and expressed his wishes to have her.
Thankfully, he gave up and she made it home safely.
But damn… how freakin’ scary is that?
Seriously.
After hearing this story I searched through my brain trying to find a similar experience. Nothing came to mind. In my 32 years on this planet I have never experienced that kind of fear.
For her, that is one of many similar stories.
Many of my friends have similar stories. And some of them were not as lucky in the end.
Forget what rights you think you are not afforded. Forget that you are a “nice guy” who would never do that. This isn’t about that. This isn’t about you.
Why is it that she has so many of these stories and I have not one?
You speak of equality. Why do my stories not equal hers?
There is an issue here that needs to be addressed. It doesn’t matter if you are not one of these men. There are people in your man-o-sphere that need to know that this behavior is not acceptable. Perhaps you would be kind enough to let them know.
Okay, resume the yelling.