*Disclaimer: I'm very aware that catcalling is not just happening to women. It happens to any and every gender. Regardless of who it happens to, it should be stopped no matter what. However, this is from my female perspective.
It’s no surprise that catcalling is a huge topic in today's society. Not only is it a widely talked about topic, but it is also something that is prominently ongoing.
"Catcalling" is when a bystander whistles, shouts, or passes a comment of a sexual nature to a female/male walking by.
I began getting cat called the moment I started going places without an adult present. Freshman year of high school, I’d go to the city with my friends and become humiliated when a sleazy bystander whistled and asked me if they could “get a piece of that.”
What is somebody supposed to do in that case?
It’s humiliating. Compliments aren’t humiliating. Compliments are supposed to make you feel good. I know that personally, I never feel good after someone throws inappropriate remarks towards me. I feel alienated, disempowered, and frightened.
When someone calls you out like that, it’s sometimes impossible to ignore. I shouldn’t have to feel dehumanized while walking down the street in sweatpants and a t-shirt.
That brings me to my next point: you don’t have to be in the trashiest outfit around to get catcalled. It can happen when you’re in the baggiest, sloppiest outfit possible.
What possesses people to single out an individual and embarrass them while dehumanizing them at the same time?
There are instances where strangers will attempt to compliment you, but then quickly ruin it. For example, I was on the train last week when a group of older men began snickering about me and called me names such as “sexy” and saying things like “Damn honey, wish I was young again so I could hit that.” I didn’t stop and thank them because I was uncomfortable. Me not thanking them gave them the impression that they should, instead, call me a “bitch” or a “whore” for “not being grateful enough to accept their compliments.”
Compliments? I cant see how someone wishing they were young again so they could “hit that” can be a compliment. I quickly walked away with anxiety and embarrassment. Any time I get catcalled, I feel as though everyone else around me is staring at me waiting for my move. It's belittling.
The real fright is when you’re scared if they’ll attack you. It happens. I get scared that if I don't answer to their nasty comment, they’ll come and attack me. It’s not crazy to think because anything can happen today.
Catcalling is not something I’d want my younger sisters to go through when they begin exploring beyond parental supervision and it's definitely not something I want any other male or female to go through. The belittlement of it and the humiliation you feel afterwords isn't something anybody should feel while innocently walking down a street.
