It’s Monday morning; I wake up, take a quick shower and put my favorite pair of Lululemons (a brand of yoga pants) on. It’s going to be a great day, I can feel it already because I’m going to have a quiet breakfast, read my Bible, and hit the gym all before noon. I am optimistic because I feel great in own skin today.
I head off to my brother’s house and decide that today will be a conditioning type of day. I decide to run a short mile around the neighborhood as my warm-up. However, I become quickly aware that the construction men and workers are staring at me as I run pass the houses being built. I feel their stare and hear their cat calls through my headphones. I feel immediately uncomfortable and think that it might be my fault – and yet I am wearing nothing provocative. I repeat, I am wearing a pair of yoga pants and a loose T-shirt. Once again, I think to myself -- why is it OK for them to act this way?
I leave the gym feeling refreshed and decide I should stop at the grocery store for some last minute ingredients. I am hesitant to enter the store because I am wearing yoga pants and a shirt -- why are these my initial thoughts? I proceed inside the store and immediately a man hits on me as if I’m a piece of meat. I question myself once again -- why is it OK for him to talk to me like this? Is it my fault?
No, I do not like being disrespected when my body is completely covered. No, I do not enjoy being hesitant about walking into a grocery store to merely get disrespected by a man. No, I do not like feel to self-conscious when men catcall me during a morning run. No, I do not like being hit on so aggressively. What makes this behavior OK?
Many people say that the reason men treat women that way is because of the way she dresses. Let me preface this by saying I by no means have an extremely appealing body. I am curvy -- not slim, and don’t have abs. (I am not body shaming, I am just stating the facts.) Therefore, I try to dress appropriately with clothing that covers my body and seems modest. So, is it not OK to wear yoga pants?
However, lately it seems as though this type of attire attracts and makes it OK for men to treat me like a piece of meat because, apparently, any clothing makes it OK for people to look at you as if you are not a valid human.
Am I wrong to think that I can wear leggings without getting disrespected by a man in public? When does it stop? Part of me feels absolutely disgusted because, the fact, I am fully covered and yet still receive inappropriate comments is sad. We now live in a culture that accepts this type of behavior and finds it OK to objectify bodies.
When does it end? When will our culture learn the importance of respecting people? No, it shouldn’t be my job to wear clothing that fits me like a trash bag so it may cover every surface of my body. But why can’t I feel comfortable walking around in public? Why does a person have to think about whether or not he/she will be stared at, cat called,or uncomfortable in public? I am not insinuating that all people are disrespectful, because all of the people in my life treat me with upmost respect. However, a big population of people out there do not know the value of respect, and I wish I could see that come to fruition so I could live in my own skin without feeling uncomfortable.
