There are men who love and respect women.
And then there are others.
I went to the pool in my housing community the other day. I was wearing my bikini and basketball shorts. As I was walking to the pool entrance an older man stopped to watch me. He was standing right by the gate to the pool, I had to pass him. I had my headphones on and I turned the music up as I walked by because I knew by the way he was looking at me that he had nothing good to say. I didn’t hear exactly what he said as I walked by… but he made me feel gross. I felt dirty. I felt like a piece of meat. I thought there must be something wrong with me to attract that kind of negative attention. I was afraid he would follow me to the pool.
I’m a pretty confident person. I’m not embarassed or shy in a bikini or dirty sweats. But I haven’t always been this way. There are so many girls who struggle with their image and self-worth. For my internship I am doing video interviews to make a podcast. It is so much more difficult to find women who will agree to be interviewed on camera because they are often self-conscious about the way they look. What does it say when a woman who feels good about herself and her body is reduced to a piece of meat?
I blamed myself for feeling so confident, for not wearing a t-shirt over my bikini.
And then I remembered a note that my best friend, Christina Manalo, wrote:
“If I decide to dress promiscuously, I do so without the intention of creating an INVITATION for men to catch a feel. It is a choice about MY body, and MY image…
So, men , if you’re reading this, respect a woman’s right to her body and the way she chooses to present herself to the world.
And to my sisters , I hope this blog reminds you of your voice, your rights, your power.”
Read Christina’s whole blog here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=67849640674
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