Scarleteen

Content/trigger warning: catcalling, harassment.




Hi…

I got catcalled/harassed at a mall today, during a romantic date with the person I’m dating. Below is my documentation of the event (written for myself), written immediately afterwards.
“At [name of mall], [person I’m dating] and I were approached by a group of teen appearing, boy appearing, people. One of them stated, “Ladies?” As they approached, a different one stated, “Ladies and gentlemen?” I corrected them, “No, just ladies.” One of them asked whether we were dating, and I responded “What do you care?” One of them said, “Just ladies?” seemingly confused, and the group moved on while looking at us and making dog noises.”

I feel upset about this — the person I’m dating was very understanding and supportive of me, but I don’t get to talk to them a lot, so I feel less able to talk to them about it.
This is also bringing up complicated feelings around my gender presentation for me, I would love to dress more “femininely” (quotes because there isn’t one correct or true way to dress in a feminine way), but I feel hesitant because of behavior like I experienced today.
This is my first time being catcalled/harassed, and I still feel kinda shocked, and it’s affecting my overall feelings of how the date went. I’ve read a lot about the patriarchy and have heard a lot about harassment of girls/women/nonbinary people, but actually experiencing in person feels different.

I’m hoping to get some support and thoughts about this.

- AQ

Hi AQ,

What strange and rude behavior from these people! From the questions about your relationship and gender to the dog noises... I'm sorry you had to deal with all that, and I understand why it might have made you feel uncomfortable or even afraid. Still, I really hope this won't discourage you from exploring your gender presentation and dressing more femininely.

For what it's worth, you could start dressing the way you like in private places, like your own place or the home of an accepting friend. And you might be less likely to encounter these sorts of people at places that are explicitly LGBTQ friendly,

When this kind of harassment happens, you can try to respond to the person catcalling you, or you could just try to ignore them. One option isn't necessarily better than the other, but always think first about your safety. If you're alone or outnumbered, or if the people harassing you seem to be aggressive or drunk, prioritize getting out of there.