'Me, too'

It amuses me, in a very sad way, that many on this site make jokes and, in general, act misogynistic toward and degrade, however lightly, women, but still seem surprised that harassment and assault are real.

Yes, "What was she wearing?" is insulting. "She's a 6" was sorta funny for 26 hours. Now it's just another snide comment on women, as much of the shit on here is. Men don't seem to understand that that kind of thing is what wears on women. And it does little good to report it, because, well, how many people suddenly turned introspective after reading that? Then it escalates, and women are told to accept it because well, that's just the way it is. It's a joke, right? If you don't think it's funny, then you're just a sourpuss, or something. Happens here, happens everywhere.

So yeah, women accept it, it gets stronger and stronger and, when someone finally realizes it and finds the strength to say something. Then others wake up , and realize, "Hey, you're right! That's not right."

Yes, I've been harassed, by a guy at work. I reported it. My bossed laughed out loud, literally. He was a good ol' boy, and a star at work. Clearly, I was exaggerating and had no clue what I was talking about. Never occurred to boss that I might have been right. It continued, and I started writing documenting the specific instances. Next time I complained -- after enduring it for more months -- I had a dot-matrix printout that was three pages long.

And yes, I've been sexually assaulted. Not raped, thank God, but at the time I barely recognized for what it was, mostly because it stopped when I demanded it to stop. If you're not raped, it's not sexual assault, right? - that was my thinking. It wasn't until weeks later and I'd told someone else about it that it really hit me. She asked me if I'd reported it and I asked why, and she said, "You were sexually assaulted." I hadn't been raped or physically injured, so the gravity of what happened really hadn't hit me. (And no, I never reported it. What difference would it have made?)

So yes, me, too.

Did you want to know what I am wearing?

 

Most of the women are gone from this site now. That says a lot.
Most, or all, of the blacks are gone from this site now. That says a lot, too.

 

I thought the 6 thing was backlash at somebody who called Kate Upton fat.

 

And the what are you wearing is an old Internet cliche on the order of A/S/L, but if you wanna put it in the same league as indecent exposure or harassment, whatevs

 

Well, we lost Care Bear, and IJAG, and 21 has been gone a while, and most of the other women don't post much anymore. Dunno how many minorities we have or had here, but Black Dude With Pompadour has been gone a long time, though it's anyone's guess if he's black or, for that matter, has a full head of hair.

That's only what I've noticed. We often forget that women are here, too. Or were ...

 

Cadet, sxysptswrtr, copperpot, sportschick, Rosie, and whoever Rachel Lenzi and Lisa Olson
were are among the women I know are gone. I draw a blank of black members other than wheelgunner

 

So most, or all, of the blacks are gone from this site now = 1 guy who maybe was black?

 

Show me where I said that.

 

Plenty of people have been open about their gender or their race here, and here is the crummy thing: If you do that, eventually someone here will use it against you.

It's not always gender or race too. If you share any personal details, or you're not anonymous, eventually someone will throw it back in your face. That's the reality of this place (and probably the Internet in general). We've always had an undercurrent of cruelty that runs right alongside the undercurrent of kindness. I don't think that will ever change.

 

You're doing it, but you don't see it. You honestly don't, because you honestly think it's funny and honestly don't see it.

Thank you for further illustrating my point.

Whatevs, I'm just a woman. I should lighten up, right?