Why #YesAllWomen is Important

Have you read the tweets for #YesAllWomen on Twitter?

If not — take a moment.

I’m going to guess that a lot of men are shocked.

These are the stories that women whisper to each other or never speak of at all.

I love that women have made it clear — they don’t think all men are monsters. What they’re saying is that the 10% of men that ARE monsters are pretty much managing to reach every woman on the planet in some fashion.

So let me say this clearly:

Yes, I have been harrassed. Every woman I know has at least one story.

When I was young I worked nights at a computer lab. A patron was harrassing me, groping me. A male friend sat by and laughed. I drove the guy out with a spiked heel and had a security guard walk me to my car that night. After hearing the story, the guard walked me out every night after that.

And no, I never trusted that “friend” again.

A supervisor at work used to take me into his office to discuss various aspects of the job. His hands always managed to wander. I threatened to tell his boss and pointed out that his boss knew me. I received a bad review, but he never touched me again.

One of the nicest guys I went out on a date with tried to rape me. He was rich and good looking. My mother adored him. I was grateful for spiked heels.

I could go on. Even now — I’m a long way from my young and pretty days — there are men on this planet who feel they are entitled to grab me inappropriately and call it fun. No, I won’t shame them by naming names, but I hope a couple of them just had a moment of panic. Good. Remember that feeling.

It isn’t fun.

And to all of the men who find the stories on Twitter shocking — just know this: the women of the planet love you.