Blog #11

 

 

      While I experience many different privileges in different aspects of my identity, I do face notable struggles as a woman. One particular instance happened just around a year ago, when I was boothing for the Vagina Monologues. The Vagina Monologues is a play consisting of various monologues regarding some aspect of having a vagina. As a whole, the play is meant to paint a picture of the struggles and triumphs related to people’s gender identities, so I find it somewhat ironic that I experienced this unpleasant situation while selling tickets for the show.

 

I was working the booth, calling out to try to grab people’s attention and entice them to buy a ticket when a middle-aged man in a suit walked past. I called out to him as I would any other, saying, “You should come see the show! It’s lots of fun!” Without missing a beat, the man turned, leered at me, and suggestively replied, “Oh, I bet it is.” In that moment, I realized that there was very little I could do to properly respond. I wanted to reply to him and let him know that his inappropriate comment is unacceptable, but I couldn’t get the words out. I knew that no matter what I said, it would be inadequate and wouldn’t have the intended effect. I feared that I would be dismissed as an Angry Feminist™ or a shrill, offended woman. It was frustrating to be held back by the fear of being misinterpreted or dismissed or otherwise unvalued due to my gender, especially as the philosophy of the Monologues is to promote gender equality.