Creepy Man Rant

Let me first say, how much I love being a girl. However, there is one downside to being a woman. I can’t tell you how much I HATE the way some men feel like they have to objectify women and treat us as sexual objects. I think it’s pretty bad in the U.S. but I feel this is even worse in Spain.

When I go out clubbing I’m always apprehensive about telling a guy I’m from the U.S. because they automatically think I’m a dumb slut and that I’ll sleep with them that night. I can’t tell you how many times a guy says, “I go home with you?” No. No you’re not.

In the words of Fergie, “Don’t pull on my hand boy, you ain’t my man boy, I’m just tryin’ to dance boy…” and you know the rest.

All of this is somewhat annoying, but last night I was jolted because someone followed me home.

I was really lazy yesterday. I dressed in sweats and I only left the house once to go buy band-aids. I also didn’t feel like cooking. I was undecided if I wanted to get a doner kebab or a slice of pizza for dinner. Eventually the kebab won and I walked a little ways down the street to the shop that the nice, older man owns.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t there and in his place were two younger looking arab/tukish/middle eastern men (yes there is a difference between all three but that’s a story for aother time). I walk in order and the darker, better looking one did not stop staring at me. I could tell that both of them were talking about me because they both kept looking at me as they were talking in Arabic. They asked me if I was an actress because I looked like someone famous (seriously, can’t you come up with better pick up lines)? Then when I started speaking English, they seemed surprised.

Creepy dudes: You speak English?

Me: Sí. Soy de los Estados Unidos

Creepy dudes: Really? You speak English? You look Latin.

This started the ever-tiresome conversation I have with all the locals about how I’m from New Mexico and how my dad is brown and my ancestors were from Spain.

I can’t tell you how tired I am of explaining this to Europeans.

Anyway as this is happening the better looking, but creepier dude won’t stop staring at me. Some other guy called him to the back for a few minutes, and then he goes outside to use his phone. I got my food and left. 

I had a weird feeling in my gut, so I took my keys out so I could get in my building faster. Turns out that was a good idea. When I was waiting for the elevator, I heard a knock on the glass door; it was the creepy guy.

Thank God the elevator door opened at that moment! I closed it as fast as I could and when I got to my apartment, I locked the door and closed the blinds in the living room.

Never in my entire life have I been followed before. It was very nerve-wracking.

Since when has it been okay to do things like this? Why is it okay to just follow someone home? That doesn’t seem creepy at all… I just really fed up with all this sketchy behavior from men in this country.

 

Just because I’m an American does not mean I’m a slut. Just because I’m a girl does not mean that it’s okay to treat me like I’m less of a person, and it is never okay under any circumstance to follow someone home!