Women of USMB.....How many of you have been sexually harassed?

[EvilCat Breath]

Using today's standards, I was sexually harassed a remarkable number of times. In the 60s and 70s it was part of the work environment.

One job interview, the employer said "I see that you are married. How serious are you about that?' That interview was over pretty quick.

In another one, for a Japanese medical company, I was told straight up that entertaining the Japanese owners was part of the job description.

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

The time I was groped, seriously and forcefully, it was a lesbian coworker.

So, I really find these current complaints rather amusing. These women don't know what heavy lifting is.

 

[mudwhistle]

Why does harassment of men never come up?
Nobody gives a shit until the man was to return the favor, then they deserve to lose constitutional rights, their reputation and possibly their job from being in jail.

I was sexually-harassed at work a few years ago...by a gay guy.
Because I wasn't on the down-low he decided to go around accusing me of racism.
He ended up finding another job when he realized he had made a mistake by starting shit with me.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Years ago as I was walking through the mall parking lot after shopping with a friend, this young man asked me directions. I told him but he claimed not to hear me. He asked if I could come closer. I did, and saw that he was masturbating. The poor guy. I jumped on the hood of the car and yelled 'Hey everybody, come on over here and take a look at this guy's little pecker." My friend immediately came. The boy tried to get away but I was on the hood and my friend was hanging on the door. We both started yelling, calling people over to look at this guy's tiny dick, which was really tiny by then.

The boy started to cry and begged us to let him go. He promised never to do it again.

 

[mudwhistle]

Using today's standards, I was sexually harassed a remarkable number of times. In the 60s and 70s it was part of the work environment.

One job interview, the employer said "I see that you are married. How serious are you about that?' That interview was over pretty quick.

In another one, for a Japanese medical company, I was told straight up that entertaining the Japanese owners was part of the job description.

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

The time I was groped, seriously and forcefully, it was a lesbian coworker.

So, I really find these current complaints rather amusing. These women don't know what heavy lifting is.

All this time I thought you were a guy.

 

[pismoe]

ADULT woman should be able to take care of herself , the only place i cut any woman any slack is in the case of FORCIBLE rape where the Probable male rapist is usually bigger and stronger . Course for that possibility i think that women should carry a gun and know how to use it !!

 

[Sunni Man]

At the company I word for there was an older mexican guy named Louie that everyone knew and liked. He would constantly flirt and hit on every woman in the place. He would openly say things to them like, "spend one night with me and you will divorce your husband", or "you look soo sexy in that outfit, let's go to my place". All the women would just laugh and tell him that he was too old to even have sex, or was like a dog chasing a car and wouldn't know what to do if he caught it. Just playful workplace banter that made the day go by quicker.

One of the women that would play along with Louie was a tough talking foul mouth biker mamma. Her and Louie had worked together in the same area of the factory for over a dozen years. She, like all of the other women, played along with Louie's flirting, and always had a funny response to his harmless sexual innuendos.

But one day, for some unknown reason, she went to HR and filed a sexual harassment complain against Louie.

No one could believe it, and the old guy came within and inch of loosing the job he had worked at for over 20 years.

Which validates the saying, "Bitches be crazy". .....

 

[Michelle420]

In my discussions with women, most have stories of times they have been sexually harassed to varying degrees

It can range from rude statements to touching to near rape

How did you handle it?
Would you prefer to just handle it yourself or do you encourage society to get involved?
What do you think should be done with the men?

I developed early for my age so mine was when I was younger.

When I was 11 on a camping trip my best friends dad a single father french kissed me goodnight and petted me. Didn't tell anyone.

My 6th-grade teacher would keep me and my best friend after school and have us come to his desk to go over tests we failed. He touched us under our shirts and would touch our butts too I was 12. We didn't tell anyone.

When I babysat for someone at my moms church, the dad got me drunk and tried to have sex with me but I threw up all over him and it stopped I was 13.

When I was married my husband best friends came over to get us high and kept trying to kiss me and grope me and I told my husband at the time.

Before I dropped out of society to go to school I had a boss who paid me on company time to take her mom to doctors appointments. After a while, she started pressuring me to date her brother and I didn't want to. It became such a problem that I quit that job and I had been there 6 years. Didn't report it.

As far as jokey sexual comments goes I've heard both men and women tell them and depending on who it was and the context at time I joked too. I never told on anyone but got sent to HR for a joke I told that someone heard in the break room.

 

[pismoe]

i pretty much do as VP Mike PENCE does and have been doing that all my life , My DAD taught me many years ago with his proper interaction with females .

 

[ChrisL]

It's annoying that people think they can just harass people at work though, like in drifter's story above. I would say, look, I am here to work and earn money, not for dates. Maybe that's not illegal, but that doesn't mean that person isn't an ass either!

 

[evenflow1969]

Sexual harassment - or behavior that a "victim" might believe is sexual harassment - is ubiquitous.

"In that outfit, you look good enough to eat!"

Is that sexual harassment? Would many women feel flattered by the remark? Would that depend on who is making it?

I have known many women at work (when I worked) who assumed that certain "slights" were because they were a woman, when the fact was the slights were because of their job performance, competence, or attitude, and had nothing to do with gender.

But let's be honest, how many women today are in positions of power and authority that they have no business being in, just because "Management" wanted to elevate a woman? Chiefs of Police? Heads of departments? They are all over the place.

I have had female bosses that were good and had them that were bad. Same goes for the men. People of all races, creeds, gender, and religions get over promoted. As far as harrassment goes it is about power. I have had women come on to strong but did not feel harrassed because they were n ot capable of taking what they wanted! So no fear!! Hard to feel harrased when no fear is involved.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Right after I got married, a truly spectacularly sensual secretary was flirting with me and said that "we would make such gorgeous children". I never reported the incident, but thought about it many times in the twilight realm of my own secret thoughts

 

[SeaGal]

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

I didn't experience any of the other scenarios you mentioned - but this one, with the exception of a nasty old man checking for runs, was the norm in my workplace in '69-'70. Our hourly rate was lower than men - and no pants. Tight mini-skirts?...not a problem. Before I left - pants suits became acceptable. Remember the polyester pant suit, of one fabric and color with tunic top?...only caveat - the tunic top had to be fingertip length, with arms extended straight down.

 

[emilynghiem]

In my discussions with women, most have stories of times they have been sexually harassed to varying degrees

It can range from rude statements to touching to near rape

How did you handle it?
Would you prefer to just handle it yourself or do you encourage society to get involved?
What do you think should be done with the men?

BOTH
the people involved should address it one on one for maximum responsibility and effectiveness

And if it involves or affects other people or relations, such as professionally or politically, then the same resolution process should apply to others that are affected by both the abuses and the corrections!
Where everyone benefits and such problems can be prevented and addressed effectively in the future.

 

[ChrisL]

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

I didn't experience any of the other scenarios you mentioned - but this one, with the exception of a nasty old man checking for runs, was the norm in my workplace in '69-'70. Our hourly rate was lower than men - and no pants. Tight mini-skirts?...not a problem. Before I left - pants suits became acceptable. Remember the polyester pant suit, of one fabric and color with tunic top?...only caveat - the tunic top had to be fingertip length, with arms extended straight down.

Well, you see, I've grown up in a different era. Since I've been working, nobody would ever be able to get away with such a thing! I suppose that depends on where you work. Hooters anyone? But it's different if you choose to work at a place like Hooters. You are told what to expect and you know what that is all about. When you are in an office or other professional type of job, such things are not acceptable in that environment nowadays. It's all about professionalism, so workplace harassment is definitely obviously much more rare nowadays than back in the 60s and 70s.

 

[rightwinger]

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

I didn't experience any of the other scenarios you mentioned - but this one, with the exception of a nasty old man checking for runs, was the norm in my workplace in '69-'70. Our hourly rate was lower than men - and no pants. Tight mini-skirts?...not a problem. Before I left - pants suits became acceptable. Remember the polyester pant suit, of one fabric and color with tunic top?...only caveat - the tunic top had to be fingertip length, with arms extended straight down.

Well, you see, I've grown up in a different era. Since I've been working, nobody would ever be able to get away with such a thing! I suppose that depends on where you work. Hooters anyone? But it's different if you choose to work at a place like Hooters. You are told what to expect and you know what that is all about. When you are in an office or other professional type of job, such things are not acceptable in that environment nowadays. It's all about professionalism, so workplace harassment is definitely obviously much more rare nowadays than back in the 60s and 70s.

Actually, I think Hooters has strict standards for harassing the staff for both employees and customers
At a go-go bar, it would be different

 

[ChrisL]

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

I didn't experience any of the other scenarios you mentioned - but this one, with the exception of a nasty old man checking for runs, was the norm in my workplace in '69-'70. Our hourly rate was lower than men - and no pants. Tight mini-skirts?...not a problem. Before I left - pants suits became acceptable. Remember the polyester pant suit, of one fabric and color with tunic top?...only caveat - the tunic top had to be fingertip length, with arms extended straight down.

Well, you see, I've grown up in a different era. Since I've been working, nobody would ever be able to get away with such a thing! I suppose that depends on where you work. Hooters anyone? But it's different if you choose to work at a place like Hooters. You are told what to expect and you know what that is all about. When you are in an office or other professional type of job, such things are not acceptable in that environment nowadays. It's all about professionalism, so workplace harassment is definitely obviously much more rare nowadays than back in the 60s and 70s.

Actually, I think Hooters has strict standards for harassing the staff for both employees and customers
At a go-go bar, it would be different

Well yes, for harassing them of course. I was more referring to the dress codes.

 

[SeaGal]

One nasty old man had a rule. No long pants at work. Skirts and dresses only with no runs in the panty hose and he had inspections to make sure there were no above the knee runs.

I didn't experience any of the other scenarios you mentioned - but this one, with the exception of a nasty old man checking for runs, was the norm in my workplace in '69-'70. Our hourly rate was lower than men - and no pants. Tight mini-skirts?...not a problem. Before I left - pants suits became acceptable. Remember the polyester pant suit, of one fabric and color with tunic top?...only caveat - the tunic top had to be fingertip length, with arms extended straight down.

Well, you see, I've grown up in a different era. Since I've been working, nobody would ever be able to get away with such a thing! I suppose that depends on where you work. Hooters anyone? But it's different if you choose to work at a place like Hooters. You are told what to expect and you know what that is all about. When you are in an office or other professional type of job, such things are not acceptable in that environment nowadays. It's all about professionalism, so workplace harassment is definitely obviously much more rare nowadays than back in the 60s and 70s.

That's because us old girls smoothed the way for you young'uns.

As I said, other than dress code and unequal pay - I didn't experience anything that I would call harassment, or even bad taste. Not that there weren't office flirtations among some - but the men weren't all that aggressive - if a hint was ignored or ill received it wasn't repeated, and vice versa. We joked with adult humor - but no one took offense.

edit - for clarity - rather than 'not aggressive' a better description might be 'respectful' - the men I worked with and for treated me with respect. However, the company I worked for would not hire married women. You weren't fired if you later married, but only singles were hired.

Ladies, we've made a lot of progress in 40 years.

 

[bodecea]

In my discussions with women, most have stories of times they have been sexually harassed to varying degrees

It can range from rude statements to touching to near rape

How did you handle it?
Would you prefer to just handle it yourself or do you encourage society to get involved?
What do you think should be done with the men?

Yes...kind of hard to "handle" it when I'm a LT and the harasser is a CAPT....Shoemaker...CO of Naval Support Forces Antarctica...just avoid him as possible.

 

[Michelle420]

The power dynamic makes it hard to report. In my case, I was afraid to tell.

 

[rightwinger]

In my discussions with women, most have stories of times they have been sexually harassed to varying degrees

It can range from rude statements to touching to near rape

How did you handle it?
Would you prefer to just handle it yourself or do you encourage society to get involved?
What do you think should be done with the men?

Yes...kind of hard to "handle" it when I'm a LT and the harasser is a CAPT....Shoemaker...CO of Naval Support Forces Antarctica...just avoid him as possible.

Funny how many Generals are being demoted for just the same thing