A freedom fighter in the comments section of “A Dandy’s Guide to Girl Watching.” Pointed there by Marisa, who wrote, “A lot of opportunities for real movement work happening in this comments section.”

I am going to say this “out loud,” if you don’t mind.  
 
Actually, I am going to say this “out loud” even if you *do* mind, as that actually goes to my point.  
 
There are some things, most especially in a *free* society in a *free* country, that some people will do that others do not like or want. They don’t have to like or want it - that is the nature of *freedom*.  One of the things all might consider people do, in point of fact in less free countries as well, is look upon one another as they pass by on the streets, in the office, wherever. For those who throw around words like “humanity” - apparently meaning it in another sense entirely - know that “humanity” fully encompasses and indeed requires “sexuality” in order to work, which is to say in order to actually survive and remain “human.”

So. If we are in this instance going to narrow things down to men vs. women, then this: Not everything “men” do will be approved of by “women” (quotes because this need *not* be applied simply to a “men vs women” scenario, indeed fits in many places, once again, in a *free* country).

We do not *ask for* nor do we *need* your approval to look at you in public places. If someone is “leering” at you you may have cause, and of course that means the craziest of the bunch (are you a woman, damian orkla? - tho you need not be) may well call us out for the simple act of our eyes having crossed paths just because they *can* rather than because they have any right to do so, but otherwise who do you think you are kidding here? Men should not look at women? Maybe you think they should be as “human” as they must but shouldn’t talk about it with one another?

I do not need your approval to look at you if you are walking by me in the street. Full stop.

Maybe comment organizing is the new community organizing! One could visit streetharassment.org or the street harassment project or other various places on the google for educational purposes, if one wanted. One would be a man, since women kind of already know what street harassment is. USian women might benefit by noting it’s not a US-only prob, of course—here’s a blog post about it happening in Egypt. Gross.