Usual

I was in a busy club looking for my friends outside in the courtyard. A guy either smacked me or kicked me on the bum. I turned around and glared at him feeling humiliated, insecure and pissed off.

The thing that annoys me now when I think of this incident is the fact that I wasn’t even that surprised. Initially, I was shocked but the very fact that it went completely unacknowledged by the many other people standing outside shows just how common this is. This is not okay. My body is my own – not anyone else’s. Deliberately assaulting anyone’s body without their permission is disgusting but it happens all the fucking time. In this scenario, I was wearing jeans, trainers and a normal top: nothing even remotely revealing. I hate it when those who believe rape culture is over-exaggerated or doesn’t exist describe girls who dress in revealing clothing as providing signals which suggest they are seeking sexual attention. If they are, then cool, that’s there choice, but this is NOT an invitation for whoever fancies it to humiliate or exploit them.

No means no. But unprovoked assaults, no matter what she is wearing, are just plain wrong. You shouldn’t need someone to tell you “no” after it’s happened. If I want to go out wearing nothing but a swimming costume and high heels I should be able to without the fear of some creep giving me undesired sexual attention.