CN

Almost daily in London, men yell “compliments” at me that feel aggressive and demeaning. I heard a comedian once explain my reaction to these instances perfectly. She said something along the lines of, “When men go out, they don’t have to think about the fact that they have a body. Women, on the other hand, are forced to remember that they have a body and feel conscious of this at all times, especially when comments like this are hurled at them. It causes a strange, uncomfortable extra layer of awareness.” I always say something back, and I am always made fun of, like I’m just a silly woman.