I am a woman in my early thirties and I work as a journalist that specializes in Sports and Local news. I can’t really count all the times that a man whom I was interviewing or asking for information to, has greeted me with something similar to “Hello gorgeous” or “beautiful” or “baby”. It happens so often… and at first, I felt bad because it bothered me.
A few months ago I had to call the press contact for a political group, who happened to be a man, a bit older than me. I didn’t expect this kind of behaviour because the group he represents supports the feminist movement and is pro-civil rights. But he promised to send me (by WhatsApp) some info that he could not provide at that moment. That’s when it began, probably because he saw my profile picture. Since then, every time we had to speak, by text or on the phone, he would start the conversation with a “hello gorgeous” and then proceed to try to talk me into going on a date.
I have told him that we can’t go on a date because our relationship is only professional and that I don’t feel comfortable with his behaviour, but he does not seem to understand it. And I feel so powerless because I told my boss and he told me not to make so much fuss about it because he wasn’t “doing anything wrong” and asked me to be nice to this guy.