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This is really powerful, and everything you've said is right on. I'm the same age as you are, and, while I haven't experienced the level of sexual assault you have, I still had experiences when I was in my late teens and early 20s (in college, of course) that definitely qualified. Back then it was something that upset and angered me, but since it wasn't rape I just blew it off as something that's to be expected, like the wolf whistles/horn honks that I still get (this is not a humblebrag - I'm not that great), despite the fact I'm almost 54. All of your posts are great, but this one is definitely one of the reasons that I became a subscriber. Why can't men just keep their fucking hands to themselves? Why do they think they have a right to touch us without our permission? Why can't their parents (see, not blaming the mom, like some people would do!) teach them that this isn't OK? And, even more, why does ANY woman put up with this, or take the side of the men? In a lot of ways I think that the women who support this are actually worse than the men, because they're throwing other women under the bus. Gross.

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I remember living in Winnipeg after the École Polytechnique massacre—the raised awareness about violence against women, guys (myself included) wearing white to show unity (the slogan "Good Guys Wear White" sounds almost pathetic, now) and the feeling that this was going to be a turning point; things were going to change. But things don't change until people change, and some people won't change unless it's beaten into them. I don't think violence is the answer, but it's frequently a step on the path to the solution (and I'm not getting in the way of Eltahawy's fists, that's for damn sure–"hubby" is a wise man!)

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