Another aspect of sexual harassment is intense and shameless staring. Today, I sat down on a bench to relax and read a book, and a man was staring at me from afar. When I looked at him like wtf he did not let up. I just displaced myself and left the area, only to travel 1 hour to another part of town and have it happen again the moment I sat down on another public bench to rest.

It is OK to admire someone. But when that person notices, you either avert your gaze, or say hello/give them a compliment and if they don’t want to engage, leave them alone. Otherwise it is harassment.

Everyone knows it’s aggressive to stare without even attempting to make a connection, and to persist when the subject of your gaze shows you how uncomfortable they are. Especially when you’re a grown ass man.

If men regularly did this to other men, there would be a lot of fighting. The way men stare at me feels like an expression of entitlement and authority.