Do you know who’s not surprised? Women.

It really sucks finding out someone you liked and respected is capable of manipulative and terribly demeaning acts. For me, I took Louie CK personally. I was a huge fan, and now my all-time favorite stand-up comedian was fucking sleazebag the whole time. I can’t even say I am surprised, but I was definitely not prepared for that. I can imagine what those women must have gone through when they simply wanted, or more likely needed to keep their job. I’ve survived similar pieces of shit who used their power as a form of abuse, sexual and otherwise.

It has since snowballed. There’s a new disappointment to deal with every day. I had to take a break because I was taking it all too personally. I was taking it personally because I can relate from my own experience simply by having lived as a woman on this planet for 43 years and it has **always** been a fact of life.

If men are nervous about their interactions with women, here’s a tip: Just keep your dick in your pants and your hands to yourself. Also, try not to make everything about your dick. How a woman is dressed has nothing to do with you or your precious junk.

That may seem like a no brainer, but this is what I have experienced for the majority of my life, since I was 12. Fucking 12 for Christ’s sake. Men leering, brushing up against me, following me too closely just so they can stare at my ass, making anywhere from low-key to altogether fucked-up inappropriate comments. I’ve left many a parking lot looking over my shoulder and deviating my route back home.

And that’s in public. It does not include my experience in the workplace. It is also one of the main reasons I have worked from home for 20 years now, where I can avoid smiling politely and simultaneously trying to find the nearest escape route while my coworker, or worse, my boss does something that makes me feel sick to my stomach for the rest of the day, week, month, or more. Depending on the scale.

Dudes, listen up… This is important. If you’re worried about your very sincere intentions and interactions being misconstrued and interpreted as something overtly sexual and thus inviting an unwanted reaction, now you have a glimpse into what women have been going through. Every fucking day, if not several times a day. Forever. I mean all of fucking history. Consider yourself lucky. And if you’re not being a lewd prick, we’re good. Get your shit together if you haven’t already. It’s not hard to figure out.

Here’s another helpful tip: Women know the difference between a sincere compliment and someone who’s being disgusting. How? Years of training.

At least, in the vast majority of cases, you only have to worry about your reputation and not more critical elements like being threatened, intimidated, overpowered, sexually assaulted, or worse. At least you don’t have to worry about your safety and well-being at the same time. You usually don’t have to worry about your life literally being on the line, not just your ego and reputation. I know there are exceptions and men have suffered too, but that is not the point of this post so don’t come at me with your whataboutisms. Try to stay focused.

So… Cases are cropping up everywhere, everyday, all the fucking time, and it might seem startling, to some. The never-ending prevalence of this particular problem might seem shocking, to some. Probably not most women. We have lived with this ever present danger for most if not all of our lives. The good news is it is coming to light, and we are finally starting to see repercussions. It’s a start. Also, there is strength in numbers. We will not go away quietly. Not anymore. We are fucking done with this shit.