Something small can ruin a ton

Male bashing will get you no where. It will not make progress.

I repeat this to myself whenever I have a negative interaction with a human that identifies as a male.

I have Men on Monday posts to recognize the men that stand up for women, that support feminist issues and to make sure that I am not excluding them from these movements.

We all have our own qualities that will help the movement ot women and equality.

Men help the women's movement.

But yesterday, was the last Monday I will write Men On Mondays on a regular basis. I had an incident where I realized I am tired of the disrespect I get from certain anonymous males. Anonymous because I do not know them. They know what they are doing is wrong and they do it anyway.

A day this spring, I was running down by the river. And I heard a whistle. When I looked back to give this individual a dirty look, his tongue was out like a dog.

Last week, my sister and I were trying to have a good day out and we were followed and harassed by a guy in a prison outfit. No lie. He offered us candy and didn't want us to walk alone.

Then yesterday, I was walking home from grocery shopping. I walked past a guy who thought it was in his business to grab my ass...

It wasn't his business.

And lets just say that I am surrounded by disrespectful males who think it is their business to tell me that I can not do something in my life. Or should do something in my life.

I have been in relationships with males who are controlling and think that it's okay that they are. Because I am 'theirs.'

I am not yours. I do not care if you're my friend, man friend, boyfriend, or husband. I do not care what relationship I have with you. I am me. I am no one elses. I am my own person.

And my body is my own. And if I let you touch it once, good for you. But that does not give you the pass to keep touching it. If you are a stranger to me, you better keep your hands to yourself because I am not guaranteeing that you will have them back if you touch me.

To my male readers, hold others of your same gender to the same expectations you hold yourself. If you see a fellow male disrespecting a women, say something. They will listen to you, not to me.

I hope Men on Mondays will come back in the future. But right now, I can not bare myself from recognizing the even small part of good males I meet and interact with on a personal/professional basis. If I continue to write Men On Mondays, I feel like I am supporting the enemy. Even though I am not.