I was waiting for the subway, and it was just arriving. I look to my right and this buff guy was heading in my direction with another guy. He clearly looked at me and gave me a degrading head swivel, so I turned around quickly. He was unhesitant and told the group of veiled women next to me “sa7betek di amar. AMAR.” As if he was talking to someone about a nearby object. Everyone froze and looked at eachother. I go into the subway in the women’s section and I’m thibking about it for the next 10-20 mins, thinking that no matter how I reacted and no matter how I would react if he were to do anything to me, he already made me scared and he saw it and enjoyed it and that already made me feel like an object. I would want revenge. Then I look to my left and the same guy was sitting pressed up against the subway window in the mixed section staring right at me and not moving. Thankfully he got off at an earlier station, but I went home and cried because when I told my dad about it, he told me “someone telling you inty amar is not sexual harassment” and called me thin-skinned. I know I sound clear-minded writing this, which tends to make people think the situation is resolved, but I actually think of myself in pretty objectified ways right now. Especially because this was after a long bad day, and I had gotten lost in the subway. I feel like my vulnerability is something to naturally be preyed on.

3 expressions of support.