Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!cires!nbires!opus!dbb From: dbb@opus.UUCP (David B. Bordeau) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Crassness in the workplace Message-ID: <898@opus.UUCP> Date: Mon, 15-Oct-84 16:35:57 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.898 Posted: Mon Oct 15 16:35:57 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 18-Oct-84 06:47:07 EDT References: <411@homxa.UUCP>, <353@cepu.UUCP> <2017@randvax.UUCP> Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO Lines: 22 > The man in the elevator got just what he was looking for: a reaction > to his verbal assault. The best thing may well have been to treat > him as if he didn't exist, or as if he hadn't said anything. > > And it would be damn tough to do this; I doubt if I could hide my > disgust and anger. But I've known (though not for long) men who make > these sorts of verbal assaults, and I know what they're thinking: > ``look at how I can make this woman squirm, and she can't do a thing > about it!'' It's sexual violence, pure and simple. The sorts of > reactions that might humiliate him if he were in a group of men won't > work--you can't humiliate him when he's already proven that he has no > respect for anyone else present. > > By the way, not only is verbal sexual assault against the rules at many > employers, it is against the law in several states (albeit for rather > paternalistic motivations). I kinda doubt such laws are enforced much > (except when someone propositions the sheriff's wife :-) ). > > -Ed Hall > decvax!randvax!edhall *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***