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 ***