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Feminism: chat

Groping/ unwanted hands in photos & social events?

3 replies

SandyThumb · 05/07/2023 10:45

This BBC news story about predatory behaviour in Westminster suddenly opened my eyes to something I've always felt uncomfortable about, but never really articulated to anyone before. In particular this bit:

Ms Varley, who works as a parliamentary aide to Tory MP, Dehenna Davison, said incidents can include a "hand on the hip in a social setting".
"I [often think] am I reading too much into this? Are you just being friendly or are you touching me because you think you can?" she added.

Over the years I've always felt deeply uncomfortable at work and even with wider family settings when there's a group photo being taken and suddenly some bloke is grabbing me round the waist to 'pull me into the photo' Hmm or draping an arm over my shoulder (with a hand dangling a bit to close to my breast) or in the small of my back (a bit too close to my bottom).

Apart from the unwanted touch thing, it seems there's also a power thing at play, as once someone puts an arm around you, they become the 'dominant' player as it were. It's funny to watch politicians playing this game -two men will shake hands, but then one will put a hand on the others shoulder and 'pull' him in towards him.

Anyone else have a similar feeling/ reaction these days?

OP posts:
agent765 · 05/07/2023 15:15

I feel the same.

Many years ago I was asked to join a friend and her husband for a photo. The husband stood in the middle with an arm around each of us. He slid his arm around and groped the side of my breast.

I've wished so many times I'd pulled away and called out his behaviour. I kept quiet for my friend's sake but she divorced him a few years later for his affairs anyway.

Things are changing but not fast enough.

SandyThumb · 05/07/2023 16:48

I used to work in a corporate environment with lots of awaydays/ training sessions and there was always a group photo at the end. I still have some of them, and when I look back at them now they are positively cringeworthy because it's so blatantly obvious! And it's the same males doing the clutching, groping and hands draping around numerous women. Yuk!
And yet somehow we just had to put up with it.

OP posts:
Titerama · 06/07/2023 20:47

No one talks about this much - it’s very normalised. But I hate it, and will do all sorts of manoeuvres to stay out of reach of blokes in this situation.

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