New York, NY — Nearly 32,000 people have liked Christen Brandt’s Facebook post, and thousands more have shared the image of her standing, holding a cup of coffee bundled up in a scarf, parka, tights, and boots.
Brandt said she was walking through a crowded subway station when a stranger catcalled her and commented on her appearance.
She says in part:
“A man passing by me said, ‘Damn, you have some great legs.'”
When I ignored him and kept walking, he turned around to follow me, to get closer, even as I was moving away. ‘Did you hear me, honey? I said you have nice legs. Damn! Thank you.'”
“It was the ‘thank you’ that got me,” she continues. “As if my 5 inches of legging-covered skin were there for him. Given as a gift, wrapped in brown tights. Existing in the world for him to appreciate, or not.”
Brandt is the co-founder of She’s The First, a nonprofit that sponsors education for girls in low-income countries.
By posting about her experience, she asked her friends to consider the impact women’s clothing choices have on how they are treated in public.
She wrote:
“All women have these moments. All of us. And yet the world acts as if it’s still our problem to fix.”
Brandt’s message has struck a chord with thousands, and dozens of commenters have echoed her sentiment.
One Facebook user commented:
“Yup. This is not at all surprising. Happens all the time, and I am sure way more than we notice.”
