Sexual harassment has become so commonplace in our society because attackers don’t receive any repercussions- we fool ourselves into believing it is harmless and unimportant, so predators feel comfortable attacking, women feel uncomfortable reporting, and the cycle continues. A group of guys making lewd comments to a bartender, maybe even grabbing her butt, is common and sometimes even expected behavior. While most people are aware that rape is a crime, many fail to consider less extreme cases of sexual harassment, like subtle touches and sexual remarks, to fall in the same category. This misguided way of thinking leads to a major problem. By treating cases of minor sexual harassment like they’re not a big deal, we both encourage predators to harass women and discourage victims from reporting their attacks- let alone speaking out publicly about them.
Fortunately, some do choose to take action and in doing so bring much needed attention to the issue, inspiring others to speak out as well. One such woman, Laura Ramadei, was recently sexually harassed by a customer at the New York restaurant where she works as a bartender, according to The Huffington Post. The accused customer both touched her butt without her permission and made a rude, sexual comment.
This time, however, a victim chose to let her voice be heard. Ramadei posted an “open letter” to her Facebook profile, where she called out her attacker by name, Brian Lederman and shamed him for what he did to her. She also used her letter as a means of education, hoping Lederman would “learn something about how hurtful and upsetting a small comment or gesture might be. Or at the very least, maybe a Facebook passerby will read this and more deeply consider how they treat women, how they treat servers, and/or how they treat people in general,” according to The Huffington Post. Ramadei’s letter forces readers to think about how the act and what affects their actions are capable of having. Viral posts like this one can be used as important weapons in the fight to end rape-culture, as they empower victims to take a stand.
Right here in Tampa, women are experiencing the same subtle encounters with sexual harassers as Ramadei. UT sophomore and pre-law student, Dani Johnson, is one such woman. Working as a server at a club in Ybor City for the past year, Johnson has witnessed and been involved in numerous instances of sexual harassment by clubgoers. She explained that customers will sometimes touch the servers and will make sexual comments “all the time, especially when there’s heavy drinking involved. A lot of the guys see the workers as an easy opportunity because they know we have to remain professional.” Men take advantage of the fact that it is difficult for a woman to fully retaliate while she is supposed to be working and making her customers happy. Add in poor judgment resulting from alcohol consumption, and the knowledge that potential consequences are doubtful and employees are in serious danger of sexual harassment.
Far too often victims of sexual assault feel their attack was not serious enough for them to do anything about it. The silence that is created allows men to continue harassing without ever being punished for it. Women like Ramadei are taking a stand against the rape-culture and for women everywhere by speaking out against their attackers.
Emily Silverman can be reached at emily.silverman@spartans.ut.edu