There’s some important stuff happening on Jen Kirkman’s Twitter page today. The comedian and author, a consummate advocate for women’s issues, started the day off talking about #notallmen, a sort of mansplaining hashtag that occasionally makes the rounds in an attempt to remind people that, hey, not all men are shitbags. While that’s true and all, Kirkman points out that “every woman [has] experienced street harassment even in broad daylight by ‘normal men.’” She has since been retweeting every incident someone’s tweeted at her. The resulting feed has been a depressing slog through one vile experience after another—and a somewhat eye-opening and educational experience for Kirkman’s male followers, some of whom didn’t appear to realize that this happens every single damn day.
Here’s just a sample of the anecdotes Kirkman has received:
@JenKirkman walking to school aged 13, man pulls up in car and tells me I’m “too beautiful to go to school”
— Nadia (@NadiaKamil) April 4, 2016
@JenKirkman I was walking alone at night and a car full of teenage boys slowed down and said to each other “would you fuck that”? “Nah”!
— paula (@96cents) April 4, 2016
Should any of this seem inconsequential—it’s not—Kirkman recommends people follow the Twitter account @EverydaySexism. And she goes on to add:
Again any time you read my timeline and think “so what” what if straight cis dudes did this to other straight cis dudes. Does it happen?
— Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) April 4, 2016
Men go talk to your daughters. Get off Twitter for the day and stop trying to get my attention. They’re been harassed if they’re 2 and older
— Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) April 4, 2016
And what do you do in your community to teach boys? Not enough anymore to teach girls self defense. https://t.co/dUqX2kxJMP
— Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) April 4, 2016
Don’t ask women “seriously?” Where have you been! The info is out there. No more being dumb guys. Enough!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/HLlgV9fZzF
— Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) April 4, 2016