I'm Afraid of Men.

by Vivek Shraya

I’ve also witnessed gay men grabbing women’s breasts many times on the dance floor. When asked to stop, some have responded, “Don’t worry, I’m gay. I’m not into girls.” Not being into girls, however, is sometimes less about sexual preference and more about disdain. Is grabbing women’s breasts a way to make women feel unsafe and therefore keep them out of gay bars? When gay men have discovered I was dating a woman, many have declared how repulsive they find vaginas. Where is the line between supposed “playful touching” and grabbing women’s body parts as a manifestation of hatred, if not exclusion? Why is this different or more acceptable than violence enacted by straight men?