ion
      in...
     
     
      Wom
      journalism
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ell,
      here
      we
      are
      back
      for
      another
      year
      of
      the
      X-Press.
      My
      hopes
     
     
      Wi:
      this
      year
      as
      women’s
      editor
      are
      not
      only
      to
      write
      about
      what
     
     
      |
      believe
      are
      women’s
      issues,
      but
      to
      get
      other
      women
      to
      write
     
    

    
     
      about
      the
      issues
      that
      affect
      them.
     
    

    
     
      What
      is
      a
      “women’s
      issue”,
      you
      may
      ask?
      My
      answer
      to
      that
      is
      another
     
     
      question:
      what
      isn’t
      a
      women’s
      issue?
      A
      women’s
      issue
      is
      anything
      that
     
     
      affects
      even
      one
      woman.
      Women
      face
      many
      obstacles
      in
      their
      voyages
     
     
      through
      life
      and
      must
      wage
      a
      war
      to
      get
      anything,
      ranging
      from
      the
      vote
     
     
      to
      basic
      equality,
      in
      their
      struggle
      to
      advance
      in
      the
      patriarchal
      society
      we
     
     
      call
      home.
      Life
      for
      a
      woman
      is
      an
      endless
      struggle-
      we
      try
      to
      find
      ourselves
     
     
      as
      women
      in
      a
      male-dominated
      society.
     
    

    
     
      The
      key
      to
      identity
      as
      a
      woman
      is
      voice-
      we
      as
      women
      must
      share
     
     
      experience
      and
      cooperate
      to
      solve
      the
      problems
      we
      encounter.
      The
     
     
      sharing
      of
      experience
      through
      written
      media
      allows
      for
      more
      widespread
     
     
      sharing
      of
      experience
      among
      women.
      The
      problem
      with
      getting
      women
     
     
      writers
      into
      the
      student
      press
      appears
      to
      be
      women’s
      lack
      of
      willingness
     
     
      to
      express
      their
      experience
      in
      the
      written
      media.
      |
      truly
      hope
      that
      there
     
     
      area
      few
      brave
      souls
      willing
      to
      contribute
      their
      opinions
      and
      experiences
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      the
      X-Press
      for
      all
      UPEl
      women
      to
      share.
      This
      year,
      I’ve
      decided
      to
     
     
      make
      a
      few
      changes
      to
      the
      “Women’s
      Issues”
      section
      of
      the
      X-Press.
      The
     
     
      first
      andmost
      noticeable
      change
      is
      our
      deciding
      that,
      unlike
      previous
      years,
     
     
      the
      women’s
      section
      will
      not
      be
      divided
      from
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      paper
      in
      its
     
     
      own
      titled
      section.
      In
      past
      years
      our
      stories
      have
      run
      under
      titles,
      such
     
     
      as
      Campus
      Women,
      which
      does
      not
      seem
      fair
      since
      all
      issues
      are
      people
     
     
      issues,
      not
      sex
      specific.
      It
      is
      not
      enough
      for
      women
      to
      share
      their
     
     
      experiences
      with
      other
      women;
      men,
      too
      must
      be
      included
      and
      allowed
     
     
      to
      understand
      the
      female
      experience.
     
    

    
     
      The
      other
      change!
      hope
      to
      see
      in
      this
      section
      is
      that
      instead
      of
      always
     
     
      reading
      my
      opinion,
      or
      CUP
      material,
      you
      the
      readers
      will
      add
      your
      ideas
     
     
      and
      opinions
      to
      the
      ones
      we
      already
      have.
      So,
      what
      is
      it
      we
      need?
     
     
      Anything!
      As
      women,
      we
      face
      everyday
      difficulties
      like
      violence,
      sexual
     
     
      assault
      and
      harassment,
      and
      the
      like-
      so
      write
      about
      it-
      what
      happened,
     
     
      how
      did
      you
      handle
      it?
      Read
      a
      good
      book
      about
      a
      woman
      or
      women
      and
     
     
      write
      a
      review.
      If
      you’re
      involved
      in
      a
      women’s
      group,
      write
      about
      what
     
     
      you
      doand
      why.
      If
      you
      havea
      pet
      project-
      gender
      neutral
      language,
      women
     
     
      in
      business,
      whatever-
      write
      an
      article
      on
      it.
      Enlighten
      the
      other
      people
     
     
      who
      could
      be
      affected
      by
      it.
      The
      one
      stipulation
      is
      that
      all
      the
      submission
     
     
      policies
      of
      the
      X-Press
      do
      apply
      (see
      the
      inside
      cover
      for
      details).
      If
      you
     
     
      are
      interested
      in
      writing
      about
      women’s
      issues,
      just
      drop
      in
      at
      the
      office
     
     
      (Room
      06
      Main
      building)
      or
      call
      us
      at
      566-0629.
     
    

    
     
      CA
      Schneider
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      this
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      One
      day
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
      summer
      of
      1989,
      |
      was
      walking
      out
     
     
      to
      U
      Lot
      one
      friday
      late
      in
      the
      afternoon.
      As
      |
      approached
      University
     
     
      Centre,
      |
      noticed
      a
      guy
      loitering
      on
      the
      ramp
      going
      down
      to
      the
      concourse
     
     
      level.
      Well,
      |
      guess
      he
      followed
      me
      into
      University
      Centre.
      Not
      many
     
     
      people
      were
      in
      UC
      at
      this
      time
      --
      |
      remember
      that.
      |
      went
      up
      to
      the
      plaza
     
     
      level
      next
      to
      MPR.
      As
      |
      was
      going
      down
      the
      stairs
      near
      the
      bookstore,
      |
     
     
      heard
      someone
      whistle
      at
      me.
      |
      turned
      around
      and
      there
      was
      the
      same
     
     
      guy,
      standing
      in
      the
      hallway
      next
      to
      Travel
      Cuts
      with
      his
      pants
      down
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “aberror
      ote
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ning.
      He
      had
      no
      cover
      on
     
     
      by
      cecile
      foster
     
    
   
   
    
     
      O
      kay,
      so
      here
      it
      is.
      One
      of
      my
      horror
      stories
      about
      being
      a
      woman
     
    
   
   
    
     
      his
      face.
      |
      probably
      gave
     
     
      him
      the
      reaction
      he
     
     
      wanted
      --
      fear
      and
      sur-
     
     
      prise.
      |
      turned
      around
     
     
      quickly
      and
      left
      the
      cen-
     
     
      tre.
      |
      did
      not
      report
      this
     
     
      incident.
     
    

    
     
      In
      December
      of
      that
     
     
      same
      year,
      the
      same
      guy
      flashed
      me
      again.
      |
      was
      walking
      to
      the
      bus
      stop
     
     
      through
      the
      bottom
      of
      the
      Tier
      building.
      It
      was
      around
      5
      p.m.
      As
      |
      walked
     
     
      by
      the
      locker
      rooms,
      |
      happened
      to
      glance
      in
      --
      and
      who
      should
      |
      see
      but
     
     
      that
      same
      bastard
      with
      his
      pants
      down
      to
      his
      knees
      --
      no
      face
      cover
      again.
     
     
      |
      gotto
      the
      doors
      and!
      stopped.
      |
      thought
      to
      myself,
      “Did
      really
      see
      that?”
     
     
      (It
      had
      been
      so
      quick.)
      As
      |
      stood
      there,
      the
      creep
      walked
      out
      of
      the
      locker
     
     
      room,
      looking
      totally
      nonchalant.
      |
      followed
      him.
      He
      went
      up
      the
      stairway
     
     
      of
      Tier
      to
      the
      third
      floor.
      |
      went
      after
      him.
      |
      peered
      around
      the
      corner
      as
     
     
      |
      approached
      the
      third
      floor
      and
      |
      saw
      his
      head
      peering
      around
      another
     
     
      stairwell
      corner.
      At
      this
      point
      |
      felt
      scared
      and
      very
      angry
      that
      he
      had
      done
     
     
      this
      to
      me
      again.
      |
      ran
      as
      fast
      as
      |
      could
      to
      the
      Campus
      Police
      and
      reported
     
     
      him.
      They
      found
      nothing
      in
      their
      search
      of
      the
      building.
     
    

    
     
      |
      saw
      his
      face,
      |
      have
      seen
      him
      around
      this
      campus
      and
      |
      believe
      he
      lives
     
     
      in
      University
      College
      residence
      (Isn't
      that
      a
      scary
      thought!)
      Let
      me
     
     
      conclude
      my
      little
      story
      by
      breaking
      down
      a
      few
      myths.
      Flashing
      or
     
     
      exhibitionism
      is
      a
      tactic
      used
      by
      men
      to
      sexually
      terrorize
      women.
      Men
     
     
      who
      flash
      gain
      a
      sense
      of
      power
      and
      control
      by
      intimidating
      and
      menacing
     
     
      their
      female
      targets.
      Men
      who
      flash
      get
      sexual
      pleasure
      out
      of
      literally
     
     
      scaring
      women
      with
      the
      sight
      of
      their
      dicks.
      Yeah,
      it’s
      sick,
      but
      I’m
      not
     
     
      convinced
      the
      sickness
      springs
      from
      within
      the
      individual.
      It
      comes
      from
     
     
      a
      society
      where
      male
      tactics
      of
      violence,
      control
      and
      intimidation
      are
     
     
      encouraged
      to
      achieve
      a
      sense
      of
      power.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6/X-Press/September
      9,
      1993
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stories
      selected
      from
      the
      University
      of
      Manitoba's
      Manitoban,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      counterparts
      to
      one
      extreme
      or
      another,
      at
      one
      time
      or
      another.
     
     
      This
      is
      my
      story...
     
     
      |
      was
      in
      first
      year
      university
      and
      like
      most
      first-year
      students,
      at
      some
     
     
      point
      |
      found
      myself
      at
      a
      social
      function
      being
      held
      in
      the
      MPR.
      |
      arrived
     
     
      there
      with
      three
      of
      my
      female
      friends.
     
     
      At
      first
      the
      evening
      seemed
      to
      pass
      rather
      uneventfully.
      |
      met
      with
     
     
      people
      |
      hadn’t
      spoken
      to
      in
      awhile,
      updating
      myself
      on
      their
      lives.
     
    

    
     
      As
      the
      night
      moved
      on,
      however,
      |
      had
      the
      unpleasant
      fortune
      of
     
     
      running
      into
      a
      guy
      from
      my
      high
      school
      days.
      He
      was
      obviously
      drunk.
      He
     
     
      started
      coming
      on
      to
      me,
      touching
      me
      and
      becoming
      aggressive.
      Upon
      my
     
     
      rejection
      he
      became
      nasty.
      He
      called
      mea
      lesbian
      and
      told
      me
      that
      what
     
     
      |
      needed
      was
      a
      good
      hard
      fuck
      from
      a
      “real”
      man.
     
    

    
     
      After
      he
      said
      those
      words,
      |
      felt
      rage
      manifest
      into
      every
      corner
      of
      my
     
     
      being
      and
      my
      vision
      started
      to
      cloud
      over
      with
      a
      sea
      of
      red.
      |
      felt
      so
      angry
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      so
      hurt.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      am
      certain
      that
      all
      women
      have
      been
      violated
      by
      their
      male
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      lump
      started
      to
      form
      in
      my
     
     
      throat
      and
      at
      this
      point
      |
      turned
     
     
      away
      and
      sought
      refuge
      in
      the
     
     
      women’s
      washroom.
     
    

    
     
      |
      was
      just
      getting
      a
      hold
      of
     
     
      myself
      when
      two
      friends
      that
      |
      had
     
     
      arrived
      with
      entered
      the
      wash-
     
     
      room.
      Noticing
      |
      was
      distraught
     
     
      they
      asked
      me
      what
      was
      wrong.
      So
     
     
      |
      told
      them
      what
      had
      happened
      and
     
     
      how
      it
      made
      me
      feel.
     
     
      |
      received
      no
      supportat
      all.
      They
      told
      me!
      was
      overreacting,
      that
      “boys
     
     
      will
      be
      boys”
      and
      that
      he
      was
      drunk
      and
      therefore
      meant
      it
      as
      a
      joke.
     
    

    
     
      |
      couldn't
      believe
      what
      they
      were
      saying.
      Were
      they
      telling
      me
      that
     
     
      because
      he
      was
      a
      “boy”
      he
      had
      the
      right
      to
      harass
      me
      that
      way?
      Because
     
     
      he
      was
      drunkhe
      had
      this
      right?
      That
      his
      menacing
      words
      were
      nothing
      but
     
     
      a
      joke?
      |
      was
      overreacting?
     
    

    
     
      |
      was
      not
      overreacting
      that
      night
      in
      first
      year,
      but
      many,
      many
      women
     
     
      still
      tolerate
      this
      kind
      of
      behaviour,
      the
      way
      my
      friends
      did.
     
    

    
     
      |
      share
      this
      story
      with
      all
      my
      sisters
      out
      there
      and
      |
      makea
      plea
      to
      them:
     
     
      Please
      do
      not
      be
      tolerant.
      We
      must
      speak
      out
      against
      this
      injustice.
      We
     
    
   
   
    
     
      need
      each
      other
      because
      we
      can
      break
      the
      silence.
      Together
      we
      can
      stop
     
     
      this
      war!
      eae
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      jennifer
      grahame