I think some people look at these things and think they’re no big deal. So a guy grabbed her arm, touched her breast, paid her some compliment about her legs? What’s the big deal?

It just is.

Being demeaned, touched and grabbed against your will, having no escape, being powerless and not knowing if the guy was going to stop at grabbing or if he was going to rape you, is a big f-ing deal, OK?

It scares the HELL out of you. I don’t mean bad nightmare scared. It’s the knowledge that as a woman you are vulnerable to any man physically stronger than you that is determined to hurt you, assault you, rape you. And if it happens everyone will say it’s your fault. Including you.

And when there’s more than one guy involved, when one is instigating it and showing off for the group, that’s WORSE. Because you don’t know if the whole group is going to turn on you.

I am as tough a woman as it gets. I have worked in places where I was on display for my looks and now I work in a very male-dominated industry. I will go toe-to-toe with anyone. I am damn-near unoffendable. But I can still tell you every time this has happened to me, starting at age 8.

It matters. And I don’t care if 100 women come forward, it’s not about election optics. It’s about them.