ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A 19-Year-Old's Tweet About A "Cocky" Bouncer & Sexual Harassment Has Gone Viral

In the wake of the #MeToo movement people are, at long last, more inclined to listen to allegations of sexual harassment and take them seriously. Powerful sexual predators like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey have suffered irreparable career damage and while this is nothing compared to what their victims endured, it does indicate that the culture is finally tuning in to women's stories.
This extends beyond the realm of Hollywood celebrities too, as the story of young British woman Emily White – who just called out a bouncer for sexual harassment – shows. The 19-year-old, from St Austell in Cornwall, was on a night out in Newquay in July when a pub bouncer allegedly wolf-whistled and stared at her before commenting on her breasts.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
When she threatened to report the incident, he told her his bosses "won't do anything love," reported the BBC. But the pub in question, the Sailors Arms, has revealed that it took "immediate action" upon receiving White's complaint. "An immediate investigation was launched in collaboration with the agency which employs our door staff," a pub spokesperson said. "Until it is complete, the individual in question will not be employed at our door."
White explained what happened in a tweet on 24th July that has received more than 93k likes and over 8k retweets at the time of writing.
"[I] was sexually harassed by a bouncer in a night club this weekend. So I snapped a photo of his ID, emailed the club, who have emailed his agency, who have begun an official disciplinary investigation. He told me, 'I'm a bouncer, I can do what I want'. No mate, you can't."
The bouncer willingly moved his arm out of the way to enable her to photograph his ID. "That's how cocky he was," White told the BBC. "He thought no-one would challenge him on it. He was wrong."
She emphasised the importance of calling out all sexual harassment, regardless of how "serious" it might seem. "It's not the worst thing that's happened to a girl. It's not even the worst thing that's happened to me," she said, adding that she "was able to report it and so [she] did". "If the same thing has happened to anyone else, I would urge them to do the same."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
White has received dozens of messages of support and praise for sticking up for herself. When one user asked her if she was "alright," she replied: "Yeah all good babe, just wanted to stick it to him x."
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

More from Global News

ADVERTISEMENT