Erin Micklow who is an alt-model of sorts, is absolutely stunning. Recently, she was creating some photos of herself on a beach, and some dude jerked himself off while watching her from behind a boulder. Erin made a point, “My body, my rules” <– I am in 100% agreement with this, as I always use this when explaining consent.
However, what I disagreed with, was that “her body, her rules” does not extend outside of her personal space in a public space. If some fucktard is jerking off in public, while you’re photographing yourself with sexual overtones in a public space, then what do you expect? Don’t get me wrong. What that guy did was disrespectful towards Erin, but they were both in public and he wasn’t in her personal space. Where does “my body, my rules” start and end, when in a public space beyond the boundaries of her personal space?
For example, if a conservative religious person walked into view of her, and felt strongly offended by her sexually-charged photo shoot where she is topless, does that conservative person have a right to tell her to cover herself up, because it offends them in this shared public space? More than likely, Erin will tell them to fuck off, because they’re out in public and it’s her body, her rules. However, what about the conservative person’s body and rules? As a conservative person, they don’t want to see her naked body. Wouldn’t it be a breach of their enjoyment in a public space?
I am not defending the guy jerking himself off while in the near distance of Erin, who was taking sexy photos of herself. I am asking how far does “my body, my rules” extend? Does it extend 20 feet? 20 metres? 200 metres? 2 kilometres? Does it extend to the point where she can’t see people jerking off to her, but is jerking off to her? Is the reason why she feels sexually harassed, was because she saw the guy jerking himself? What if he was hiding in a tent with a peep hole? What if he was up on a tower, 100 feet away with a binocular? What if he was in his own hotel room with a spotting scope, half a kilometre away?
Basically, where does “my body, my rules” start and end?
While I am 100% in agreement that she shouldn’t have to feel harassed in any situation, that people should be respectful in any situation, ultimately, she was on public land and he wasn’t in her personal space.