Story highlights Michelle Threadgould: Amber Tamblyn's NYT op-ed brought back memories of being harassed and being told to get a thicker skin when I complained

It's not thin-skinned to believe that your co-workers shouldn't make sexually suggestive remarks about you and to ask to be believed, she writes

Michelle Threadgould is a journalist covering politics, social justice, Latinx issues and arts and culture. Her work has appeared in Pacific Standard, KQED, GOOD, Remezcla and Racked. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) Reading Amber Tamblyn's piece in The New York Times on the prevalence of sexual harassment in the film industry this weekend, I relived an event that happened to me almost 10 years ago.

It was a hot, humid summer, and I was working as an assistant costume designer on a film set in New York City. Every day, sweat poured down my back and legs as I hoisted dozens of garment bags filled with wardrobe changes over my shoulder, and walked up six flights of stairs to the dressing room.

Michelle Threadgould

So on this particular day, I chose to wear shorts to set. The guys wore ratty T-shirts, cargo shorts and trucker hats, so I figured I'd be fine dressing casually during a heat wave. I was making my way up to the wardrobe truck, when a very senior male executive began staring at my legs and started following me. I ignored him, because I had work to do.

But I couldn't get away from his gaze.

And it bothered me. It bothered me that a man in a position of power was objectifying me. I grabbed all the clothes I needed as quickly as possible, and I accidentally dropped a hanger on the floor. I bent over to pick it up, and he said, "Woooooo-eeeeee, you're lucky you weren't bent over longer or I would have tapped that."

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