Super stressed right now

Hi, I just need to vent because I’m really fed up with how often guys stare at me when I’m out. It’s not just annoying anymore—it’s making me feel gross and unsafe, and I’m not sure how to deal with it.

Yesterday, I was walking home from school. It was warm, so I was wearing a tank top and shorts—nothing special, just clothes that make sense for the weather. As I passed the gas station near my house, these two black guys were standing there, and they immediately started staring at me. It wasn’t subtle at all—they were looking me up and down like I was an object. Then one of them said, “Look at that *ss, I’d hit that,” loud enough for me to hear. The other one laughed and added, “Yeah, she’s begging for it in those shorts.” I felt my stomach drop. I didn’t even look at them—I just kept walking as fast as I could, but I could still feel them watching me until I was out of sight. It made me feel so disgusting and small. I wasn’t doing anything to invite that—I was literally just trying to get home. And it’s not only that one time. I get looks from guys all the time, like men in stores or drivers slowing down near me. Even my teacher sometimes stares too long when I’m at the board in class. It’s like I can’t go anywhere without this happening.

I told my mom about it, and she said I should just ignore it because “that’s how men are.” But I don’t think that’s right. Why do I have to put up with feeling like this? I just want to live my day-to-day life without being made to feel uncomfortable or scared. Has anyone else gone through this? I’d really appreciate any advice on how to handle it, because it’s starting to get to me more than I can shake off. Literally going to start wearing a huge spandex hoodie and baggy man pants at this point