OK retired DUers - how did you handle sexual harassment back in the day

[TygrBright]

68. A little help from a friend.

Late 1970s. I was totin' booze in the days before I mixed 'em. One - just one - of the male bartenders at the joint where I worked decided I "needed a good time" and was constantly promising to show me "how good it could be" etc. when we were on the same shift.

At the time I had a gay friend who was REALLY butch and totally hot-stud in looks. Also, 6'3' and broad in the shoulders.

So one night when I knew Mister Do-You-A-Favor would be on shift with me, I had Jerry come in and sit at the bar next to the service hatch, and order a scotch rocks, and when I came up to the service hatch to give an order, Jerry smiled, and put his arm around me and said "Hi, Bright." Then he looked at Mr. DYAF.

Looked him up and down.

Turned to me, and said, plenty loud enough to be overheard, "Is THAT him? REALLY?"

And we both laughed, and I picked up my tray and went to deliver the drinks.

Mr. DYAF was very, very polite to me after that.

Right after I quit I went there with Jerry and his lover for drinks on the way to the opera and they were both totally camping it up, and Mr. DYAF was on duty.

I'm not actually all that happy about having handled it that way in retrospect, but at the time it was a case of "get over the heavy ground as light as you can." We had each others' backs, Jerry and me. Sometimes when he needed to "look straight" I would be his arm candyish thing.

reminiscently,
Bright