A Woman Was Allegedly Kicked Out of the Mall for Wearing Shorts
An Alabama woman was allegedly harassed and kicked out of a mall because, she claims, of what she was wearing. Gabrielle Gibson, 19, took to Facebook to share her experience, which she claims centered around her shorts being too short. According to Gabrielle, on August 1 two security guards at The Shoppes at Bel Air in Mobile, Alabama, allegedly threatened to call the police because of her apparel.
“I felt violated and harassed to be honest,” Gabrielle tells Teen Vogue. “I got out of there as fast as I could but got everyone’s names first. So many girls have reached out and said the same man has done the same thing to them. The messages are pouring in.”
When the guards first approached Gabrielle, she says she was “in shock” and “couldn’t believe” what she alleges they were telling her. “The guard thought I was alone. That’s why he approached me the way he did. I usually don’t go anywhere alone, but I should be able to.”
In a Facebook post that went viral, Gabrielle claims that she tried explaining why she was wearing the shorts.
“I told them I have bigger thighs and it’s just too hot for jeans that I can’t help they ride up a bit. It doesn’t bother me then it shouldn’t bother you,” she wrote. She added that “everyone had short shorties on” and that the temperature that day was 100 degrees because it’s, you know, August.
Gabrielle says going public with her allegations hasn’t been without its challenges. “I won’t sit here and pretend like it all has been easy,” she says. “I got so much hate about my body. People would say things like, ‘You wanted that attention. Who would hit on a bigger girl?’”
She says she hopes her story encourages women and men of all shapes and sizes to feel comfortable speaking up, too. “It’s okay to tell someone what happened. I felt compelled to tell my story because I didn’t want it happening to anyone else. We need to stand up and be open to [making] change.”
The mall released the following statement to WKRG-TV: “Given the high degree of importance we place on maintaining a family-friendly shopping environment, our policy requires all of our customers to dress in a manner that reflects our code of conduct. Anyone who violates this policy will be asked to change or to leave the premises.”
Teen Vogue has reached out to The Shoppes at Bel Air for comment. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
Related Video: Women Sizes 0 Through 28 Try on the Same Shorts
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