One day, several years ago, I thought my boyfriend was whistling at me outside of our apartment, I turned around and made eye contact with the actual man who whistled at me, a stranger. I noticed he seemed shocked and uncomfortable that I acknowledged him. I realized no one really says anything back to these men and I really wanted to start letting them know that not all women will pretend it didn’t happen. I wanted to humiliate them by acknowledging his ridiculous behavior.
A few years later I was walking in Eugene, OR on 5th and Blair with a female friend of mine when a man stopped at a light whistled at us. Fed up with men treating my friends and me like shit, I turned around, and in my best death metal voice yelled “FUCK OFF!!” The light turned green and the man followed us slowly down the street. I kept my phone in my hand in case we needed to call for help. We approached a one way street and walked the wrong way so he couldn’t follow us anymore.
I felt scared that this man might retaliate against me for standing up for myself. But mostly I felt proud of myself and hoped that I could make a dent in the frequency in which men treat women like this. I am so fucking sick of feeling confined to my home in hopes of avoiding this kind of intimidation! Unleash your inner “death metal singer” and Holla Back!
– anonymous
Location: Eugene, OR
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Pedestrienne says
Actually, not getting to respond is one of the things that drives me the most mad about the men who shout things as they go past in cars. It’s perfect – they’re always in a group, they zoom past, give you a fright (I hate being shocked out of a reverie by some shouty bonehead) and never, ever have to deal with any consequences except some knobby high-fives from their friends. Face me and my tongue-lashing, cowards!
Golden Silence says
I love that idea of unleashing your inner death metal singer. It conveys strength. I will have to think about that the next time I confront an obnoxious harasser. You’re brave for confronting that loser!