Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for November 2012

“I am not here to please him”

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I was walking to the locker room at school after a hard workout. I felt confident and fierce and healthy, generally just really good about myself. However, a few boys didn’t seem to understand that I looked and felt good for MYSELF, not for anyone else, especially not strangers with absolutely no respect for anyone, and took it upon themselves to physically prove to me that I met their standards by “pushing” their friend straight into me where his outstretched hands just so happened to curl over my breasts, squeeze, then run away howling before I had a chance to express my disgust.

I now feel incredibly guilty knowing that if i had just acted instead of being taken over by shock i could’ve really done something, shout, embarrass this guy, slap, punch, I don’t know. Just something to let him know that I am not here to please him. It also makes me really embarrassed for walking down the hall like i was: good posture, just confident and showing off that I felt good about myself. Almost like I was asking for something to happen to me. I hate that I’ve learned to think like that.

– SF

Location: Mountain Ridge High School Glendale, AZ

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.

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14th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Since January 1, 2012, at least 63 transgender individuals have been hatefully murdered. Today we remember them on the 14th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day of commemoration started by Gwendolyn Ann Smith. Today she wrote in the Huffington Post:

“We’ve seen an increase in legislation that helps prosecute those who participate in anti-transgender violence, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We’ve seen a much greater awareness of the issue of anti-transgender violence. We’ve seen successes in other battles for transgender rights.

Yet we still see anti-transgender violence. Every year, we still find ourselves with a list of people who have been violently murdered for simply being themselves.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is not an event for fundraisers and beer busts. It’s not an event we “celebrate.” It is not a quick and easy one-day way for organizations to get credit for their support of the transgender community. It’s not something to trot out on the 20th of November and forget about. We should be working every day for all of us, living and dead.”

Transgender individuals face some of the most vicious forms of street harassment, including murder. Earlier this year, I attended a vigil for Deoni Jones in the Washington, DC area, along with several other anti-street harassment activists. Deoni was a young woman who was murdered at a well-lit bus stop at 8 p.m. earlier this year. It was heartbreaking to hear from her loved ones and to hear from so many people who were angry, discouraged, and tired of hearing about the murder of their friends.

In response to the alarming trend of murder, recently the DC government launched a “Gender Identity Respect” campaign (on image is included on the right). It’s sad that this kind of campaign is even necessary — everyone should be afforded respect, dignity, and the right to live — but I am glad to see the DC government address the issue head on.

Each of us must do our part every day to speak out against discrimination and hate. And today, we remember those who’ve been unjustly taken from this earth this year:

Popinha
Unidentified person
Carla White
Crain Conaway
Brilli
Guilherme Augusto de Souza
Maicon Roux
Mateo Vicente
Sabrina
Peter “Hair” Tamiarana
Paola Cristiano
Deoni Jones
Tiago da Silva Garcia
Paulo Roberto Campos
Montserrat Pineda
Carla
Junior Richardo de Jesus
Agnes Torres Sulca
Chiquinha
Soraya
Rene “Rosita” Hildalgo
David William de Oliveira Cândido
Coko Williams
Tyrell Jackson
Menakshiammal
Paige Clay
Rebekah
Leandro Eduardo Campos Ferreira
Brandy Martell
Unidentified person
Anil Aayiramthengu
Jaime Antonio Lopez
Lorena Escalera
Chrissie Azzopardi
Thapelo Makutle
William Geovanni Aguilar Pérez
Alison
Unidentified person
Jeimy Tamara Perez
Unidentified person
Camila de Mink
Tracey Johnson
Seçil Anne
Sapphire
Barbarita
Tania
Silva
Tiffany Gooden
Sirena Paola
Unidentified person
Unidentified person
Laryssa Silveira
Tiago da Silva Oliveira
Robson Franco Pereira
Dewayne “Deja” Jones
Unidentified person
Kendall Hampton
Kyra Cordova
Victoria
Unidentified person
January Marie Lapuz
Madonna
Cassandra

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Street Harassment Fashion Tumblr: Interview with the Creator

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Have you heard about the new Tumblr Street Harassment Fashion that documents clothing people wear when they are harassed to challenge notions of victim-blaming? It’s compelling and growing fast. Creator Ellis Gainsboro agreed to answer a few questions so that Stop Street Harassment readers can learn more about the project.

Stop Street Harassment (SSH):  Hi Ellis, thanks for agreeing to the interview. What is a three sentence biography  for you?

Ellis Gainsboro (EG): I was raised in American suburbia by conservative, working-class, religiously-and-socially-conservative, divorced parents. My life since, has involved a small number of not-so-extreme screw-ups (mostly bad boyfriends and drinking), then afterwards, MUCH reading, educating myself in general, and exploring the world of visual and audio arts. I currently divide my free time amongst painting, recording, spending time with my Significant Other, cooking vegan food, and learning about feminism and social justice issues.

SSH: Was there a particular experience or event that inspired your Tumblr project?

EG: Not really. I have consistently experienced street harassment from the tender age of about 12, but I’ve never had any constructive way to deal with it. Speaking back against it and calling your harasser out on their rudeness is not always the safest action to take, ignoring it feels like you’re letting them win, and basically those are the only two options! It makes me (and many other people, I’m sure) feel so powerless! In addition, when I try to share those experiences with some people, I am often told that I “must have been asking for it,” which is JUST NOT TRUE. NO ONE is asking for it! I don’t care what you’re wearing! I created Street Harassment Fashion so that I could document what happened, what was said, and what I was wearing, as a way to back up my belief that I am not the problem in this situation. The victims of street harassment are extremely varied, and I wanted to have a space on the internet to exhibit that. It’s not our fault and we don’t cause it. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of those who harass others.

SSH: When you started it, what was your goal/purpose? Has that changed at all based on the response to it?

EG: I wanted to have a place to document the every-day sorts of harassment I get when I am out and about. I wanted to have a link I could share when someone said to me, “Well, you must have been asking for it.” I wanted to document my (and others’) outfits to PROVE that it is NOT what we are wearing that incites this harassment. Already, there is a variety of outfits and looks, different styles, and different fits. Stories with conservative outfits, form-fitting outfits, scarves, bulky jackets, leggings, long hair, short hair, updos, shaved heads. It’s already becoming very clear that the way victims of street harassment dress and style themselves has nothing to do with the reasons that they are harassed.

I don’t think my purpose for this blog has changed since I have started it–I still want to use it as a reference against ignorance and for awareness, but I think that since I have amassed so many followers, with additional new followers every day…It is bittersweet! I am SO grateful for the support and solidarity, but at the same time, it deeply saddens me that so many people can relate.

SSH: What kind of response has the Tumblr had and how do you feel about that?

EG: So far the response has been very supportive, and a bit overwhelming! I didn’t know I would get so many followers so quickly (1,000+ in the first week!) I wasn’t really looking/hoping to find a following of any sort really, but just knowing that other people can relate in some way? That means so, so much to me! But again, it is a double-edged sword, because if people can relate to this blog, it means that they have had some experience with street harassment in their lives (either personally, or second-hand at least). This is a much bigger problem than I can tolerate on my own, and something needs to be done about it.

SSH: Is there one particular story/photo that stands out to you and why?

EG: Since Street Harassment Fashion is young, all of the posts so far carry equal weight in my mind. The posts about my own experiences are important because they happened to ME: I was there, it was a direct part of my personal life, and I will never forget how I was made to feel emotionally as a result of those interactions. The posts submitted by others are just as important though, as they demonstrate very clearly that the street harassment I receive is not isolated to my own experience. It solidifies the fact that this happens to so many people, under so many different circumstances, and that it is not the fault of the victims. I am so grateful that others have been brave enough to submit their stories and pictures. I think it is so important to have a variety of posts from a variety of people about street harassment.

SSH: Is there anything else you want to add?

EG: Yes! I want to reiterate again that the victims of street harassment are NOT TO BLAME. If any of your readers have been the victims of street harassment, and would like to share their stories with me and my followers, or if they just need an ear to talk to and someone to empathize with them, they can send me an email at streetharassmentfasion@gmail.com.

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Hands Off, Masher! Street Harassment in History

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“Well, with the way girls dress these days, what do you expect?” is something I’ve heard WAY too many times from people who try to dismiss street harassment as a serious issue by blaming the harassed person – instead of the harasser – and by making it sound like this is a “new” problem. As if in the “good old days” this didn’t happen.

Guess what, it did happen. This is not a new problem.

A week ago, I listened to a presentation about street harassment around the turn of the 20th century, given by Dr. Estelle Freedman. She covers this topic in her forthcoming book on sexual violence during that time period called Redefining Rape: The Struggle against Sexual Violence in the Era of Suffrage and Segregation. It will be published by Harvard University Press in fall 2013.

I was fascinated by what I learned. And curious. This past Saturday, my partner and I spent our afternoon at a local college library combing through old newspaper articles. We found HUNDREDS of stories about street harassment from the 1880s through the 1950s. We were so excited, we kept nudging each other, sharing humorous stories of women getting the better of their harasser(s).

On the one hand, it’s depressing to have documented proof showing how long street harassment has been a problem, on the other, it’s exhilarating to read how women fought back! And, I think it’s important evidence showing how street harassment is not about what women today are or are not doing or about what we are wearing. Street harassment is a symptom of inequality and women’s second-class citizenship and that was a reality 100+ years ago and it is still a reality today. Until that changes, street harassment will continue.

I hope to launch a Tumblr or some kind of online museum full of “street harassment in history” stories in the near future. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the story posted below (found via ProQuest.com). And also, here is a book about self defense for women, written in 1942, that is accessible in its entirety online. One type of person the author advised women to fight off was the street harasser…often termed “masher,” “street flirt,” and “sheik.”

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Digest of Street Harassment News: Nov. 18, 2012

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** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment ***

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read street harassment stories on the Web at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

Collective Action for Safe Spaces

HarassMap in Egypt

Bijoya in Bangladesh

Resist Harassment in Lebanon

Ramallah Street Watch in Palestine

Name and Shame in Pakistan

Safe Streets in Yemen

Street Harassment in South Africa

Many of the Hollaback sites

Street Harassment In the News, on the Blogs:

* France 24, “Anti-sexual harassment squads patrol the streets of Cairo“

* The Jerusalem Post, “Sexual harassment surfaces in Saudi Arabia“

* Kaleo The Voice, “Don’t let harassment win“

* For What It’s Worth, “Keep your hands to yourself.“

* Human Rights First, “Harassmap Founder Addresses Sexual Violence In Egypt“

* WTOP, “Flasher runs away after Wash. woman pulls out gun“

* Sage | The Blog, “Who You Calling A Bitch?!: Street Harassment, Issues of Fatness, and a Bathing Suit“

* Fordham Observer, “Placing the Burden of Street Harassment“

* Al-Monitor, “Sexual Harassment in Egypt: Women Are People, Too“

* Independent (Ireland), “To hell with the PC brigade, there isn’t enough wolf-whistling at women going on, says Tubridy“

* AutoStraddle, “‘Project Unspoken’ Makes Space For A Conversation About Street Harassment And Sexual Assault“

* UPI.com, “Cairo man convicted of sexual harassment“

* Bikya Masr, “The persistent battle against rampant sexual harassment in Egypt“

Announcements:

New:

* Check out the project CATCALLED: the stories of 11 women in New York City from two weeks in August 2012, now online.

* Baltimore, MD, folks — take a survey about street harassment for Hollaback! Bmore

* Hollaback! Edinburgh launched a “Said No One Ever” Tumblr to refute the belief that street harassment is a compliment.

Reminders:

* Register — Webinar: Street Harassment: How To Stop Feeling Helpless and Start Feeling Empowered, Dec. 6, 2012: 8 – 9:30 p.m. ET, $15

* Sign the petition: “Tell New York: Subway Sexual Assault is a Serious Crime“

* There’s a new tumblr called Street Harassment Fashion that challenges victim-blaming

* METRAC released a free “Not Your Baby App” to provide responses you can use when experiencing harassment

* The Adventures of Salwa campaign has a hotline for sexual harassment cases in Lebanon: 76-676862.

* In Bangalore, India, there is a helpline for street harassment 080 – 22943225 / 22864023

* Report #streetharassment in Pakistan at @NameAndShamePk, email nameandshame@ryse.pk, SMS 0314-800-35-68 or online at http://www.nameandshame.pk

15 Tweets from the Week:

1. @havi  Oh stranger, you just got SO much creepier when you said “Walk quickly, baby girl” when I ignored your marriage proposal. #streetharassment

2. @sargeaknees  If yelling from a car is your best way to get my attention, you might as well yell “no one wants to have sex with meeee!” #streetharassment

3. @GraceGoodwin9 “The guy directing the blow job gesture at me makes me think he’d be good at meeting my sexual needs.”-Said no one ever #streetharassment

4. @racialicious Lopez: Lipeders Campesinas do activism via street theater at gorceries. Issues of concern: sexual harassment, domestic violence. #FacingRace

5. @BlueIceCream84  Van driver just whistled then called me a slut. In case you think it matters, I’m wearing jeans, converse, big down jacket #StreetHarassment

6. @ColonelKSpeaks  @kathryNawrockyi @hkearl living in a city (DC) that’s been in a construction boom for 10yrs, wold whistling is still very very common

7. @kathryNawrockyi Do men on building sites still wolf whistle women? Really? Is that not a bit passé? Clearly antiquated street harassment is alive and well.

8. @the_eumelia I mean, isn’t there enough unwarranted #streetharassment? Now there’s a designated day?! #NationalBumSmackingDay

9. @brotherdavidson ‘Streets and Traffic’ and ‘Street Collections’ Bylaws already regulate solicitation and forbid harassment #yyj @lisahelps @cityofvictoria

10. @CDisoriented Need to find some kind of street harassment hotline. I went home and had a minor breakdown b/c there was no one I could talk to

11. @caustichazmat don’t think i’ll ever be entirely indifferent to catcalls/street harassment. are there any women who are?

12. @leeeniie dear creepy men, it is waaaay to early for street harassment. leave me alone, kay thanks.

13. @lastnora (SPOILER ALERT: street harassment is never okay, it is never a compliment, it is never our fault.)

14. @BuildActChange #WhatMakesAMan @jeffperera – talks of the experience women have everyday like street harassment. We need to start w/ a language of consent.

15.  @KenSimonSays @ajones_sd @kelly_carlin Guys catcall and honk their horns at woman walking down the street. Clearly we’re not dealing w/ evolved intellect.

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