Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for May 2013

SSH is Hiring a Summer Intern!

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SSH began as a website in 2008 and last year became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are growing more and more each month and we are now ready to have our first ever intern!!! The intern will work closely with me on projects.

Here’s the info —

Internship Overview

This is a part-time (about 15 hours/week), paid ($10/hour) summer internship. The person can work remotely from anywhere in the U.S. as long as they have access to a web-camera for a weekly check in meeting via skype or Google+ hangout. The starting date would be around June 3 with an end date 10 to 12 weeks later.

The summer intern will work closely with SSH’s founder (me) on two main projects: 1) managing the social media accounts and blog and 2) doing research for a new project, a “Know Your Rights” toolkit.

Roles and Responsibilities

– Help manage the SSH social media accounts and work with the SSH social media volunteers.
– Write articles for the SSH blog.
– Conduct legal research for a “Know Your Rights” toolkit that will be a compilation of the laws and city ordinances in major U.S. cities that are relevant to street harassment.
– Assist SSH’s founder with other projects as they arise.

Desired Experiences and Qualifications

– At least two years of college.
– At least one legal course or other experience relating to researching/reading/understanding laws.
– Experiencing working on gender or women’s issues (such as college coursework, volunteer experience, or previous jobs/internships) and familiarity with gender violence issues.
– At least two years of experience using social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and YouTube.
– A self-starter who is reliable and comfort with working on projects with limited supervision.

How to Apply:

Applicants should send a cover letter, résumé (include a list of social media accounts you manage or have managed), and two writing samples (they could be a blog post or article or an 800 word excerpt from a school paper) to me, Holly Kearl, hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org.

Application materials are due by May 25, 2013.

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“I don’t like your kind”

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I was having the most awful commute in the world. It was 2 a.m. and I was waiting for the 4 train on the 59th Street and Lexington Avenue station and had just missed my train by a second. As I was waiting, I was already uncomfortable because there was almost no one on the platform and the few people that were waiting were all men.

I suddenly heard this guy say, “I like white women.” I ignored it as usual because there are always crazy people saying all kinds of thing in the subway. I wasn’t sure if it was directed towards me. Then I heard it again and noticed that a guy is looking straight at me and saying this and is coming closer. He finally says, “I don’t like your kind..” (FYI, I’m brown).

Being a temperamental New Yorker, I wanted to deck him in the face for being racist. However, I held back and before I could take out my cell phone to record this (a tip I learned from hollaback). He stopped and then started back again.

Fearing that it might escalate (although I stayed calm and just didn’t pay him any attention hoping he would go away) I decided to just cab it home. My safety is worth more than a $25 cab ride.

What was really scary has been the hate crime against brown people after 9/11. I was panicking what if this guy pushes me onto the tracks because I’m brown (which happened a few months ago and the victim died). This sort of behavior is unacceptable. And if the guy was mentally ill or had some issues, he needs to get treated before he causes chaos in public. I wish I took a picture, but I will be more prepared if this happens to me again. Just in case, he was an older Latino man wearing a denim cap and a plaid jacket. His skin was light brown and he had light brown eyes. Probably in his 50s.

– Queenie

Location: 59th Street & Lexington Avenue 4 train stop, New York City

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Digest of Street Harassment News: May 12, 2013

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Reclaim the Night – Liverpool

** 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 City India

Safe Streets in Yemen

Street Harassment in South Africa

Many of the Hollaback sites

Everyday Sexism

Street Harassment In the News, on the Blogs:

* Ms. Blog, “A High Schooler Speaks Out on Street Harassment“

* Everyday Feminism, “What Men Can Do To Stop Street Harassment“

* Carbonated tv, “Egyptian Man Dresses Up As A Woman To Experience Street Harassment (VIDEO)“

* Bikya News, “New Egypt anti-sexual harassment battle provides “safe car” service“

* Consumerist, “Dad Complains To LEGO About Leering Minifig, Teaches Everyone About Brand Licensing“

 *ABC News, “Lego Apologizes for Cat-Calling Sticker“

* The Atlantic, “In Egypt, Some Women Fight Sexual Harassment With Karate Chops“

* LS Media, “Guest post: Reclaim the Night challenges rape culture“

* Liverpool Echo, “Reclaim the Night march campaigns for women’s safety in Liverpool“

* Gurl.com, “Can What You Wear Prevent Street Harassment?“

* Tavaana, “Taking Back Egypt’s Streets: The HarassMap Campaign to End Sexual Harassment“

* Telegraph & Argus, “Campaign group holds free workshop against street harassment“

* AutoStraddle, “Butch Please: Butch and Boundaries“

* Huffington Post, “Street Harassment Is an LGBTQIA Issue“

Announcements:

* If you’re in the Washington, DC-area, come to the five-year anniversary Stop Street Harassment Happy Hour on June 5, 5-9 p.m. Info.

* “Cat calls” aren’t benign. Words can lead to violence. Support the documentary that tells that story: http://kck.st/XUZPmq 

* New SSH Resource: Companies that Trivialize Street Harassment

* View photos from International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2013!

20 Tweets from the Week:

1. @dina_hosny After turning in 2 guys to CityStars security for verbal harassment, they turned out to be police officers. Thank u for your service. #endSH

2. ‏@SaladReloaded Let me tell you something: it is exhausting to have to constantly be on high alert. #StreetHarassment

3. @Hanna_Martine I used to think street harassment was a compliment. I used to believe it made me feel better about myself. Really I didn’t know a damn thing

4. @beingtherewith i wanna walk but i don’t want to deal with the summer day street harassment

5. @theresaxtine Man on the street: “happy Mother’s Day, mama – with that pretty ass” #ugh #nyc #streetharassment #kissyoumumwiththatmouth

6. @elmandobandito …and Im experiencing street harassment from KIDS… and now I’m a “faggot.”

7. @VintageVandal Its too early for street harassment. I will CUT you.

8. @alishahidy “As a woman walking down the street, you have to be in a constant state of alertness.” Waleed Hammad. #StreetHarassment

9. @ElleDesi Street harassment is not very rad.

10. @thesoulasylum I walk almost a mile everyday, just from going back&forth to work!Think about how much #streetharassment I&other women encounter DAILY. #NYC

11. @LenaWest Ladies, It’s street harassment/Cat Call season lets play a game: Lets run toward every dude who shoutsout screaming “I LOVE YOU!”

12. @annesaintanne One of the worst things about street harassment is that after a lifetime of rejection from men, I do sometimes find it slightly flattering

13. @msbrandiebrown  Responding to street harassment. Be calm confident. Statement- Stop touching me. -That’s rude -That’s street harassment. #endsh

14. @valchanelle The weather gets warm & y’all act like you have no home training. I’m sick of it. This street harassment has to stop.

15. @heySMM neat thing re: street harassment is that it never happens when I have my kids with me. I guess men don’t want to be “just friendly” to moms.

16. @AmyRubinson Got ogled by a trucker; turned my umbrella on its side so it covered my entire body & I couldn’t see him. Score: Amy 1, #StreetHarassment 0

17. @charrr_e  seeing a lot of tweets about cat calling and street harassment today when will the creepy men get the message we DO NOT ENJOY IT

18. @Jahmyacoincides  Street harassment is so real. I need males to learn how to not be creeps.

19. @Deneannn There should be laws for street harassment and cat calling

20. @twitdemaria  The self defense classes organized by @TahrirBodyguard helped me to feel more confident when walking in streets:with no fear. #endSH

 

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New Jersey: Remember Sakia Gunn

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“MAY 11, 2013 MARCH TO REMEMBER SAKIA GUNN: Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old straight-A student who identified as a lesbian, and was stabbed to death by two men after rejecting their sexual advances and cat calls at a bus stop in Newark, New Jersey.

We will join our allies from the Liberation in Truth Social Justice Center at the corner of Broad and Market Street in Newark, the site of Sakia’s murder, at noon, and we will march to the LIT Social Justice Center, which will be re-opened as the Sakia Gunn Memorial Social Justice Center, where community groups and leaders will create a safe space for all youth in Newark. Following the march we holding a community conversation on street harassment and ways to take action.”

More info: lenahan@gardenstateequality.org

Twitter: @GSEquality

 

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Australia: The Power of Collective Story-Telling

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Melbourne's International Anti-Street Harassment Photowall

This is (belatedly) cross-posted with permission from Hollaback! Melbourne’s blog.

Last week Hollaback! Melbourne launched a series of initiatives as part of our celebration of International Anti -Street Harassment Week.

To the right is the photo wall – comprised of anti-street harassment messages from Melbournians. The messages are powerful. Get a closer look at the photo gallery here!

So why is it important that we engage in collective storytelling? The Hollaback! model of crowd sourcing anonymous stories of harassment, your posting to a photo wall, people participating in a Chalk Walk where messages are written on the pavement and left for others to see – what is the point of all that?

In the past when I have been harassed the experience has been an isolating one. And even though the harassment made me angry/uncomfortable/disgusted/upset I just accepted that these things happened, and that it was just going to be an occasional horrific intrusion in my day to day activities.

The message that harassment was normal was sent early – when I was a young teen men started to honk at me as I walked down the street, and a friend of mine told me that it meant I was hot and it was a compliment. Whoah, feelings of discomfort INVALIDATED.

The feelings I’ve described are part of the normalisation of street harassment – where you’re told or sent the message that it is ok, or alternatively that street harassment might not be ideal but just IS. And therefore you come to accept it (even while hating it!).

So when you engage in collective storytelling, when you engage as part of a city-wide movement like Hollaback! Melbourne, when you engage worldwide and take to the streets to protest street harassment in the same 48 hour period as others around the world you are helping create a new framework for people to think about their past experiences.

You’re helping others to problematize their everyday experiences (as well as all those things being cathartic!). People power is the only way we can end street harassment!

I’ll leave you all with some images form the Chalk Walk last Saturday on Sydney Road – by all accounts it was a wonderful experience. Passersby engaging, people stopping and chalking, and some seriously rad messages. Gallery of all images to come! Happy Friday everyone!

 

HBChalk 1 HBChalk 3 HbChalk 4 HBChalk 5 HBChalk 6

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