The Vancouver Transit Police have been working to address sexual harassment and assault on their system. Their latest effort included this poster, which suggests that not reporting an assault is the real shame (as opposed to the assault) and ignores valid reasons why someone may choose not to report.
Vancouver-based artist Anoushka Ratnarajah shard the poster’s message on Instagram and Ms. Magazine and other outlets covered the story at the end of last week. The Vancouver chapter of Hollaback! issued a powerful statement to the Vancouver Transit Police and Lucia Lorenzi wrote an excellent essay about the ads, Lost in Translation: What The Vancouver Transit Police Advertisement Teaches Us About Language Use.
Thankfully, the Vancouver Transit Police issued an apology: as the CBC reports, they will be taking these posters down, and replacing them.
Hollaback! Vancouver shared this on their site today:
“Anne Drennan of the Vancouver Transit Police (VTP) called Shannon Fisher, Hollaback! Vancouver Team Lead, last night to apologize and say that the VTP will have the victim-shaming ads down by the end of the week as train cars return to service yards.
Anne spent the day calling everyone who complained about the ads to apologize for the harmful messaging. The VTP didn’t mean to blame victims, and they genuinely wish to encourage people — victims and bystanders — to report what they see as they feel comfortable and safe.
Anne invited Hollaback! Vancouver to be on a team with other women’s support groups to approve the copy on replacement ads. We said, yes!
Thanks to everyone who saw something and said something. Together we made change. Let’s keep using our voices until street harassment and the culture that supports it is no longer tolerated.
Thank you VTP for being swift and respectful. We’re thankful for the effort of the VTP, the See Something Say Something campaign, and the ways you’re willing to include us to make it as effective as possible. If you see something on transit, say something by texting 87-77-77.”
