Before starting to tell my stories, I’d like to say something. I’m Spanish. I say this in case I make any mistakes when writing. I usually read feminist websites or blogs often and I found out about this site. Thank you very much for your amazing work and to the people that share their stories, I’d like to tell them that I’m extremely sorry for them and let them know that they are not alone and I hope everything gets better in the future.
I don’t feel comfortable saying this, but I’ve been touched by strangers. I have experienced all kind of harassment (from light to heavy). I once was harassed even when I was 11/12 years old. I once was stalked by an old stranger in the street. Someone took a picture of me topless in a beach. (My brother laught at several of this things. I’ve realised how he is or was and I keep little contact with him. It’s painful.)
I don’t know if this is considered street harassment or plain humiliation. Many years ago I traveled to Liverpool alone. I felt so alone. I was having a hard time. A bunch of strangers came to me in the street (I was waiting for the traffic lights to go green) and threw me a bag of garbage while laughing hysterically. I went to the nearest phone box and I really had a hard time stopping crying and going back to the residence where I lived while talking to my family because it seemed like I could never stop.
Lately I’m really depressed. I almost never leave the house, but sometimes I want to go out, take a walk, clear my mind. Almost 80% of the time I’m street harassed. I insult them or show them the finger but I still feel powerless.
I wish people would talk more about this topic and raise awareness in my country too.
The following is a message for sexists, homophobes, and people who do this in general.
YOU’RE SWINE!!! I WISH YOU’D DIE!!!
EVERY REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE WILL BE SISTEMATICALLY DELETED AND IGNORED.
P.S.: It’s possible that I’m forgetting other stories. Unfortunately there have been a lot.
– Anonymous
Location: Mostly in Spain
Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.
Jen says
I know how you feel. Sometimes I’ll just want to pop out to the shops to grab something but end up deciding ‘You know what, it’s not that important because I am really not in the mood today to deal with the leering degenerate men who hang around here’. Street harassment is far from trivial when it starts to affect women’s movements and inform their daily lives like this, and hopefully Holly’s blog helps people who don’t have to deal with it every day understand that.