Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“It’s payback time, boys” – street harassment game

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Last fall, a New York City graduate student* contacted me because she was creating a first person shooter game about street harassment. We chatted about street harassment and I hoped to include her work in my forthcoming book, but alas I could not include every activist I came across due to space constraints. I will include a profile of her in a new activists section of my website this summer.

Anyway, after a particularly annoying harassment experience, she was talking with a friend about street harassment and out of the conversation came the idea to use her programming strength to create a product she calls “definitely controversial but designed to be playful and silly and totally over the top!” In the game she uses real comments harassers have said to her and her friends and family. This week she let me know that her first person shooter game is done. Here’s her description:

” Ladies, are you sick and tired of catcalling, hollering, obnoxious one-liners and creepy street encounters? Tired of changing your route home to avoid uncomfortable situations?

IT’S PAYBACK TIME, BOYS…..

Tell your friends, co-workers, sisters, mothers and grandmothers.  This is the game you’ve all been waiting for…”

Hey Baby is a playful and provocative video game about street harassment. Through a 3D game and website, Hey Baby is designed to spark discussion about women’s experiences of public space. Play the game at www.heybabygame.com.

The Player encounters a series of creepy men who confront her with real comments as she navigates through the game world.  The Player can choose to shoot or to shower them with love.  Hey Baby is based on hundreds of real stories, collected from women throughout the world. Using an ironic mix of humor, violence and over-the-top graphics, this unsettling game encourages open access to public space.

My pal Brittany interviewed she and featured her game at Change.org’s site and in the latest issue of Bitch magazine, and here is a review of it on Sexy Videogameland and Salon.com, so I refer you to those articles for more info.

Thoughts?

*the game creator has asked me to delete her name because of the controversy the game is creating and how directly it is attached to her name

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Police harassers lead to teens’ suicides

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How terrible! Two teenage sisters in Madhya Pradesh (India) committed suicide after two police officers harassed and assaulted them in public and then at the girls’ house.

“The girls say they complained against the two men, following which the constables were suspended, but then the two constables started to go to the girl’s home and harassing them.”

Apparently they didn’t feel they could count on the law enforcement system and took matters into their own hands to stop the harassment 🙁

Not too long ago, a teenager in Bangladesh committed suicide after experiencing ceaseless harassment for a year in public places. Her suicide helped lead to stricter enforcement of an anti-street harassment law. Will India follow suit? That could be a silver lining in this tragic story.

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Scary harassment incidences in New Orleans

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I’ve been experiencing typical forms of street harassment like catcalls etc. since I was a teen but in the last two weeks I have had multiple frightening and almost violent encounters. I live in New Orleans very close to Bourbon Street and work there but before you assume it is the location, I can honestly say I’ve lived here since August with few problems.

Last night was the worst. I chose to walk home from work on Bourbon St. specifically because it is busy and full of police officers. A man approached and attempted to make small talk as I walked. He was polite and non-threatening and I’m fairly friendly so I responded but kept walking. Then he suggested that we go some else. I explained that I had to go home. He suddenly grabbed my arm and attempted to pull me. I pushed him hard, cursing and yelling at him to never touch me again.

Out of nowhere this girl appears and lunged at me. I respond to violence with anger so I shoved her away from me. I’m guessing this couple worked as a team to either rob-or worse sexually assault-young women. It was like the female was waiting at the place the man stopped me at. Weird.

The worst part of the story is that a cop came into the scene. I immediately approached him and begged him to help me so that they wouldn’t follow me home.

His response, “Have you been drinking tonight?”

Stunned I say, “Yes, I’ve had a few I’m a dancer at a club. It’s part of my job. I’m just trying to get home.” He threatens to arrest ME for public drunkenness. I was not slurring my words or stumbling. Another man even stepped into vouch for me but the cop insisted that if I was still there when he got back I would be arrested.

A Good Samaritan luckily walked me home. My two attackers were standing a block away staring at me. I did report the incident to another police officer who was more understanding. I just couldn’t believe the first cop blew me off and treated me as the criminal. It is possible he thought it was a drunken fight between to women (if he hadn’t seen the man grab me). But still I spoke clearly and respectfully when I explained the situation.

I’ve had other less frightening versions of street harassment that also happened recently. One night my friend and I were walking and a group of guys started catcalling us. We ignored them. A few guys didn’t like our rejection so they followed us, closely, screaming obscenities. Her response was to ignore it because she feels they want a reaction. I don’t feel that I should ever have someone breathing down my neck. I told them “to back the F- off. We were not interested”. It worked, they stopped.

Another night a car full of guys began following me doing the whole catcalling routine. I wasn’t bothered until they drove the car in reverse to continue “talking” to me. They drove off finally and I went on my merry way to grab some food. On my way back those same guys passed again. They slowed down and followed me about half a block. As I tried to ignore them, and silently prayed that they aren’t going to abduct me, they ask, “Are we scaring you?”

Umm no how could it possibly be frightening to follow a single girl on a desolate street at night. Of course they knew it was frightening. Why ask if they didn’t.

I responded calmly, “No actually you aren’t scaring me. You’re annoying me. Please leave me alone now.” I looked them dead in the eye when I spoke.
I don’t understand how society considers letting men think it is ok to behave this way.

Thank you for this site.

–  Megan Kelley

Location: New Orleans, LA

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.

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Harassment is a health hazard

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I’m with my partner visiting his grandparents in a very rural area of Virginia. This morning when I was running, men in a white truck felt the need to whistle a few times at my retreating figure as I turned off the road they were driving on. I was wearing a bright orange, oversized t-shirt from a race and blue running shorts, I was dripping in sweat in the southern heat and humidity. In short, I was the picture of stunning beauty so I bear them no ill will for their uncontrollable need to harass me while I was on what was otherwise a peaceful run.

Sike.

I have every right to go for a run without being harassed. That includes whistling, honking, sexual comments, and stalking. Twice in my life I stopped running outside for a while because I was getting harassed so much each time I went running and that was exhausting. Additionally, I’ve had the most vulgar comments made to me on my runs and I’ve been followed by men twice while running (= very scary).

I am not alone. In an informal survey for my forthcoming book, I found that one in four women exercise inside on at least a weekly or monthly basis because of actual or feared interactions with strangers in public, meaning because of street harassment by men or their fear of being attacked.

Since mentioning this fact in an Oregonian op-ed, I’ve done a few interviews in the last two weeks specifically on exercising and harassment, because this reality is striking a nerve.

In response to the AOL article I posted on my Stop Street Harassment Facebook group, one woman wrote, “So sad and so true. My boyfriend suggested I could save money by running outside instead of using the gym. I replied, ‘I can’t. I’ve got big tits.’

Imagine how many more women would exercise if they could do so outside safely and without harassment  since running outside offers a lot more flexibility and affordability compared to exercising at a gym. And we know that exercise is something we all need to be healthy. So, men harassing women is a health hazard. Seriously, think about it.

Anyway, I want to know, do you get harassed while exercising? If so, what impact has it had on your life? How do you deal with it? Do you have any suggestions?

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Two year anniversary book winner!

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Chandni Parekh is the winner of tonight’s random drawing for a signed copy of my book Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe & Welcoming for Women (out Aug. 30) to celebrate the two year anniversary of my blog. Thanks everyone who entered and I’ll do another drawing on Aug. 30. to celebrate the book release. So stay tuned!

My housemates helped w/the drawing 🙂

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