Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
Every time I walked past a construction site near my house, one of the workers would whistle or yell something out at me. One of them got pissed off when I ignored him. I ended up having to walk the long way around to avoid having to go past the site.
– Anonymous
Location: Corner of Brunswick Road and Lygon Street, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
Five years ago this week, I launched the Stop Street Harassment website and blog to fill a void I saw when two websites I studied for my master’s thesis on street harassment in 2007 were gone. Since then, I’ve written a book, have given more than 65 talks on the topic and written more than 25 articles, and SSH has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with several programs and projects, including the Correspondents program, International Anti-Street Harassment Week, and we’re fundraising to conduct a national study on street harassment.
To help fundraise for our programs, we’re holding an online auction for the next week. All proceeds will go directly to the SSH programs and to help fund a summer and then a fall intern.
Several generous groups and people donated items, including Girls for Gender Equity, artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, SSH board member Zabie Khorakiwala, marketer Kira Hug, professor and author Salamishah Tillet, editor and SSH board member Elizabeth Bolton, and award-winning authors Beckie Weinheimer and Moira Donohue.
Check out the items on ebay and help support Stop Street Harassment!
Signed copy of Hey, Shorty! Book + Poster
Tree of Life Yoga Package: Gaiam Tree of Life Yoga Mat + Tote Bag + Water Bottle
2005 Dell computer monitor screen in perfect condition
2 Pairs of ZEAL Sunglasses – Essential & Hadley
Signed copy of the award-winning book Converting Kate
Signed copy of the kids book Alphie and the Apostrophe
Audit of your website + feedback from marketer Kira Hug
Feedback on 30 pages of your novel/fiction work-in-progress by award-winning author Beckie Weinheimer
Three hours copy-editing servicesby award-winning editor and SSH Board Member Elizabeth Bolton
Signed copy of the book Stop Street Harassment
24 home-made sugar cookies (holiday ones shown but are not the shapes that will be made)
By Sean Crosbie, SSH Correspondent
Feminist men sometimes face an uphill battle to legitimize themselves in the face of their male counterparts. I was reminded of an experience during International Anti-Street Harassment week. One of the most exciting online activities during the week was a series of Tweet Chats, which created a place for concerned activists and organizations to discuss issues pertinent to street harassment. During the chat about male allies, I shared an experience in which a “friend” chastised me for becoming “more of a woman” because of my interest in women’s rights. I received supportive feedback and was heartened to see Men Can Stop Rape’s response: “Sad b/c gender equality, gender-based violence are still seen as ‘women’s issues.’ Well u just helped change that perception.”
I agree that the comment was sad, but it also shows a skewed perception that perpetuates the culture of street harassment. Since women’s issues are constantly maligned in this fashion by the hyper-masculine power structure, issues such as street harassment are seen as trivial. The media and popular culture instill images of catcalling as romantic and playful, which sheds a positive light on these degrading acts.
There is an element of fear contained in the comment that is very common in the dismissal of women’s issues. Whenever you chip away at a structure that has defined a society for millennia, those in power are going to fight back with fear and intimidation. Conventional wisdom holds that as women gain a higher role in society, there will be fewer chances for men to get ahead and hold their traditional positions in society. If some men decide to break rank and support the “other side,” they will face emasculation or worse.
This group-think mentality among some men creates a huge barrier to the acceptance of male allies. It is time to end the notion that men cannot play a role in feminism, as there have been male allies of feminist movements since the time of suffrage. One of the ways to alleviate these archaic notions is by educating men and boys about feminism and offering positive reinforcement for respecting women. Men and boys need to break with the hyper-masculine collective mentality that creates attitudes that normalize street harassment and diminish the efforts of those who fight against it.
Sean has written for Stop Street Harassment since April 2011. He is a library/research assistant at a labor union in Washington, D.C. and holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from American University.
I live in Barbados and traveled through the Caribbean with a friend. Everywhere we went, catcalls, whistling, and lewd comments followed us. We tried not to let it bother us but after two weeks of this, I’d had enough.
Upon returning to Barbados, when we were on our way to a bar, a group of men stood near a corner. One of them leered “hey babes, which one of you is the nice one?”. We ignored him. On our way back, two hours later, the same man once again said “so which one of you is the nice one?”.
I don’t know what part made me angriest. That he assumed that my friend and I were either desperate or skanky enough to be picked up off the street. That he didn’t even bother using a new degenerate comment. That he had the audacity to think we would be anything but disgusted.
At that moment I did something that I had never, ever done before. I screamed, “PISS OFF!” at him. His response was to be outraged at my reaction and calling me a “bitch”.
I am a calm person who doesn’t seek open confrontation. That someone as lecherous and unworthy as this man could make me act so out of my character makes me sad.
Something like this happens daily in Barbados (and in the Caribbean in general).
– Anonymous
Location: Barbados
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
Sometimes I respond to a street harassment incident in anger, sometimes with humor and a whole lot of sass. However, recently I’ve started handing handwritten notes to cat-callers in which I try to come from a positive, uplifting angle. I simply hand it to them and walk away, feeling good about handling my response in a civilized way and still “speaking my mind.” Here’s an example of my feelings in this letter:
Dear Friend,
I am a human being just like you. I have a family and work very hard, struggling to support myself. I am a teacher and work very hard to raise conscious, respectful, and kind children, who are the hope for our next generation. I do not deserve to be cat called (street harassed) by you. It is disrespectful and no person deserves it. I hope one day you will learn that respect for all the people of the earth is the only way we can grow and evolve as a community and a human family.
Animals react with instincts. They often do not think with a higher brain, they just do what they want; they do what their bodies tell them. Humans are different than animals because they have the ability to control their actions and make more conscious decisions. We are more evolved. Without respect, self control, and without forethought, we are simply just animals.
I hope that you will do your part and remember that you are capable of rising above the behavior that you just showed me. You may think that it’s not a big deal, but it is a huge deal. You can be a better human being than that. You are not an animal who just reacts without thinking and without using your highly developed brain. The minerals and compounds in your body are remnants from stars that collided with our planet billions of years ago. Your mind, spirit, and actions can be used for goodness, respect, kindness, and mindfulness. You are important, precious, and unique to the world. Do not underestimate your power to rise above!
Help change our world. Most people in our world have been overcome with a deep and deluded sickness of not caring, of not thinking, and reacting with a “lower brain.” Blindness to the suffering of others is a disease that we need to overcome. Do the right, human thing. Disrespecting women by calling out to them on the street is not a human thing to do. It is not using your “higher brain.” I am confident that you can and will realize this someday, because you are human, and I believe that you are capable of “having a heart” and being the evolved being that you truly are.
Blessings, respect, and honor to you Friend. Good luck on your journey and may you bring happiness and good, positive things to others in your lifetime.
Life is short – live well, and lead with love and care.
Humbly and With Deep Respect,
Your Sister in Humanity
– Alodiah in San Francisco, CA
