Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
“A series of anti-sexism posters by “Solidarity Against Patriarchy” appeared on the streets of Vancouver, Canada on or around New Year’s Eve, 2012.”
The group is comprised of mostly men who are working for gender equality and against sexism. Thoughts?
As soon as I got on this bus I could see this guy on the bottom deck leering and looking me up and down as I walked past him to sit at the back. I figured I was only going a very short way so wouldn’t sit elsewhere just to avoid him, but in that short time he continually craned his neck round to stare and leer at me, wanting me to know exactly what he was doing and enjoying making me feel uncomfortable.
When I had to get off I said as I walked past, “When you stare at women like that it makes you look like a creep.” I was expecting him to be abusive back (he had that aura about him where you can usually predict it), but it was still surprising how angry he instantly got. These are the bits of his speech that I can remember (there was much more…): “I wasn’t fucking looking at you – I was looking at her [indicating a girl sat directly behind him and out of his line of vision]. You’re fucking butter! [whatever THAT means] Fucking four eyes – you think it’s Halloween or something? [whilst I used to hear this line when I was a teenage goth, I think it’s the first time I’ve had it simply for having glasses!] You’re fucking butter! Think I’d look at you? Ugh!”
I laughed at his Halloween comment, told him whoever he was looking at he was still a creep (notice he didn’t even deny gawping at women), and loudly told him to “Stop harassing women” as I stepped off the bus and walked away. The bus would usually come past me to its next stop, but it didn’t, so I wonder if the driver was remonstrating with him for his pleasant little outburst. I don’t know – I didn’t look back 🙂
Less than a minute after I’d got off the bus. I picked up an Evening Standard and one of the main stories in there was about the rapper Dappy spitting and swearnig at two girls when they ignored his advances (for which he was in court). This behaviour is so common, it’s almost a cliche.
Did I have to say anything? No. But I am getting sick to death of being intimidated in my daily life by people like this. I was catching the bus after leaving the gym – I go to a women-only gym that’s not in the most convenient of locations anyway, rather than exercise outdoors or in a mixed gym, and I refuse to feel like I also can’t do that because of these creeps.
– Jen
Location: London, 38 bus to Victoria
A woman walking through the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco two nights ago was approached by a man who made sexually explicit comments/propositioned her. She rejected him and in response, he slashed her face and stabbed her in the arm! She escaped and called the police and she’s being treated for her injuries at a hospital. Thankfully, her life is not in danger.
Police report: “The suspect, who remains at large, was described as a black man between 30 and 45 years old who is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 190 pounds. He is bald and was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and faded blue jeans, possibly with “FUBU” on the pants. Anyone with information about the attack is encouraged to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411.”
Street harassment is a form of sexual terrorism because we never know when it might happen, by whom, or how far it may escalate.
Women never know which of the guys who make sexually explicit comments are the ones who will leave us alone/stop harassing us if we tell them to stop and which guys will become violent and physically hurt us.
Some men who are harassers will justify their behavior by saying things like, “Most women like it, they smile at me or say thank you.”
A thank you or a smile doesn’t mean women like what’s happening; more often, it means they’re trying to stay safe in a potentially unsafe situation by appeasing their harasser, hoping he won’t escalate or lash out.
Because individuals never know what a harasser may do, it is really hard to know how to respond. Practicing a range of responses is the best suggestion I can give and in the moment of harassment, hopefully one of the responses will work and feel empowering.
I think that organizing community responses, being active bystanders, and raising men’s awareness about street harassment are tactics that are going to create the most lasting change while also keeping women safe.
By Lauren Duhon, Baton Rouge, La., Stop Street Harassment Correspondent
As the nation watched the Bowl Championship Series National Championship game last night between the University of Notre Dame and University of Alabama, I’m sure fans only expected to watch a football game between the top two teams in the nation. What they also saw, however, was a continuous string of remarksby ESPN commentators about Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend Katherine Webb.
During the first quarter of the game, commentator Brent Musburger made remarks about Webb, who is also Miss Alabama, like she was a trophy. “You quarterbacks get all of the good looking women,” he said, as he urged young boys watching to play football in order to date attractive women.
Throughout the game, the camera did close up shots of Webb, bringing more and more attention to the Auburn University alumna.
I watched the game with some of my friends who contributed to the commentary while practically drooling every time she appeared on the screen. When I got angry and asked why they thought that was okay, they answered, “Because she is hot” numerous times.
I couldn’t understand their behavior. The unnecessary comments and explicit names they called her continued until the end of the game (ending in a victory for Alabama).
Then the sexist comments moved online. Webb’s Twitter account went viral in a matter of hours and gained nearly 170,000 followers and there were many creepy tweets directed at her.
Webb hasn’t made a comment about the coverage, but today ESPN released a statement:
“We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test. However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
Despite the apology, this isn’t the first time Musburger has made inappropriate comments during a game, nor do I think it will be the last time that a sports commentator does so, especially since few people have spoken out against his behavior. On the contrary, I’ve read multiple comments on websites like Bleacher Report from people saying they love him for his antics.
So I am speaking out: no one should be gawked at on national television without their permission, including by ESPN commentators. No one should have to virtually be catcalled by teenage boys and middle-aged men online without their consent.
Our society needs to stop justifying these actions. They help shape a society in which many men think it’s okay to say disrespectful things to women on the streets, on television, and online without much consequence. If I were Webb, I would come out with a statement to discourage these men, because I wouldn’t want to be pinned as anyone’s prize.
Lauren Duhon is a student journalist from LSU in Baton Rouge, La.
**Trigger Warning**
Because of racism + sexism, women of color often face really vile and frequent harassment on the street and the rates of sexual assault are higher overall for women of color than they are for white women.
This story, published by Indian Country Today, is a very, very upsetting example. Please read with care.
“In a telephone interview, Christi Belcourt, representing the victim’s family, elaborated on the police report and a statement issued by the family. She said the attack began at around 9 p.m. on December 27, when the victim was walking to a store in the north end of the city [Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada]. Two Caucasian men in their mid-30s pulled up alongside her in a green two-door sedan and began yelling at her, allegedly calling her a ‘dirty squaw’ and other racially tinged profanities.
When she ignored them and walked faster, they reportedly began throwing things at her, including trash. She says the passenger then jumped out of the car and grabbed her by her hair—pulling her so violently she lost clumps of hair—and shoved her into back seat, where he sat on her and began beating her.
She tried to fight back, but was unable to escape as she was driven to a nearby wooded area, where she says she was brutally sexually assaulted, strangled and beaten.
During the attack the men allegedly told the victim it wasn’t the first time they had committed this type of crime and ‘it wouldn’t be the last.’ She told police they also told her, ‘You Indians deserve to lose your treaty rights,’ making a reference to the recent Idle No More events in Thunder Bay.
Left for dead in the woods in freezing temperatures, the victim walked for nearly four hours to get back to her home. From there, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment and forensic tests. ‘The only thoughts that came to my mind were my children,’ the victim later said in a statement. ‘I thought I would never see them again.'”
Heartbreaking. Maddening. Brave. I’m glad she lived.
The Thunder Bay City Police are investigating the harassment and assault as a possible hate crime (which it clearly is – a hate crime against Native women), and no suspects have been found so far.
The woman and her family bravely came forward with the painful story to show what kind of racism and misogyny exists in their community and to make sure the perpetrators are held accountable.
“First Nations leaders want police to know the public is watching. ‘These cases often are not taken seriously enough and we don’t want this to get swept aside,’ said Chief Peter Collins of the Fort William First Nation, who noted there have been many cases of missing First Nations women that remain unresolved.”
The Native Youth Sexual Health Network issued a statement after the attack: “Violence against indigenous women and girls has been, and continues to be used as a weapon of colonialism and a way to undermine the strength of our leadership. NYSHN sees raising our voices together against sexual violence and making change for violence against women to stop as an integral part of any movement.” You can help support their work here.
I hope the two perpetrators are found and prosecuted quickly, before they hurt anyone else.