Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Can I have a pair of your panties?”

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I get street harassed A LOT. I have had a man touch my ass on the bus twice, had a guy touch himself while sitting next to me on the bus while looking at me, have had disgusting things said and shouted and whispered to me on the street.

Once I was on a fairly full bus- a guy came up to me and asked me quietly if he could ask me a question. I presumed he wanted to ask directions or something, so I said ok and he said, “Can I have a pair of your panties?” I said “excuse me?” and he repeated it in a disgusting voice. I raised my voice and replied so the whole bus could hear me, “EXCUSE ME, DID YOU JUST ASK ME FOR A PAIR OF MY PANTIES? HOW DARE YOU!” and everyone stared at him and he leaped out the door of the bus and ran away. That felt more good than embarrassing.

All of this has happened in Italy. I’m not a hugely attractive girl, I’m just… pretty to those who know me, I suppose, but I don’t stand out too much… I often wear skirts but with black tights and I never wear low cut tops or even high heels. And I don’t even hang around bad areas of the city. It always happens in nice neighbourhoods or in the city centre where I work.

Whenever I am harassed, I’m not usually the best looking or even most provocatively dressed woman nearby. I feel like there is something about my expression or attitude that attracts these guys. I have spoken to my friends about it and no one I know has had anything near the amount of disturbing experiences, even my drop dead gorgeous friends.

Whenever it happens, even though I am almost used to it, I feel frozen with fear and can’t be 100% sure it’s actually happening and not me being paranoid. Like when a guy touches my ass on the bus, I’m not sure.. and then as soon as I get off the bus, I know it was for real and I should have done something to shame the guy. It makes me sick to the stomach and is no way flattering. I know it’s not meant to be flattering, it’s meant to make you feel sick or angry or intimidated. The thing is, if you complain about it you end up looking vain or something. I really hate it but people just shrug and say “you’re a pretty young girl, it happens.” Well I don’t see the model-type girls in bare legs and hotpants getting harassed.

– JT

Location: Turin, Italy

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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“What are you doing, black girl? Practicing to be a whore?!”

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I was walking up 6th Avenue and stopped to check something on my phone when this guy came up behind me and said, “What are you doing, black girl? Practicing to be a whore?!”

I was shocked but managed to pretend that I didn’t even hear him. He walked on a little further, proceeding to yell at any other black woman that passed him by, for absolutely no reason. He asked one how much it’d cost for a blowjob (apparently he only had $3 on him), told one pregnant woman that her “pussy will be mad loose in a few weeks”, and loudly accused a very old woman of asking sexual favors. No one acknowledged him, which seemed to be irritating him, but I wonder if “men” like this will ever meet their match.

– Gab

Location: Chelsea, NYC

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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Weekly Round Up: November 21, 2010

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Story Submissions Recap (abbreviated this weekend as I’m in India!):

I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story!

In the News, On the Blogs:

Announcements:

Upcoming Events:

Ten Tweets from the Week:

  • JenNedeau I love a little street harassment in the afternoon. #sarcasm
  • mackensy First for me in terms of street harassment: “Hey lady! I like your FACE!” Shouted, mind you. #subtle
  • LizaEckert Taking phone photos of douches who street harass me makes feel better even when they don’t turn out.
  • meaganbray Dear creeper on the sidewalk, when you catcall at girls. It makes them want to run from you not come closer. #justatip
  • MollzieD Catcalling a woman in military fatigues? A whole new low. Come on son.
  • seasonothebitch I may b wearing over-the-knee socks 2day, but really, what’s w/the extra dose of street harassment? #90srevivalnoexcuse
  • ohgodohgod intervened on a street harassment on saturday, have developed ‘inflated sense of my own abilities’ considering buying a cape+kung fu lessons
  • Garetmagdaleno Does anyone think that street harassment has ever worked?
  • iHollaback HollabackCZECHREPUBLIC is pumped and ready to ignite! #themovementgrows
  • iHollaback Young women interested in starting HollabackMIAMI are getting their Mom involved. Which is basically the coolest thing ever. HB <3s MOMS.
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12th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

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It is an outrage that street harassment, assault and murder occur regularly against transgender individuals. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we remember and mourn those who people have murdered simply for being themselves. This day also serves to raise public awareness about these on-going crimes.

Visit the website for the Transgender Day of Remembrance for statistics and information about events happening around the world.

It’s so important for us to treat everyone we encounter in public spaces with respect and that we be good bystanders when we see harassment or assault occurring. We never know when it might save a life.

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“It made ME feel like the one that was wrong”

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I have been harassed only twice in my life, but when it did happen, I felt shame, disgust and horror. I didn’t understand why I thought it was my fault, and I still don’t.

What happened was I went to help an old teacher out at a prom where he was taking pictures. He was a respectful elderly man, and I was happy to do it for him. I decided to dress up in a nice dress and I felt really good about myself. And then when I got there, his ‘associate’, an older man (but not as old as him) pinched my butt. Everything froze and I felt so dirty. I stayed the whole night helping my old professor, but I could see the other guy trying to catch my eye all night long. It was so disgusting and I felt really betrayed even though I knew that my professor wouldn’t have condoned that type of behavior.

And when I got home, I didn’t know how to tell my mom. When I did she was so unmoved and I didn’t understand how she couldn’t see what was wrong but she thought that I should take it as a compliment. WTFFF? Even worse, she told my dad that an elderly man had complimented me, and I couldn’t even talk to him about it. I know how small a thing it is to be groped, but it hurt so much because it made ME feel like the one that was wrong.

– Mag

Location: Poughkeepsie, New York

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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