Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Hey, Lucky Charms”

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Since cutting my long dreadlocks off almost a month ago, the reactions I’ve gotten from men on the street have changed. When I had the long dreads I was constantly getting unwanted sexual attention from men (“Yo, shorty! I love yo’ hair!” “Dreads, can I walk wit’ you?” “Damn, girl, I be lovin’ yo’ dreads!” “Hey, sexy!” etc.), but now with short dyed red hair I get rude attention and made fun of.

My hair was cut into a very close-cropped style, probably no more than an inch or two long. When my hair was worn like that I’ve been called “ugly,” “bald,” “nappy” and other rude comments. It’s grown a pinch to where I can put little twists in my hair, which I like.

So this morning I’m waiting at the bus stop minding my business, when an Arlington County truck full of men zipped by and the guy in the passenger seat yelled “Hey, Lucky Charms!” at me. Since it was so fast all I could do was give them the finger. I wish I could’ve gotten their license plate so I could narrow down who it was when I reported them to Arlington County, but I had to work with what I had. This was 7/13/10 at 9:35 AM. I called the County and was transferred to its “Motor Pool” line’s answering machine. I left a message and hope someone gets back to me.

I don’t get why men act like dumb asses about my hair. IT’S JUST HAIR! When it was long I was treated like a sexual object, and now that it’s short I get treated like a joke. I just want to be treated with respect and for the assholes to leave me alone.

– Anonymous

Location: Clarendon Blvd. & Uhle Street, Arlington, VA

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“Mtombazana”

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While waiting to cross the road at the traffic lights intersection, two men – one in his own vehicle, the other sticking his head out of a window on a minibus proceeded to make sexualized remarks toward me as means of getting my attention. Trying my best to tune them out became increasingly difficult as the traffic lights took some time to change in order for me to cross, but I did hear one of them call me a name that made some allusion to sweet tasting food to imply that I was edible. The other sitting in a minibus continued to call me “mtombazana” (girl in Zulu) without ceasing. The comments were therefore lewd and of course very disrespectful.

– Ms. Sheeba

Location: Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa

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: July 18, 2010

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Story Submissions Recap:

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

In the News:

Interviews:

10 Street Harassment Tweets from the Week:

  • jennpozner Bklyn dudes, when’ll you realize your “How YOU doin?” street harassment is as tired as a Friends rerun?
  • barcc Street harassment=attempt to control the physical public space, but always feels so personal.
  • TashCas Another day, another slur of street harassment thrown my way. Ugh. Odds of a gun/knife getting pulled on me if I talk back…?
  • sboehmer No, it’s not that I’m shy. It’s more that your commentary on my “sweet ass” isn’t deserving of my attention. #streetharassment
  • ShoDav Why can’t men just keep their mouths shut? Catcalling is rude and unnecessary. Ugh.
  • hollabackdc thanks 2 @rendsmith for contacting OAG after reading this http://bit.ly/bIoV7r. <3 community response to street harassment.
  • RightRides no license? no problem! u don’t need 2 drive 2 volunteer on a @rightrides driving team. email volunteer@rightrides.org 4 info
  • ForbesWoman Stop Commuter Harassment. It’s a problem 80 to 100% of women face and employers should take note @forbeswoman http://cptl.st/9xcmPS
  • UpliftMagazine Welsh PSA’s, Hey Baby & Schrödinger’s Rapist – Street Harassment, It All Adds up! http://tinyurl.com/3xktlcd
  • jessielovesyu Street harassment needs to stop. #fuckpatriarchy

Resource of the Week

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Stop looking up my skirt!

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It was about 90 degrees outside so I was wearing a skirt to work. I commute by bike, and was stopped, waiting for a red light to change, poised on my bike, ready to go with one foot on the ground, and the other on a pedal. A van of sorts (plumbers or construction workers…in a white unmarked van) starts taking a left turn but suddenly stop in the middle of the intersection and start CRAWLING along because the driver and two other guys in the front are hanging out of the window trying to get a peek up my skirt!

Thankfully I was wearing shorts underneath my skirt (obviously, though, if I hadn’t it would have been an invitation to try and glimpse my cooch), but that didn’t stop me from wanting to take my bike lock to their windshield.

– Briar L.

Location: Inman Square, Cambridge, MA

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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“Hey, mami, come back to my apartment!”

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One morning, my family and I were walking from our resort to the beach in the town of Tamarindo  in Costa Rica. A truck full of men drove by, honking at my sister. Because my sister is Deaf, she could not hear them, and thus gave them no response. My dad or mom signed to my sister that men had just honked at her.

A few minutes later, the same truck drove by again, honking once more and, this time, yelling things in Spanish. Because I speak some Spanish, I knew what they were saying (they said things like, “Hey, mami, come back to my apartment! Let’s f*ck!”). My dad was angry and told my sister to button up her shirt all the way, even though she was dressed appropriately.

I was 13 at the time, and this incident of street harassment was once of the first I had experienced. It ruined the rest of my day, which should have been a pleasant day at the beach.

– Erica

Location: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

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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