Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

South Africa: What men need to understand about street harassment

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Trigger Warning

By: Gcobani Qambela, South Africa, SSH Correspondent

Duduzile Zozo. Image from International Business Times

I spent much of this past week speaking to self-identifying lesbian women in the rural town of Peddie in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. South Africa, despite progressive same-sex legislation, still presents an extremely hostile environment for non-heterosexual sexualities. It was just two weeks ago when we heard of the brutal murder of Duduzile Zozo.

Zozo was a 26-year-old lesbian woman who passed away in a lesbian hate crime, and was found dead with a toilet brush stuffed into her vagina. Such crimes are however not primarily against lesbian women for heterosexual women too are often also victim to such violent crime. A few kilometres from Peddie for instance, in Grahamstown, Thandiswa Qubuda was beaten, raped and died after having been rendered brain dead after the assault on her.

The women I spoke to this past week were full human beings who possessed so much joy, love and happiness. They had sexuality, and were not afraid to express it both inwards and externally. They all however said showing their love and sexuality publicly was often eclipsed by complaints of men (and sometimes even women) that they say chase them in the streets harassing and doing other ignorant things. Thenjiwe* for instance told me that it is not uncommon for men to harass her in the streets asking things like, “How do you lesbians do it?”**, or men telling her that they can “fix” her from being a lesbian through their penis or even other women uttering homophobic remarks and threats at her.  As a result of this, she said her worst fear is rape for she often walks through a dark park home.

In South Africa it is often the major crimes that make the national headlines that are taken seriously, while the daily harassment which many women and (gay) men experience in the street falls to the side. It is important that the government and individuals make the connection between ‘everyday misogyny’ and the larger societal problems that we have in South Africa like rape and patriarchy.

Many people for example are shocked when there is news of lesbian women that have been raped and murdered and see this event as something that is separate from their lives – something that they would not do yet they participate in it daily.  Men who harass lesbian women in the streets uttering homophobic slurs do not seem to understand that they are participating in the same process as the person who eventually rapes and kills a woman.

Many men would say they would never rape a woman or have sex with a woman without her consent, yet why then is it okay to harass (and humiliate) lesbian women in the street when this is clearly something that they do not desire? Everyday misogyny experienced by many women from largely men who find it okay to whistle, harass and touch women inappropriately ultimately sends the message to other men watching that it is okay to mistreat women.

This creates an enabling environment for other opportunistic miscreants to take this mistreatment further by assaulting, raping and ultimately also murdering women. Men need to understand, stop and speak out against not only the ‘big’ crimes like rape, assault and murder, but also especially against the ones that are regarded as the ‘smaller’ one like street harassment which makes it difficult for so many people to enjoy their freedom of movement.

In South Africa where we have a painful history of oppression, we better than anyone else, should realise the importance of allowing people full freedom regardless of gender or sexual orientation to live peacefully and freely in the country. Until South Africans start seeing the connection between everyday street harassment and societal issues such as rape – we are not going to be able to get to the heart of these and we are unfortunately going to continue to see more of this patriarchal violence inflicted especially on women.

*Name has been changed.

**They are asking how lesbian women have sex for they do not have a penis.

Gcobani is completing his Masters in Medical Anthropology through Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. His research centres around issues of risk, responsibility and vulnerability amongst Xhosa men (and women) in a rural town in South Africa living in the context of HIV/AIDS. Follow him on Twitter, @GcobaniQambela.

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Talk 2 Q Radio Show: Street Harassment

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Cross-posted from SSH Board Member Relando Thompkin’s blog

This past Sunday, I had an opportunity to be a guest on the Talk 2 Q Radio Show with my colleague Holly Kearl, founder of the non-profit organization Stop Street Harassment, to discuss the issue of gender-based street harassment.

Check out our interview below, and share your thoughts in the comments. (Warning: Some language might be offensive).

Full disclosure: As a current board member of this organization, and a man who is passionate about engaging other men about this topic, I was excited to take this opportunity.

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USA: Street Harassment of Gay and Bisexual Men

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Patrick receiving his award

By Sean Crosbie, SSH Correspondent

The event commemorating the fifth anniversary of Stop Street Harassment was held at Vinoteca in D.C. and celebrated the work of many courageous individuals and organizations. Patrick Ryne McNeil was among those honored for his groundbreaking research into street harassment of gay and bisexual men. Patrick’s Master’s thesis at George Washington University here in Washington, D.C. deals specifically on how this street harassment of gay and bisexual men occurs as well as how it relates to – and differs from – women who experience street harassment. I interviewed Patrick for the Stop Street Harassment blog about his research, and his views on how this degradation of gay and bisexual men can be alleviated.

Sean: You have done research on street harassment of gay and bisexual men. What is the most interesting fact you have uncovered in your research on this topic? Did you discover data that surprised you?

Patrick: I think it’s interesting that the percentage of men who reported constantly assessing their surroundings in public was actually larger for the men who perceived their masculinity to be higher than those who perceived their masculinity to be lower. While the figures are relatively close, it is a noticeable departure from what may initially be predicted. It is conceivable that men who perceive their masculinity to be higher are actually hypervigilant of possible stigmatization and therefore are more aware of potential threats to their desired level of masculinity. Men in the lower range may view harassment as inevitable – and have experienced it more frequently – and are thus less concerned with auditing public spaces for potential harassment because they already know how likely it is. At some point for these men, ‘constantly assessing their surroundings’ loses meaning because for them it is simply living. Lower levels may be reported because, although they are assessing surroundings, they are doing so unconsciously because of the ever-present very real possibility of harassment. For men who perceive higher levels of masculinity, guarding themselves against public acts of harassment is a more conscious process and thus reported at higher levels. This, of course, is just my interpretation.

Sean: How common is street harassment towards gay and bisexual men? Does this affect how gay and bisexual men use public spaces?

Patrick: As I’ve written about before, my survey respondents reported sometimes, often, or always feeling unwelcome in public about 90 percent of the time because of their perceived sexual orientation – and this affects how they navigate public spaces. About 71 percent said they constantly assess their surroundings, 69 percent said they avoid specific neighborhoods or areas, 67 percent reported not making eye contact with others, and 59 percent said they cross streets or take alternate routes – all to escape potential stranger harassment.

Sean: How common is street harassment among gay and bisexual men towards one another? Does this affect how gay and bisexual men interact with one another?

Patrick: I don’t have a lot of specific data on this, but did find that there are certain forms of harassment that are more commonly enacted by another gay/bisexual man than enacted by men perceived to be heterosexual. For example, getting whistled at or being touched/grabbed in a sexual way are forms of harassment that my respondents more often reported coming specifically from men they identify as gay, though it’s unclear how often this occurs, if it is specific to particular geographies, what sort of age or race dynamics might be at work, etc. Learning more about this will require more focused research – it’s something I wish I had thought more about before finalizing my survey.

Sean: What do you think can be done by community groups or local governments to alleviate street harassment of gay and bisexual men?

Patrick: It’s difficult to say what community groups or local governments can do to immediately alleviate street harassment, since it will likely take a cultural shift to really get to the root of the problem. Some of the most effective work being done here in DC is the harassment-focused WMATA advertisement campaign and the indecent exposure legislation that passed in February of this year. While there is of course much work to be done, these are very visible efforts that I think are creating real change – change that will lead us, I hope, to that cultural shift. Street harassment is still an issue that receives less attention than many other forms of harassment and violence, so Stop Street Harassment’s awareness-raising efforts are still critically important, such as International Anti-Street Harassment Week and the stories shared on its blog (and on other sites). I think the more we lift up the message that street harassment is occurring at alarming rates and that it affects people very deeply, and the more we call out companies for trivializing and at times promoting street harassment, the closer we will get to achieving equal access to public spaces.

Sean: Do you mind describing one of your experiences with street harassment? What happened, and how did that make you feel?

Patrick: I’ve written on Stop Street Harassment’s blog here and here about two particular times I was harassed on the street, and there are of course many more. And while these incidents are memorable, it’s important to note that not all incidents of harassment involve lengthy exchanges or even words at all. I’ve been harassed for holding hands with another boy, both verbally and non-verbally, and I’ve been harassed countless times while alone in often non-verbal ways. A shake of the head, a stare, an expression of disapproval – these actions force me to over-evaluate and to consider all public interactions as possibly threatening in some way.

Patrick’s work dealing specifically with street harassment has been published on Huffington Post, Fem2pt0, and Feministe, in addition to the Stop Street Harassment blog. You can follow Patrick on Twitter @patrickryne.

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.

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USA: You’re Becoming a Woman

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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.

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USA: Government Policy and Street Harassment

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By Sean Crosbie, SSH Correspondent

Street harassment is a pervasive problem that has both public and private effects. Street harassment has psychological impact, including feelings of humiliation and worthlessness. This has negative consequences on how people interact with one another in public spaces that are supposed to be inclusive and safe for all. There is a debate on what measures local and national governments should take to combat street harassment and create the safe spaces that everyone deserves.

In a previous blog post, I wrote about how the culture of hypermasculinity creates the mentality that causes street harassment. The two women I interviewed for the post also had strong opinions on the role that local and national governments can play in alleviating street harassment. Both women agree that one of the most important initiatives any government can implement is a program of educating men and boys about the dangers of street harassment. Interviewee 1 noted the importance of local governments to fund anti-street harassment initiatives for public transportation. Here, she talks about the great first step WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) has made in preventing street harassment, but also what Metro can do to better enforce their policies:

I would like to see Metro put some teeth behind their campaign to stop harassment on the metro. …There are still numerous women who feel nothing was done in response to their complaints. I know I, personally, would probably not take the time to find a Metro employee and report “minor” harassment just because it seems like a waste of time. Until Metro employees (and police officers) truly understand what a threat this kind of harassment is, and treat it with as much respect as a mugging or assault, we won’t feel safe, and we won’t bother reporting the incidents.

Women need to feel that the government will back up anti-street harassment initiatives with effective action. The attitude that street harassment is “no big deal” or “a compliment” prevents local law enforcement from taking strong action. These attitudes cannot be reversed unless governments work to educate men and boys about the severity of street harassment. Interviewee 1 advocates for mandatory harassment training at all levels of schooling:

We also need mandatory harassment training in high schools, as well as in college. Awareness is key, so the more men are aware of how this behavior makes women feel, the greater the chance that we will see real change.

Interviewee 2 believes that this education should start as early as 6th grade:

The school district that I come from starts health education at sixth grade. Perhaps street harassment can be a conversation that starts then, too.

There is a tremendous amount that governments can do to combat street harassment. Both of my interviewees focused on reversing the dismissive attitude that some men and boys have with regard to catcalling. Since these ways of thinking begin early in men’s socialization, it’s necessary to start teaching men early on in their education against committing or tolerating degrading acts towards women. A shift in the way society views behavior like catcalling is needed for street harassment to be taken more seriously. This can also inspire government programs that are responsive and make women feel both safe and that their voices are being heard. But we need the societal shift to happen in conjunction with public policies – both are necessary for change.

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.

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