Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Judge resigns over subway sexual harassment

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Via The Korea Herald:

“A 42-year-old judge resigned after being accused of harassing a woman on the subway, officials at the Supreme Court said Friday.

The incumbent judge at the Seoul High Court, surnamed Hwang, was investigated by police on charges of harassing a woman in her 20s on a crowded subway during Thursday morning rush hour, according to police.

Hwang was caught in the very act by a patrol police officer who followed him after feeling suspicious about what he witnessed, they said, noting that Hwang confessed to the act on the spot and was released soon after a police investigation.

Although he is not subject to criminal punishment as the victim agreed to drop the case, Hwang offered to resign from his job, which was swiftly accepted by the top court.

“We have immediately accepted his resignation considering the seriousness of the matter,” said Hong Dong-ki, a top court spokesman.”

Wow. Nice work, police officer. CRAP job, judge.

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Camera gives you X-ray vision… just what street harassers need

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Computers, internet, and phones let us raise awareness about street harassment and even report street harassers. But technology can also work against us as we try to make public places harassment-free.

Here’s an example.

Not only is taking photos of people in public, including upskirting, perfectly legal in a lot of states, but now people who do it can take pics that allow them to see through thin fabrics!!

Via Gizmodo:

“This S95-styled point and shoot, the Midnight Shot NV-1, is the perfect camera for perverts. Why? Cause it has an infrared-night shot mode which can let you see through thin fabric and other materials.

It has a regular mode too! But the night-shot mode is where the nudie cam comes in. It gets the blocking filter out of the way, letting all infrared light through while a super bright IR LED “invisibly” illuminates everything in the picture. That infrared light can actually penetrate thin clothing, and since the camera can capture the infrared light, the clothing in the picture turn see through.

Other cameras have had some sort of feature like this before, but never so blatantly. One note: the nudie cam effect works best in the daytime but try not to be a perv. $140″

Ugh, so now we have to wonder if what we’re wearing is considered “thin fabric” in case our street harassers have an x-ray vision camera? *Shakes fist* why, can’t you only be on our side, technology?

[Thanks goes to my Gizmodo-reading partner for the story tip.]

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Two heroes call out their street harassers and their stories inspire other women to be brave

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I was raised to be polite, quiet, and not hurt people’s feelings, just as so many girls and women have been, and standing up to street harassers (or any harassers) is not something that comes naturally to me. I am in awe, then, of women (and people) who just go for it, who stand up to harassers no matter what, and by doing so, make the world a better place. Today, I want to mention two of them and I consider them to be heroes.

Nicola Briggs

First, this evening, I had the honor to meet Nicola Briggs, the woman who made headlines last fall by calling out a subway pervert who had his penis out against her on the subway (a video of it went viral on YouTube). During the subway incident, Nicola didn’t think about being polite or ladylike, she didn’t worry about making a scene. She called the guy out loudly, got bystanders to help make sure he didn’t get away, and reported him to police. He was arrested and later convicted.

The Islip Area AAUW Branch in New York sponsored me to speak at their local library this evening and Nicola surprised me by coming to the talk! I asked her to share her story for the attendees and everyone was very impressed and inspired. I know I continue to be both impressed and inspired by her presence of mind and determination to make sure he didn’t harass any other woman. Coincidentally, she wrote a guest post on iHollaback today.

Second, today on the ACLU Blog, Robyn Shepherd shared an amazing story of standing up to a street harasser/sexual assaulter. She was on her way to work when a guy whacked her on her rear on the street. She chased the guy down yelled at him and called the police who came and helped her look for him. In the end, he got away, but it was still an important response. She writes,

“I’m realistic. I knew they were never going to arrest this guy. But here’s the thing, and the point to this whole long, profane story. I know there are a lot of people who think it wasn’t that big a deal. But the truth of the matter is, what this guy did was sexual assault. “Forcible touching and harassment,” if you want to get specific.

Sexual assault doesn’t always necessarily mean something as horrible as rape. And too often street harassment is unreported, and douchebags like this think they can get away with it because the girl is gonna be too embarrassed or too meek to do anything about it. Or they think it’s “just a slap on the ass.” And that’s not right, you guys. I don’t know how other women feel about their posteriors, but you don’t very well get to smack the hell out of it willy-nilly because you feel entitled to do so. There will be repercussions.

To the NYPD’s credit, they did follow up, and the detective told me that if I really wanted to press charges, she would help me do that, even if it meant looking through a lot of surveillance tape and looking at lineups and all that stuff. I opted not to, figuring that they had this guy’s description, and if he did it again, he’d be in a lot of trouble. But something tells me he’s not going to. I think I scared him. Or as the detective said, “So you ran up and confronted him and screamed at him in a bank.”

“Yep.”

“…Awesome.”

I know what happened to me could have been a lot, lot worse. But someone doesn’t have to be raped to be humiliated, violated and hurt. Sometimes, all it takes is a smack on the ass.”

Exactly.

It’s our right to be safe on the streets and the subways and buses and in stores and we don’t have to be embarrassed to call out the jerks who try to hurt and humiliate us.

Thank you, Nicola, thank you, Robyn for standing up to harassers and thank you for also sharing those stories. You inspire the rest of us who aren’t as brave to try being brave.

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The tide is turning!

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In the last chapter of my book, I wrote about the need for governments, major organizations and media groups to pay attention to street harassment and address it as a form of gender violence that impedes equality.

I would never have guessed that so soon after I turned in my manuscript 15 months ago,  I would already see that starting to be fulfilled.

First, last fall, there was the launch of the United Nations’ Safe Cities Programme (which is the first by the UN to truly address street harassment) and the New York City Council’s first-ever hearing on street harassment. Those were huge developments and I know will influence what other organizations and local governments do about the issue.

And while there has been a definitive growing number of media outlets addressing street harassment, I am overcome with happiness and relief to find such well-respected, influential, and impressive groups like BBC  News and ACLU addressing street harassment – and in one day no less.

I think the tide is turning!

I hope you’ll read both articles, they’re great.

I have so much hope right now.

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NYC subway anti-harassment PSA to target bystanders

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Hooray! Here’s good news. So the New York City subway currently has a PSA campaign telling people facing harassment they can report it.

Which is better than no PSA campaign, but it places the onus on the person experiencing harassment to do something. Now, a new PSA campaign will encourage anyone who sees or experiences harassment to report it.

But next, we need a campaign telling harassers to STOP in the first place!!

Via NBC:

“The MTA is changing its train announcement aimed at victims of inappropriate sexual conduct on subways, asking witnesses who see groping to also report the crime…

State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick pushed to have the messages changed after being concerned that the current announcements place the burden of reporting harassment solely on the victim.

“Sexual harassment is treated with a ‘boys will be boys’ shrug but it can be a humiliating, frustrating, and downright scary experience,” Glick told NBC New York in an email. “I thought if the MTA really wants people to ‘See Something, and Say Something’ then there is no reason that sexual harassment should not be included as well.”…

According to Glick, the new message will say, “a crowded subway is no defense to unlawful sexual conduct. If you believe that you have been the victim of a crime, or witness to a crime, notify an MTA Employee or Police Officer.”

Three cheers for Glick’s work on this initiative and also to HollaBack and New Yorkers for Safe Transit for pushing for this change.

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