Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Street Harassment Snapshot: December 19, 2010

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Story Submissions Recap:

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

Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

Events:

  • Join RightRides in NYC on Jan 4th @ Union Square 2-5 p.m. to pass out information on keeping mass transit safe for women & LGBTQ folks! http://tinyurl.com/NYFSTOutreach

Announcements:

New:

  • Here are ideas for end-of-year-giving to organizations that work to make public places safer for women and girls, and you can also find a few gift ideas for people who care about ending street harassment

On-going:

Tweets from the Week:

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“When you talk about women like that in front of me, you are insulting me”

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Years ago, in my hometown of Buffalo, NY, I was waiting at the bus stop where two guys were making misogynistic comments about women, talking about who they could “fuck” while calling them “hoes,” “bitches,” and whatever nasty thing could come out of their mouths. At first I chose to quietly walk a few paces away from them so I wouldn’t have to be subjected to that, but when they said, “Bitch, we ain’t talkin’ about you!” I had to say something.

“When you talk about women like that in front of me, you ARE insulting ME and I don’t want to hear it,” I said.

“Shut up, bitch!” the ringleader responded.

“Man, you are ignorant and uneducated,” I said.

“I’m not uneducated…I got my college degree!” the one guy said.

“So?” I responded. “I have one and so do many other people. It doesn’t make you special.”

This guy got so angry and embarrassed at being called “uneducated,” as well as being pointed at and laughed at by his friend for being “dissed” by me, that he got quiet. He looked like he was going to cry!

“She called me ‘uneducated’!” he whined quietly.

The bus finally came and we all boarded, the guy with his head hanging down in defeat and me feeling good for standing up for myself and other women. Serves him right and I’m sure he knows better than to call women “bitches” and “hoes” like that now.

– D

Location: Bus stop at Grant Street & West Ferry Street, Buffalo, NY

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Christmas shopping trip ruined

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I had a horrible experience yesterday.

It happened on the bus when i was on my way to my local seaside town to do some xmas shopping. This ordeal left me shaken and in tears, though they were silent tears as i didn’t want other people to notice.

So when i sat on the bus, there was a middle aged man sitting two seats behind me talking on his phone. He was having a discussion about a woman who had rejected him that day. The way he was talking about her was disgusting. I turned around and looked at him. Then when he got off his phone, i heard a, “What are you looking at, you cow?”

I was shocked and said, “Nothing”.

But he proceeded to abuse me by calling me names and then he started making advances to me!

I obviously rejected him and told him that he can’t go around talking to people like that. This made him angrier and he continued his foul mouthed tirade at me, saying i am frigid and dopey.

In the end, he got off before me. I told the bus driver and he took me seriously but i decided not to go to the police.

– Clarice

Location: No 63 bus, Wales, UK

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

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Groped & harassed, but victim-blaming keeps her silent

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I am a school student. In my area there is a 99 percent chance that you get groped on crowded buses…so i often go to school by cycle…thinking that it was safe…..but i was wrong…. a guy on a scooter squeezed my breast with one hand and before i could react sped off..i was both physically hurt and psychologically disturbed…often people in our society blame the girl for being the victim…for not being careful…so i did not dare to share this with anyone..i hate sick men….most of the men in Chennai are sick.

– Anonymous

Location: Chennai, India

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“He asked me if I was into S&M”

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A year ago I went with my mother to visit Chicago for my birthday. It was a weekend trip and the only thing that I could put down as harassment was when we were on the train going from the airport to our hotel.

There were no seats left and I was standing by the doors holding onto one of the metal poles. There was a man across from me and at first he didn’t say anything until about fifteen to twenty minutes later when he made a comment about a necklace I was wearing. He asked me if I was into S&M. The necklace was a pair of handcuffs that I had bought at Claire’s, of all places.

I was a little bit put off but simply responded, “No, I just liked the necklace” Thankfully he didn’t say anything to me until he got off about ten minutes later.

Later when I told my mother about the experience she said to me that I had to at least expect some comments because of what the necklace was. I don’t agree and I thought that what that man had said to me was inappropriate.

– Anonymous

Location: Chicago, IL

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

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