Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“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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“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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Stopping harassers

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Was walking to a friend’s house in the early hours, heard someone shouting from a car at a woman walking in the opposite direction. The car was a Nissan Micra with three or four men in it. I watched as they stopped in the road and then began to slowly reverse back down the road with the window rolled down, obviously intending to pull level with the woman and follow her.

I started walking over towards the car, when the driver spotted me approaching he drove away. I caught up to the woman and asked if she was okay, if she was near home etc, had a short conversation with her, she seemed okay. This happens to my friends a lot, I’m very used to hearing about it, was glad to be there to do something about this time.

– p p bloxham

Location: Camden Town, London

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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“Daaaaamn. Is that your lady?”

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I no longer live in Tallahassee, FL, but the street harassment I experienced there has stuck in my memory. I lived along a main street, where I would walk to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, and every time without fail, some entitled douche would feel the need to honk or yell at me, even from across six lanes of traffic.

One particularly offensive incident involved me walking along that street late at night with my then-boyfriend. I was wearing a tank top and pajama pants, no makeup–not exactly dressed to please. Two guys in a car slowed down to look at my ass. They then proceeded to address my ex, and ignore me.

“Daaaaamn. Is that your lady?”

His lady. Because I’m only important in reference to him, right? Because I’m not actually present right now, right?

Right.

Before my ex could reply, I stuck my middle finger up. The sped off with a “Fine! Fuck you, bitch!”

The nerve of me.

– Melissa D.

Location: W. Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL

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“Dude, the world is full of grenades.”

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I witnessed two guys who were walking behind a youngish women in leggings and high heeled boots and checking her out, then walking quickly to the side of her, presumably to check out her face. After seeing her face, the two of them walked more slowly to end up behind her again, as one said to the other, “Dude, the world is full of grenades.”

– anonymous

Location: Washington D.C. by Dupont Circle

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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