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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Weekly Round Up: November 21, 2010

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Story Submissions Recap (abbreviated this weekend as I’m in India!):

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

In the News, On the Blogs:

Announcements:

Upcoming Events:

Ten Tweets from the Week:

  • JenNedeau I love a little street harassment in the afternoon. #sarcasm
  • mackensy First for me in terms of street harassment: “Hey lady! I like your FACE!” Shouted, mind you. #subtle
  • LizaEckert Taking phone photos of douches who street harass me makes feel better even when they don’t turn out.
  • meaganbray Dear creeper on the sidewalk, when you catcall at girls. It makes them want to run from you not come closer. #justatip
  • MollzieD Catcalling a woman in military fatigues? A whole new low. Come on son.
  • seasonothebitch I may b wearing over-the-knee socks 2day, but really, what’s w/the extra dose of street harassment? #90srevivalnoexcuse
  • ohgodohgod intervened on a street harassment on saturday, have developed ‘inflated sense of my own abilities’ considering buying a cape+kung fu lessons
  • Garetmagdaleno Does anyone think that street harassment has ever worked?
  • iHollaback HollabackCZECHREPUBLIC is pumped and ready to ignite! #themovementgrows
  • iHollaback Young women interested in starting HollabackMIAMI are getting their Mom involved. Which is basically the coolest thing ever. HB <3s MOMS.
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12th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

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It is an outrage that street harassment, assault and murder occur regularly against transgender individuals. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we remember and mourn those who people have murdered simply for being themselves. This day also serves to raise public awareness about these on-going crimes.

Visit the website for the Transgender Day of Remembrance for statistics and information about events happening around the world.

It’s so important for us to treat everyone we encounter in public spaces with respect and that we be good bystanders when we see harassment or assault occurring. We never know when it might save a life.

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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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A man who does not “get” street harassment and one who does

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I saw the above image a few times via twitter and Facebook and thought I’d comment. A coworker just told me it’s making the rounds via the Privilege Denying Dude to make fun of guys who believe this. Unfortunately there are many who do and I’ve heard this very comment before. Men who have this belief do not understand (or care about) issues like:

  • how quickly street harassment can turn nasty, demeaning, and violent;
  • how frequently many of us experience it and thus how annoying it is;
  • how triggering and frightening it can be for survivors of rape or of a bad harassment incident (like groping or stalking);
  • how it reinforces a societal message that women are supposed to be pretty objects for men and that it’s men’s rights to remind them of that whenever they want;
  • how it assumes all women are heterosexual or bisexual and are interested in men’s attention;
  • how it ignores the underlying racial dynamics that might be at play; and
  • how presumptuous and disrespectful it is to talk to a complete stranger in a familiar, sexual way. There is a reason most men never experience this. They are respected enough to be left the hell alone.

Here’s one of the many guys who does get gender-based street harassment. Thank you, Barry Deutsch!

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