Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Stop Street Harassment Book Released! Win a Copy

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A year ago today, I was in the beginning stages of writing my book about street harassment. Today I am happy to announce that it’s in print and available for purchase from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Greenwood.com. My publisher’s main audience is libraries, so in the coming weeks and months you may be able to find it at your local library, too.

View the table of contents, foreword, and introduction.

Whose stories?

Many people bravely shared their stories for this book, including over 900 people who took my informal survey in the fall of 2008, scores of people who shared their stories on this blog (pre-Dec. 2009), and more than 20 activists around the world who let me interview them about their work. Thank you. This book would not be possible without your help.

Free Book Giveaway Contest!

Who: YOU! Your friends, family, colleagues, classmates, neighbors.

What: Enter a random drawing to win a free, signed copy of the Stop Street Harassment book.

When: You have until 7 p.m. EDT on 8/26/10 to enter. I’ll post the winner’s name on my blog and email her/him around 8 p.m. EDT on 8/26. The winner will received a mailed copy next week. This contest is open to people anywhere in the world – the book covers street harassment globally.

How: Email stopstreetharassmentATyahooDOTcom with your name (which I will not share or sell) or enter by tweeting about the contest (include @hkearl, @stopstharassmnt or “street harassment” so I can find it).

Book Release Events!

Please join me for free book release events in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 2 and in New York City on Sept. 10. Local activists from the area who are featured in my book will join me to talk about their work.

You can also contact me if you would like me to speak at a venue near you.

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Not an “ugly trout”

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I had just finished work in a charity shop, it was a Saturday and i hadn’t had a really good day. it was raining, i was tired and my hair had got messy through rushing about so i felt miserable and paranoid about my appearance (i have ocd – obsessive compulsive disorder and one of my obsessions is my hair).

As i was walking past the supermarket to get to the bus stop, two young men looked at me and one yelled, “‘Oi, u fucking fat bitch!”

i looked at him and felt anger bubbling up and told him to fuck off. he continued to shout more abuse at me calling me an ugly trout. i quickly got on my bus and had to try very hard not to cry.

by the way, im not fat, im just a bit curvy. im a tall girl, a size 16. i get told quite often how attractive i am but it seems that some people will call women fat if they were just an ounce overweight! pathetic.

– Clarice

Location: Porthcawl, South Wales

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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Kissing gropers in East Jerusalem

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A group of five young men approached me on a walkway near a busy road. Other pedestrians were around, although not close to where we were. They started talking to me, surrounding me as I started walking away, towards the road. Two of them linked their arms with mine, put their other hands on my breasts and kissed me on each cheek. I threw them off and made it to the safety of a family on the corner.

–  Anonymous

Location: East Jerusalem, Israel

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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Street groper in Leeds

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I walked right the way across town back from my friends house, through 3 neighbourhoods where I’ve had trouble before. I was tense the whole way, expecting trouble. I got within 20 metres of my house and was starting to relax, amazed that I hadn’t been harrassed. Then a group of 4 men in their late teens/early 20s came the other way down the pavement. I stepped to the inside of the pavement to pass them and instinctively felt unsafe because I could be penned in against the railings rather than have access to the road.

As I passed them, one of the men just lightly put his hand out and brushed my breast – subtle but absolutely intentional. I was expecting homophobic aggression rather than any kind of sexual harassment so was totally taken by surprise. I was a few steps beyond them before I turned round… I don’t think I even said anything. But the one guy kept looking back really quick, I stared him out but was too shocked and surprised to shout at him.

This was in broad daylight on a busy street, next to a park that was hosting a family festival. I spent the rest of the day trying not to let it bother me, because I already have a lot of stress in my life from homophobic abuse and the threat of physical violence. But I feel a small surge of shame every time I think about it, even though I know it’s not my fault.

– K

Location: next to Banstead Park, Harehills, Leeds (north England)

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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Harassers fall flat on their noses

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There’s a cremation ground here in New Delhi which I pass by often. Outside it there’s a huge sign that says, “Do one good act a day.” I just did mine like 30 minutes ago and I thought I should write it here.

I was driving my car, and right now is has been raining cats and dogs for the past hour in the city. I nudged two guys on a bike and made them fall flat on their nose and injure themselves nicely.

This is my good act for today.

There was this girl sitting on the back of a bike with some guy in the front. She was dressed in something like linen pants maybe, and the torrential rain made the pants see through. These other two guys on a bike were constantly ogling at her and I could make out she was very uncomfortable. There was a lot of traffic and no one could do anything about it at that time.

I was sort of pissed off at the whole situation, and when I saw a little break in the traffic, I nudged my car forward and nosed it at an angle that it was right behind the two guys on the bike. I sped forward, banged the back of their bike hard, made sure they fell nicely, and then I raced away. I could see the girl and the boy race away too, and as they passed me I could see the smile on the girl’s face!

So now I have a huge scratch in the right side of my bumper, and it’s a new car, but what the hell, it was worth it seeing the ecstatic look on the poor girl’s face.

Tonight, I’ll sleep alright. I’ve done my good deed for the day!

– Tbg

Location: South Delhi, New Delhi, India

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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