Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Called to since puberty

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I live in New York City, so I’ve been called to by weirdos since I’ve hit puberty. I recently started to attend The City College of New York up on 138th street. I have to take the subway in order to get home from school. Last week when I was about to enter the subway, a man looked me over and said:

“Hey, gorgeous”

I just raised my eyebrows at him as if to say “yea right.”

He got angry and started following me into the subway station saying something along the lines of “I thought I was cute but I guess I’m not cute enough for you.”

He stopped once I swiped my metrocard and got onto the train platform but I was nonetheless disturbed the entire ride home.

– anonymous

Location: New York City, NY

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"Damn, you're making me hot!"

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A few days ago, a group of my female friends and I were sitting on a bench in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. It was about 8:30 p.m. and there were about 30 or so people sitting around the fountain just hanging out with friends and significant others. My three friends and I were just talking and laughing when a man came up to us and started talking.

Here’s the conversation:
Man: “You ladies are having too much fun. Are you two sisters?” (Asking me and my friend who had her hand on my shoulder)
Friend: (nervous laugh) “Ha, no. We’re just friends.”
Man: “Well you guys are sexy! Damn, you’re making me hot!” (Talking directly to me) “Mmm big girl, I’d fuck that pussy up! Damn! I have to leave, you are making me hot! Damn!”

As he walked away he kept turning to look back at us. We all sat there in disbelief. One of my friends, who has a blackbelt in Karate, looked like she was about to go beat him up. At the time, I was completely shocked and thrown off guard. In retrospect, I wish I had said something to him or told him to leave. My friends and I felt completely violated, dirty, and uncomfortable. I’ve been cat-called at before but this was definitely the most disgusting and explicit experience I’ve had.

– anonymous

Location: Dupont Circle, Washington, DC

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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“Damn, you’re making me hot!”

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A few days ago, a group of my female friends and I were sitting on a bench in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. It was about 8:30 p.m. and there were about 30 or so people sitting around the fountain just hanging out with friends and significant others. My three friends and I were just talking and laughing when a man came up to us and started talking.

Here’s the conversation:
Man: “You ladies are having too much fun. Are you two sisters?” (Asking me and my friend who had her hand on my shoulder)
Friend: (nervous laugh) “Ha, no. We’re just friends.”
Man: “Well you guys are sexy! Damn, you’re making me hot!” (Talking directly to me) “Mmm big girl, I’d fuck that pussy up! Damn! I have to leave, you are making me hot! Damn!”

As he walked away he kept turning to look back at us. We all sat there in disbelief. One of my friends, who has a blackbelt in Karate, looked like she was about to go beat him up. At the time, I was completely shocked and thrown off guard. In retrospect, I wish I had said something to him or told him to leave. My friends and I felt completely violated, dirty, and uncomfortable. I’ve been cat-called at before but this was definitely the most disgusting and explicit experience I’ve had.

– anonymous

Location: Dupont Circle, Washington, DC

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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"Fine ass ho"

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In Athens, Ohio, USA, I was having an evening workout around 7 PM. I was running in shorts and a tank top, minding my own business when a group of teenage boys in a sedan slowed down next to me. One of them said in a sing-songy voice:

“There she go, the fine ass ho.”

I WAS 15. I froze. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing while they drove off laughing. I was scared to death, I wanted to cry, and most of all, I couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would terrorize a girl like that. Now that I’m 22, I realize that my offense was being in public while female. And, even more egregious was the offense of wearing shorts and a tank top while young and attractive.

I wish I could say that I reacted strongly every time I’ve been harassed since then, but it’s not that simple. You can never be prepared to react to a harasser, because it is impossible to tell which man will be the next perpetrator. So these days, I just stare straight ahead and stomp my ass off. Nothing scares harassers more than confidence. But, when men harass me anyway, I still find myself at a loss, frozen, scared, with no sense of how to react until after the fact.

– A.G.

Location: Athens, OH

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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“Fine ass ho”

By

In Athens, Ohio, USA, I was having an evening workout around 7 PM. I was running in shorts and a tank top, minding my own business when a group of teenage boys in a sedan slowed down next to me. One of them said in a sing-songy voice:

“There she go, the fine ass ho.”

I WAS 15. I froze. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing while they drove off laughing. I was scared to death, I wanted to cry, and most of all, I couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would terrorize a girl like that. Now that I’m 22, I realize that my offense was being in public while female. And, even more egregious was the offense of wearing shorts and a tank top while young and attractive.

I wish I could say that I reacted strongly every time I’ve been harassed since then, but it’s not that simple. You can never be prepared to react to a harasser, because it is impossible to tell which man will be the next perpetrator. So these days, I just stare straight ahead and stomp my ass off. Nothing scares harassers more than confidence. But, when men harass me anyway, I still find myself at a loss, frozen, scared, with no sense of how to react until after the fact.

– A.G.

Location: Athens, OH

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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