Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

New Orleans Bead Throwers

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New Orleans Trip 0309 57 French Quarter happy hour attendees waiting for woment to walk by to rate them and throw beads if they acknowlegeEarlier this year I traveled to New Orleans for a long weekend get away. I’d never been and looked forward to seeing the sites and hearing the sounds. Of course I had to visit Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter and people watch. One late afternoon, bordering on evening (definitely within the Happy Hour window), I walked about a mile stretch of the street. Going in the first direction, I vaguely noticed a group of people with drinks on a second floor balcony enjoying the atmosphere, the company, the moment. I didn’t think much about it.

On the way back, at the same place, I noticed someone throwing a string of beads from the balcony to a passerby. I stopped to watch and soon realized that what was happening was that as women passed there were yells, catcalls, some sort of communication and if the woman looked up and responded, then she’d receive a string of beads tossed to her as a reward. As I stood and watched, about 1/3 of the women passersby seemed either oblivious to the situation or to just ignore it, about 1/3 actually crossed to the other side of the street to pass without the harassment, and about 1/3 seemed to realized what was happening and, although most of them just continued on with only faint recognition, a few actually responded in a way that gave them the prized string of beads.

I’ve thought off and on about the situation and what my feelings were. I thought many things, trying to rationalize what I saw. These thoughts included all sorts of predictable things like, “well, it was only a week after Mardi Gras and beads were more popular than ticker tape in New York or politicians in Washington DC. People in New Orleans need very little to provoke a gift of beads any time of the year, let alone at that time”; or, well the event took place during Happy Hour on a Friday—whaddya expect?!”, and of course there are the expected thoughts of “afterall, it was Bourbon Street in New Orleans—come on!!”

I guess the enduring point I take away is that 1/3 of the women were uncomfortable enough with the situation that they crossed to the other side of the street to avoid the situation. It seems to be a perfect fit for the standard definition of sexual harassment—a situation in which someone is forced to experience unwanted or unexpected personally directed attention. It doesn’t matter where it is, if it is unwanted, it needs to be respected.

– a male ally

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Sick Perv

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Yesterday around 12:30PM I was walking down a narrow street in Brooklyn (61st Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue) and there was a man wearing a red tshirt walking really slowly in front of me and taking up the entire sidewalk. I was in a rush so I walked faster, hoping to get ahead of him. When I quickened my pace, he started walking faster as well (I was wearing flip flops so he could hear me walking faster) which I thought was a little odd. I kept walking faster, and he kept walking faster, but I ultimately got in front of him, but I could still hear him walking really fast behind me to try and catch up which made me feel slightly nervous. I felt a poke from behind and I turned around and the sick perv had his penis hanging out. Now that he had my attention he resumed his slow pace. I was too shocked/disgusted/angered to say or do anything so I just crossed the street and walked in the opposite direction.

– anonymous

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Street Harassment Round Up – May 17

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Stories:

On Holla Back DC! a contributor talks about her bystander efforts to challenge street harassers. She says, “If I’m close enough when I spot men ogling women who are unaware they’re being ogled, I usually say something in the lines of ‘I saw you do that, and you better not try it with me! Nasty!’ to embarrass them.'”

As mentioned in the last two week round ups, since April 26, HollaBack NYC has been posting one photo a day of street harassers. They will continue to do so for a month. All of the photos are being submitted by one woman, Sally N., a New York City resident. Emily at HollaBack NYC says, “We believe these pictures tell the story of what it’s like to be a woman in the big apple.” Visit HollaBack NYC to see these photos.

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem!

In the News:

  • A man disguised as a woman gropes a woman on the women-only subway car in Mexico City
  • A man in Vancouver, Canada, and a man in West Redding, UK, were arrested and tried, respectively, for sexual assault of young women in public places.

Upcoming Events:

Street Harassment Resource of the Week:

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Street Harassment Round Up – May 10

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Stories:

In Toronto, a contributor tells how she got two men kicked out of a restaurant for groping another customer.

As mentioned last week, since April 26, HollaBack NYC has been posting one photo a day of street harassers. They will continue to do so for a month. All of the photos are being submitted by one woman, Sally N., a New York City resident. Emily at HollaBack NYC says, “We believe these pictures tell the story of what it’s like to be a woman in the big apple.” Visit HollaBack NYC to see these photos.

For a new international perspective, read some of the new street harassment stories in Mauritius.

At Holla Back DC, a contributor tells how she was walking to meet friends and a man asked her how much for her body… (Ugh!)

Website Launch:

The anti-street harassment website in Mauritius (near South Africa) officially launched this week!

In the News:

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Class Act

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Getting onto a city bus, a group of guys walked over just to stare at my butt while I got on. When guys follow me around grocery stores, even when I have my boyfriend with me, what makes them think in anyway I’m going to be flattered by somebody following me around? It’s scary more than anything. Walking and getting followed by cars, ugh. I actually had to tell a group of guys to leave me alone because they were freaking me out a couple of days ago, they then proceeded to call me a bitch in front of everybody and flipped me off, and sped away. Class act huh?

-anonymous

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