News Flash: Jezebel Calls Out Catcall Season

Check out Jezebel.com's take on sexual harassment "season" in this article:

Spring Is The Season For Sexual Harassment

The author of the post brings up good points about whether or not street harassment usually leads to something more, but the quote by Kimberly Fairchild sums up our editor's take on it...

"[Catcalling] encourages women to look at themselves as body parts instead of as full, whole, intelligent human beings. When a man catcalls you, you don't know if it will end at that point, or if it could escalate to assault."

They mention Holly's Thesis, her CNN interview and the Hollaback project.

Check it out and leave your thoughts!

Hollaback Thesis on CNN

Holly Kearl, a Women's Studies and Public Policy major at George Washington University, wrote her thesis on street harassment.  She interviewed members of Hollaback teams all over the country, check out what she had to say about it to CNN:

Catcalling: creepy or a compliment?

Thanks for bringing awareness out in the media Holly!

~Hollaback-SF Editor

Beer Festival Harasser

I worked the International Beer Festival in San Francisco a few weeks ago. My spouse came with me and we poured our product all night long for free. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it and we had a great time but I noticed that people were getting super intoxicated. I mentioned my anxiety to my spouse and we decided to pack up a a little early to avoid all the drunks that would be trying to drive or possibly starting fights with people, etc.

 

 So we were pulling out of the parking lot and as we passed a group of three guys one yells out "SLUT"! I immediately stuck my head out the window and asked him "what the fuck did you just say to me?" He instantly put his head down as if I wouldn't realize he was the one that said it and he said " I was talking to him" pointing at one of his friends. I was so angry I said back to him " that is what I thought fucker." My spouse told me "Geez, I didn't even have to say anything." We laughed about it then, but when I look back at it, who was that person? Would he talk to his mother or sister like that? I would think not. Then what gives him the right to treat me, a perfect stranger, like that?  I have a really hard time keeping my mouth shut when someone disrespects me or anyone in front of me. I also think  one time, what if I say something, and the guy decides to try and assault me. Then what? It is unacceptable that woman have to be concerned about being harmed by men physically or emotionally. On a side note I want to thank all the men out there that respect, take care, and love woman. Thanks for watching out.

 

Submitted by S.Baker in San Francisco

News Flash: College Senior Fights Back

This story was posted on Jezebel.com today, about a journalist who told her story of assault.
Excerpts from that posting are below:

"Melissa Bruen, the outgoing editor-in-chief of the UConn Daily Campus decided to write a first-person essay about her sexual assault as her last act as EIC. In late April, UConn had its annual spring weekend — a drunken rite that occurs at most colleges during the hazy end of spring semester. Bruen was walking home from parties at off-campus apartments on a path affectionately known to Huskies as "rape trail." She decided to make a phone call, and, as she was leaning against a telephone pole, a large man shoved her against the pole and "dry humped" her. Bruen, who had been assaulted before, decided to take action. She pushed him away, and when she had him pinned to the ground, punched him smack in the face. A group of men who had been watching this all go down eventually pulled Bruen off her assailant, who ran off. She started screaming, "He just assaulted me," and that's when one of the violence voyeurs said to her, "You think that was assault?", pulled down her shirt, and grabbed her breasts.

As Bruen tells it:

More men started to cheer. It didn't matter to the drunken mob that my breasts were being shown or fondled against my will. They were happy to see a topless girl all the same. I punched him in the face, and someone shoved me into a throng of others. I was surrounded, but I kept swinging and hitting until I was able to break free of the circle they had formed.

Melissa McEwan at Shakesville says that Bruen's story shows that teaching women self-defense alone is not going to fix the rape problem. "Addressing the issues of the men who assaulted her, and the larger culture that facilitates that kind of behavior and the attitudes underlying it, needs to be a part of comprehensive rape prevention," McEwan argues. "Self-defense doesn't stop rapists from being created in the first place."

Read Bruen's original article here: My Spring Weekend Nightmare

And check out the full post on Jezebel here: College Senior Is Sexually Assaulted While Group of Guys Cheer.

Verbal Harassment at the Ferry Plaza.

*Ed. note: while we make it a policy to not include race in our postings here at Hollaback-SF, this particular story is an example of how race does play a role in harassment at times. The race of the author and of the person harassing her is an important part of this story. Please feel free to comment on any aspect of this post.

Yesterday, I went to the Ferry Building to run some errands. I was walking through the plaza reading Nothin' But Good Times Ahead when I heard a call behind me.

"Hey, beautiful!"

It wasn't coming from someone right behind me, so I ignored it. It sounded like he was ten feet away or so, and whatever–it's not worth my time to face off with some jackass catcaller. It was just one comment, and maybe that would be it.

"Do you love me?"

The passive response of ignoring him clearly isn't working. I was irritated at the first comment and I'm growing angry, but I tell myself that maybe he's not yelling at me. Maybe he's yelling at
someone else, not that it would make the situation any better–by not facing him and not calling him out on his verbal harassment, whether it's me or someone else he's catcalling, I implicitly condone him harassing a woman because she's a woman and she dares to walk outside in the city. Dares to exist and live in public spaces.

"You don't love me."

Okay, I'm angry now. I don't like sexist jackasses who yell indiscriminately at women and feel entitled to sexually harass women and think of women as sex objects for their viewing pleasure rather than as people and make women feel unsafe, unwelcome, and afraid in public spaces. I'm thinking about facing him and calling him on his shit.

"Fine. Go back to China!"

Ok, that's it. That is absolutely it and I'm not taking racist shit from anyone. Sexual harassment is bad enough, but the combination of racism and sexism makes me see red. I stop, whip around, and see that I'm the only stereotypically "Chinese" woman in the vicinity, so there's no question that he's been yelling at me the whole time. I see one man in the area, an African-American man lugging a suitcase.* I yell, "Excuse me, are you talking to me?"

He looks at me. "Yeah."

I'm furious. Livid. Sexual harassment simply for being a woman is run of the mill for me–I don't like it and I'm increasingly likely to not tolerate it, but the racist comment just broke my restraint. I yell at him, "What the hell makes you think it's okay to yell at random women
and harass them, you asshole?"

He sulkily replies, "You harass us all the time."

I see red. I yell at him, "I've never harassed you in my life, and it is not acceptable to harass random women. Fuck you!"

I've never seen this man in my life. I've never harassed an African-American person in my life. I've never harassed anyone for racist or sexist reasons in my life. His bullshit attempt to use
anti-African-American racism as a justification for anti-Asian racism and anti-woman sexism is complete bullshit. If anything, having experienced racism himself should have taught him that racism is wrong, period, and it's poisonous to everyone. Using it himself is hypocritical and it makes him petty, vindictive, and immature. I learned in kindergarten that two wrongs don't make a right, and his attempt to use racism to justify racism and sexism is simply nothing more than perpetuating the system.

He walks away and I storm off, mind awhirl with anger, loathing, fear, and adrenaline. Facing a harasser always results in the volatile emotional cocktail of the flight or fight response. While I'm fighting, the anger burns away almost all of the fear, but as soon as it's over, I'm left shaking and the fear lurches back. Women are told not to respond to harassers because as soon as they know you're paying attention, they'll ramp it up. They might grow violent. And so we have
to endure the verbal and physical attacks on our persons and let them go on, because if we don't, something worse might happen. I'm not listening anymore to that passive endorsement of harassment and a patriarchal society where women are advised to endure harassment because they can't expect anything better.

Behind every "Hey, beautiful!" is the notion that I, a woman, exist for the harasser's viewing pleasure. I'm walking along the sidewalk so harassers can stare at me and remind me that because I'm a woman, I don't deserve respect. Because I'm a woman, I don't deserve to feel
safe outside. Because I'm a woman, I'm a sex object and I shouldn't be outside running errands, jogging, working, or living. Because I'm a woman, I deserve to be catcalled and intimidated.

Insults and catcalls aren't just words. First of all, words have power. They're the predominant form of communication between humans and they're used to cajole, placate, threaten, thrill, and more. Words matter. Second, behind every catcall, every reminder that in the harasser's sexist worldview, women exist for men and women are inferior to men and he's entitled to treat me as lesser, is the reality that one in every six women is raped at least once and far
more women are sexually assaulted. I turned around and yelled at my harasser, but the entire time, I was thinking about how he was larger than I was and quite capable of assaulting me. If someone thinks it's okay to act sexist and racist, that person might not have qualms about
attacking someone perceived as inferior for sexist and racist reasons. The entire time I was in the Ferry Building, I was scanning the crowd, looking for him so that I'd be prepared if he tried to grab, grope, shove, bump, or hit me. This alertness and fear is part of being a woman, even in liberal, progressive San Francisco.

I faced the harasser and stood up for myself. It's my way of challenging every sexist harasser who thinks it's okay to objectify me–to break out of the box they put me in and say, fuck you. Fuck you and your attempts to make me a passive object who'll succumb to your oh so charming insults and swoon before you, or a victim who'll stoically endure your fucking insults. I am a person, an individual, a woman, and I am active. I deserve respect, civility, and safety by
virtue of being a human being, but if you think you can take those away from me because I'm a woman, I'll take them for myself.

————————————-

* I only note his race because it's relevant to his pathetic justification for his sexual and racist harassment. As pocochina says, I don't give a flying fuck if a man harassing me is white, black,
yellow, brown, or any other color. He's harassing me and that's what matters to me; his ethnicity is irrelevant.

Submitted by Pizza D. in San Francisco.

Torta Trouble

So, I was sitting there eating my torta when some guy asked to see my glasses, expecting me to pleasantly give up MY EYES so that he could fuck around with my black frames on his ugly, drunk-ass face. any who. i said, fifty bucks in my hand would give him a try at my glasses (a.k.a. my eyes). being a stubborn asshole, he kept trying to bargain/be clever... both of which were nauseating... and all I wanted to do was eat. And he kept bothering me.

I realize that this isn't sexual harassment and it wasn't violent or dangerous, but I do think it speaks to the way that men expect women to participate and entertain their banter (and stupidity). We as women, are expected to respond and not reject such harassment, especially when it is this kind of harassment that has no obvious harm, and when we do, were seen as anal, prude, uptight bitches.

Anyways, just thought I would email this because a woman saw all this happening and then gave me the little card with the website on it. Being a feminist, womens studies major who is already critical of such gendered power dynamics, I wanted to say thank you because I think you guys are doing great work and opening up an important space of dialogue.

Submitted by Mai in San Francisco.

Newsflash: Tufts Library Masturbator

Today on Jezebel.com:

Students at Tufts University have repeatedly spotted a man masturbating near them in the library. The question is posed as to whether or not this is harassment, and what actions should be taken.

Check it out and send your thoughts!

Universities Battle Unconventional Forms Of Sexual Harassment

Newsflash: Yale University

Today on Jezebel.com: a group of Zeta Psi fraternity brothers at Yale took this photo in front of the Women's Center on campus.

The Women's Center has threatened to file a lawsuit for harassment.

After the threat was received, the fraternity apologized.

See the full story and discussion from the Jezebel community at Jezebel.com.

PERVERT ON WHEELS

Tailgating & harrassment. LADIES BEWARE - old guy in a mini van was following me today and taking pictures of me. Once I noticed from my car, I rolled down my window and asked him to stop but he continued to harass me. I called the police and filed a report against him (unfortunately he was already gone), so if you see this pervert and he does the same to you - do not be afraid to report him. Men should not be taking random pictures of women - its wrong and you never know what these men will do with these unauthorized images. His actions today are alarming to my safety and privacy.

Shattuck

I was walking down Shattuck in Berkeley this morning and some guy looks
straight in my face and tells me, "I see the whore house is open on
Veteran's Day." I was so shocked it took me another block to react. I
walked back to look for him to tell him what a creep he was, but I
couldn't find him. Ruined my whole morning.

Submitted by Vanessa in Berkeley.

News Flash- American Apparel Ad

Today on the blog Jezebel.com, a discussion has started about this ad and the defacement of it.

The graffiti reads: "Gee, I wonder why women get raped."

Thoughts?

Berkeley BART Ogler

I was in the Berkeley Bart station waiting for a train. This was a little after lunch on a Tuesday around 1pm. I was just standing around and noticed that a tall middle aged man in a heavy overcoat was staring at me. At first I didn't think anything of it, so I glanced away and a few minutes later noticed that he was still staring at me. I started walking towards another part of the station so that I would be in a different car away from him, but noticed that as the train was pulling up, he was following me into the same car. I tried not to think much of it, and sat in a seat. I saw that he had chosen a sit diagonally from mine (I sat in one of the seats usually reserved for the elderly) and although his seat faced opposite of me, he situated himself so that he could turn and stare at me the entire time. At first I glanced in his direction to see if he was still looking. Then I decided to look him directly in the face, and I did that for a few seconds. I looked at him, stared back, and then glared. But still, he just kept staring. I didn't know whether to change seats or move to another car since my stop wasn't much further. I decided to stay put, but later regretted it since I felt uncomfortable the entire time. He didn't end up following me after I had gotten off the train, but the entire day I just felt disgusted.

Submitted by L. in Berkeley.

The Comment Experiment

Editors' note:

In an effort to encourage discussion, we have enabled comments on the blog. These comments are moderated and filtered to ensure that Hollaback-SF remains a safe place for people to report harassment.

Please read our Anti-Racism Statement and our FAQs before submitting a comment.

Comments that are in any way threatening to the posters will be rejected.

Also, comments that don't follow our Anti-Racism guidelines will be rejected.

Be conscientious when commenting, we want to encourage discussion without falling into racist and otherwise intolerant or threatening traps.

Thanks!

~Hollaback-SF

Overexposure on BART

On the BART train to SFO/Daly City 9/2/07.

So, I'm sitting on BART, with my bike.

At MacArthur this guy gets on, sits across from me, opens his paper, spreads his legs and gives me a 'free show'.
He's peeking over the top of his paper to see if I've noticed.

I pull out my cameraphone and take a picture while he's waiting for me to "notice".

When he sees that I am taking a picture, he quickly gets up and walks to another car.

At Powell, 2 BART cops get on the train. I tell them about this guy. They apprehend him and he is charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure. I sent the picture to the officers as well.

This guy has done this before. He sat strategically, so that the people on either side of me, in the other seats, couldn't see what he was doing. He was also sitting so that he wasn't in the frame on the BART cameras.

His 'excuse' to the officers...he didn't wear underwear.

Sick of creepy guys in SF.

New Flash: Unheard Cries in Minnesota

Today's News Flash comes from CBS, in a story titled Police: 10 Witness Rape, Do Nothing.

A woman was being assaulted and possibly raped on the sidewalk and neighbors saw the event and declined to do anything, even call the police.

Read the original article.

News Flash: Yoga Poseurs

This week's News Flash is an article in the NY Times called Between Poses, a Barrage of Pickup Lines

This article begins by discussing a comedic video on YouTube named "Inappropriate Yoga Guy" that has gotten people in the Yoga world discussing the problem of leering, flirting and touching in yoga classes.

The article is just the beginnings of a discussion about this new issue, please read it and share your thoughts and/or experiences.

The NY Times: Between Poses, a Barrage of Pickup Lines

Submitted by Hollaback-SF.

Perv at the Conservatory of Flowers

Friday evening I was working out, running up and down the stairs in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in preparation for the Inca Trail next month (whoohoo!) I had been doing this for about 10-12 minutes when I looked across the way and noticed a guy with a video camera pointed straight at me!!! I didn't believe that he was actually videotaping me at first, so I looked away and then looked again a little later, and when I did I saw his hand turn as if he were focusing in. Barf!!!! I promptly ran away. It grosses me out that this pervert will probably be using this as fodder for his lonely jerk-off session later tonight. And really pisses me off that I couldn't finish my workout there. I wish I had thought to point and shoot my phone camera right at him - it probably would have been a long shot, but just to point something at him in return would have made me feel a lot better.

Beware of the pervert at the Conservatory of Flowers!

Submitted by Kate B. in San Francisco.

News Flash

This is the first news article related to Hollaback's mission to be posted on the site. We want to encourage thought and comments, and also to keep you all informed of what is going on in our City and the World in relation to street harassment and assault.

Summary of where the blame lies according to The Sun Online.

A Scottish survey found that the following percentages of people think a woman is partially responsible in a rape:

If she had been flirting- 32%
If she was drunk- 27%
If she wore revealing clothing- 26%
If she was known to have many sexual partners- 18%

In each case, about 5% of people think the woman was fully to blame for the rape.

The Scottish Law Commission is examining and proposing reform on laws about rape and other sexual offenses.

Read Original Article.

Testing the Waters- New Comments Feature

Due to repeated requests for comments on Hollaback-SF, we will be trying out the comment feature on all blog posts.
Note that the comments are moderated and will go through an approval process to weed out any racist, sexist or other "ist" comments.
We at Hollaback-SF want to foster community involvement and discussion, but we want to make sure no one turns the blog into an unsafe space for the women who post to it.

Happy commenting!

-Hollaback-SF

Personal Anecdote

The following situation occurred last night around 9pm on a Fremont - Richmond BART train. I was sitting with my legs stretched out as I usually do after a tired day at work. There were 5-6 other people in the car I was in. I was in no way dressed provocatively (if anything I looked like total crap) - just wearing a large coat and jeans. At Coliseum station a burly, scary looking man came on, looked around the nearly empty car, saw me and decided to sit in the seat across from me, staring at me the whole time. Uncomfortable, I sat up and faced the window (away from his direction). All of a sudden he shouts, "Hey, do you want to fuck me?" I had my headphones on luckily so I pretended not to hear him. He repeats "Hey you, you want to fuck?" Thank god the next station was my stop. What should one do in such a situation? Should one obviously get up and move to another car, thus acknowledging them? Or should one just ignore them and hope that they go away? I am always scared to get up and move because they may decide to get up and follow. But if I sit and ignore, they may decide to pester me throughout my entire commute (which has happened several times).

Submitted by Anna in SF.