Comments | solange: street harassment part II

solange

street harassment part II

Jan 11, 2006 11:30

About a year and a half ago I made a post asking for advice on how to deal with street harassers. Eric suggested confronting them face to face and asking them questions about what they're saying and why they're saying it. I think the next four times I got harassed after that I was too scared to say anything, but soon I got in the habit of ( Read more... )

Comments 7

macabre_grrl January 11 2006, 21:11:08 UTC

YIKES. Re: story number two. YIKES!

I don't know what I would have done in the face of an insane rant like his. No idea. I'd think of something good several hours later, that's what.

rootlesscosmo January 11 2006, 21:20:48 UTC

I'm glad your tactic has had moderately good (I guess you'd call them) results. I still think you're taking a chance, because (as the jerk you call COOG made clear) the point of men harassing women in public is to assert that the public space is ruled by men, and women pass through it safely only insofar as men allow them to. This means that any kind of challenge by a women being harassed can trigger all-out rage, because it's a challenge to this basic constituent of male identity. Is there a better tactic? I don't think there is, because male control of public space isn't a fantasy but the literal truth; if it's going to be changed, it won't be at the level of individual interactions. Meanwhile I think your first consideration should be your personal safety; if that means immediately turning into the nearest place of business, or getting out your cell and dialing 911 (for real, not for show), then that's what I'd recommend. Harassment is a threat, of rape or beating or both, and I think you should do whatever's required to minimize ( ... )

hey Tova msjones January 12 2006, 07:14:53 UTC

I know its been a while, but I wanted to chime in here as I have been dealing with this a lot lately and have been taking a totally different approach recently. I am living in L.A. and can barely walk from my front door to my car without some kind of negative interaction with males in cars, even if its nothing but a turned head...even when I am (as I usually am, ironically enough to reduce this attention) wearing baggy grey nondescript sweatsuits or other totally non-sexy and/or eye-catching garb. Sometimes I just say screw it and dress the way I want anyways because no matter how I am dressed it doesn't seem to have to much affect on the frequency/intensity of honks and hollers. May I just take a moment to say that this phenomenon is probably my single greatest source of rage/shame/hatred in terms of my everyday life right now, and every time something happens I feel like I slip into this terrible man hating state of mind that is really negative and unhealthy. Anyhow, I have started dealing with this harassment by being as rude and ( ... )

Re: hey Tova solange January 12 2006, 16:52:53 UTC

"I am living in L.A. and can barely walk from my front door to my car without some kind of negative interaction with males in cars"

::crosses of UCLA from list of possible grad schools::

Re: hey Tova solange January 13 2006, 16:53:53 UTC

*off

Re: hey Tova msjones January 13 2006, 19:24:53 UTC

FYI: I live in the relatively seedy "historic filipino town" near down town which is about a thousand conceptual miles away from the upscale west-side neighborhood where UCLA is located... L.A. is a very big and incredibly diverse city in terms of ambience and population...and UCLA is a good school. I would check it out first.

mothraa January 13 2006, 16:34:46 UTC

i have some rambling comments ( ... )