Hollaback Seattle
It happens to all of us at some point: you’re just walking down the street, minding your own business, and a pack of construction workers across the street start howling and making comments about what may or may not be up your skirt. Or you stroll pass a table full of businesswomen who immediately start comparing your posterior end to baked goods. It makes you a little annoyed–after all, you were just walking–but you ignore it and move along.
Now it seems that’s not so much necessary. A Seattle version of Holla Back NYC–called, obviously, Hollaback Seattle, is inviting you to send them your pictures and stories of sexual harassment on the street. NYC’s tagline is, “If you can’t slap ‘em, snap em!” and that’s just what they want you to do. If someone harasses you in public, they want you to take out your cameraphone (or whatever) and take a picture of the person, then email it to hollabackseattle@gmail.com.
The party line is this:
This is Hollaback Seattle, a watch-dog blog that serves to call out all forms of street harassment that occurs to women and men in Washington. HBS is also a hub for resources and information concerning street harassment as well as men’s violence against women, rape and battering awareness. Street harassment (cat-calls, lewd sexual comments, inappropriate gestures, aggressive actions, leering) is something that we must stop. Women (and men) should be able to wear whatever they want however they want, travel to wherever they want without fear of people degrading and objectifying them in public. Street harassment is a form of sexual harassment that takes place in public spaces. At its core is a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups (women and LGBTQ folks, for example) of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces. Further, it reinforces the ubiquitous sexual objectification of these groups in everyday life. At HollaBackNYC, we believe that what specifically counts as street harassment is determined by those who experience it. While there is always the classic, “Hey baby, nice tits” there are so many other forms that go unnoted. If you feel like you have been harassed, HOLLA BACK!
So, what do you think? Is street harassment a problem in Seattle, or are projects like these just making us oversensitive and diluting the definition of harassment?
I want to start a spin-off to post pictures of people otherwise behaving badly (e.g., violations of the guide to modern living). Loud cell phone bus talkers, public groomers, tight-clothed: on notice!
I tend to be a lone voice in the wilderness on this one, but I don’t think an awful lot of the catcalling and such that goes on is sexual harassment.
Is what a woman wears grounds for rape? Of course not – anyone who thinks that is crazy. Is it grounds for awe, comments, whistles, admiration, and acknowledgment of sexy outfits? Well, if you’re wearing a short skirt, you do need to accept that you’re flaunting your sexuality and sexiness – getting peeved because someone notices it seems childish and rather spoiled. “OMG the wrong person noticed I was wearing a skirt so short you could see my panties!!!”
There’s a great website concerning the advertising gaze that I think can be somewhat applied here, too – women quite often use their bodies and how they dress to control the male gaze. They are not being controlled by that gaze, but instead commandeering it. It’s called semiotics and media and is well worth clicking through. It’s entertaining, thought provoking, and title aside, is written for the layperson.
So, that rant out there, I don’t think what they’re complaining about is a massive issue in Seattle – or really, anywhere else. I think that women have become too coddled by the notion that just because you wear a slinky red dress, you’re not asking to be raped. They extend this to just because you wear a slinky red dress doesn’t mean the wrong people should notice – it’s only being worn for the right people. Thing is, you can’t control who looks at you, only who touches you.
Yes, harassment is a problem. However, people engaging in it are almost always aware of what they are doing–they are doing it ON PURPOSE and giving them this level of attention is just happy reinforcement for them.
Josh – hasn’t Colbert been doing that for us? Seems like every couple of shows he’s back to talking about Seattle and the PNW. It’s gotten to the point that it’s not worth mentioning on Metblog as an event! ;)
(Although I might transcribe last night’s interview with the congressman from the second district – the fightin’ second!)
I agree with what Kelly says but only to a point. It’s true that a woman wearing a short skirt should expect that people will notice, but she shouldn’t have to suffer from other people being too stupid/rude/assholish/fill in your adjective here from it. There is a world of difference between: “Wow, you look nice!” and “Nice tits!”