I had the honor of keynoting the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence‘s annual conference this week. Over 350 people were there — and the support for our work was overwhelming. I also got a great profile (and superhero photo) in Brooklyn Magazine this week. They listed me as one of the “Brooklyn 20.” All I can say is, WOW. But do you want to know what’s far more impressive than that? Check out what the rest of the HOLLAworld has been up to this week:
Hollaback Brussels is in ELLE magazine this month! As a result of their profile, they are collaborating ELLE Belgique on an upcoming anti-sexism campaign. Hollaback Brussels are also planning an upcoming sidewalk chalking event on October 6th. Their invite says, “We will stop at specific spots and write down strong chalk messages on the pavement, showing Brussels that street harassment, sexism, sexual violence are NOT OK & we do NOT tolerate them! Nor do we tolerate racism & homophobia!”
Hollaback Berlin on the radio on Friday! Tune in from 3-5 pm, Berlin time. A panel on feminist activism will take place the next week.
Hollaback Des Moines partners with a fraternity! Site leader Becca Lee spoke with 30+ members of a local campus fraternity about the importance of being male allies. This was the first all-male audience they’ve had, and they approached us about collaborating and have already raised $131 towards ending street harassment!
Hollaback Baltimore is tabling at two upcoming events! First, the 7th Annual Reservoir Hill Resource Festival. Tons of vendors, music, food and fun. From 11:00am-1:00pm on September 15th at the 2400 block of Linden Avenue, and second, the Punk Arts Activism with Gender Edge Collective. Come see bands, art, speakers and organizations all in support of the gender-queer/transgender community. Be an ally, promote tolerance, and see a good rock show (with drinks!) all at the same time. At Golden West Cafe, 10pm to 2am. You should also check out their recent press: The Evolution of Perspective (Listen here, their interview begins around the 30 minute mark), Indypendent Reader & ESPN Women.
Hollaback NYC holds a workshop for LGBTQ youth at Green Chimneys in the Bronx. This is one of the Hollaback workshop series, which are taking place this fall. The workshop discussed street harassment in details and introduced Hollaback international movement. The participants shared stories and explored different strategies and tips by acting out scenarios for responding to street harassment if they experience it or as witnesses.
Upcoming New York City Events! On September 21st, our big event at Cornell is happening — and Speaker Quinn and Councilmember Ferreras will be there! On September 22nd, join us at Stonewall for RIOT! A drag show and benefit for Hollaback!. On October 23rd I’ve been invited to speak on a panel hosted by the Center Against Domestic Violence. The panel will consist of advocates dedicated to stopping sexual assault, harassment and dating violence on campus. It takes place at the Harvard Club (fancy!) in New York City on October 23rd. You can find details for all these events on Hollaback NYC’s event page, here.
Hollaback Edinburgh gets press! Check it out, here. They also held a Hollaback! Education workshop yesterday with “LGBT Youth Scotland,” based in Edinburgh!
Hollaback Istanbul releases ”Canimiz Sokakta” movie by male allies. The movie is a part of the bystander-intervention campaign called “I’ve Got Your Back!” (Arkani kolluyorum!) that is brought to you by Canimiz Sokakta and Green Dot. We chose men to perform in this movie to show that they could be a great force in helping end sexual harassment in public by disapproving of the harassers’ actions. All the stories told were submitted to Hollaback Istanbul. Trigger warning — this one made me cry a little bit — but mostly just because it’s so beautiful. Watch it here:
Lastly, by now many of you have heard about the terrifying incident of a 73-year-old woman who was brutally raped in Central Park this week. Our hearts go out to her and her family during this painful time, and we want to publicly commend her strength.
According to media reports, days prior to the rape the woman witnessed this man publicly masturbating while birdwatching. She took his picture and refused to give it to him. The public narrative, led my the media, has implied that by taking his picture she somehow “asked for it” to happen. We want to express a deep concern for this framing – not only because no woman ever asks to be raped – but also because it implicitly promotes silence as the ideal response. As we all know, silence does not prevent rape. It only works to perpetuate it. Check out my response to this case in The Guardian.
There is no right or wrong way to respond to street harassment. Our research shows that responding to harassment reduces the negative emotional impact of street harassment — but how you respond is your choice. Many people choose to take photographs in self-defense, like this woman. Others choose to start Hollaback sites, share their stories with friends and family, or confront the harasser directly. For details on how you can respond to harassment, click here.
HOLLA and out –
Emily
via A week in our shoes: Arkanı Kolluyorum! | Hollaback! You have the power to end street harassment.