6 thoughts on “In the News”

1. Pingback: in dc: ain’t no holla back girl | urban bohemian

2. In my opinion, groups like yours teach girls they are delicate flowers who can be harassed or violated by words. Groups like this are completely anti-feminist, not to mention creating an atmosphere where people are cautious to smile or chat with a stranger. I am a beautiful, educated Mommy who will either accept a strangers comment by thanking them for their adoration or educating the gent that they’ve offended me by a witty remark. That’s all it takes. Please do not teach my daughter or husband that cat-calls could harm them in any way. We have come too far as women to give that power to a mindless action like “Hey Baby”.

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   • I don’t know you or your history, so I can’t make assumptions about why verbal harassment is easy for you to brush aside. On a similar note, Anne, you should stop making self-righteous assumptions about the violent force that words may have on other people. There is a BIG difference between smiling or chatting with a stranger, and speaking to them disrespectfully based on sensitive, sexual power dynamics. The former has the potential to be polite and sociable; the other creates an environment where a person may be left feeling objectified, disrespected, hurt, or violated.

     Personally, what I consider anti-feminist is your decision to categorically condemn a forum in which individuals can share their experiences, receive feedback and support, and resist the logic of patriarchal dominance that is expressed via sex-based verbal harassment. Not all of these incidents are equally frightening or violating… but what appears “mindless” to you may have very different (and no less real) mental consequences for another woman.

     Making a “witty remark” is one useful response to a sex-based comment. But if you actually read more than a few of these stories, you’ll see that such a reaction is not always possible, appropriate, or empowering. Many times, the response you suggested will not “educate a gent” at all — what it does instead is reinforce the prevailing wisdom of our sexist society. It essentially lets men off the hook for behavior that is tolerated because women’s value is tied to their being sexually valued by men. Not all women want to be reminded of this, and when they are, it makes them uncomfortable, frightened, angry, violated, and nervous. It hardly needs to be argued that the practical effect of patriarchy, of verbal violence against women, is very often physical violence.

     But this is just one of MANY reasons why Hollaback is an important feminist group. Rather than teach women that they are delicate flowers, Hollaback simply acknowledges the existing frustration of folks who experience harassment; supports them in responding when it is safe to do so; and offers community for those whose hurt and fear are dismissed by people like you.

     This group does not discourage or condemn strangers interacting respectfully or even flirtatiously. It doesn’t give undue power to the mindless “hey baby”. In fact, HB wants to show harassers just how mindless their actions are — if harassers were MINDFUL of the disrespect they force upon women, maybe they would stop.

     You can’t ignore the impact of non-physical interaction out of existence.

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3. This is a case that I find really disturbing. It happened in Cleveland, Ohio.

   http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/2_west_side_criminals_free_on.html

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4. Pingback: Does a Woman Have Equal Right to Mobility in the City? | Best Miami News

5. Lastly, an issue that I am passionate about. I have looked for information of this topic for the last several hours. Your site is greatly appreciated.

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