It’s been a hectic few weeks. As you know, we are a volunteer run shop, with little to no funding. All of us running CASS have full-time gigs (some multiple gigs) and things get lost in the shuffle. With the WMATA campaign, potential partnership with ZipCar DC, and other events happening, we haven’t been updating the lovely blog.

A quick update on what happened in March:

• CASS met with WMATA & Muriel Bowser after testifying in front of DC City Council in February. We attended two working group meetings, and assisted in distributing fliers on Monday.
  

  Holly Kearl, Chai Shenoy, Council Member Muriel Bowser, Ben Merrion

• We formed a Transportation Working Group with the individuals that testified and others who were interested in getting more involved with WMATA changes. If you want to join, send us an email at info at collectiveactiondc.org.
• WMATA began working on mocking up PSAs from MBTA and asked for our input. We gave our input on how to make it more DC-specific and ideas to make the PSA campaign better. 
• CASS organized two events for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, including the REAL Metro Forum.
• CASS talked with ZipCar DC about forming a partnership for the launch of RightRides DC this summer and they said it was a strong possibility it would happen.
• We outreached with the LGBTQ organizations working on the hate crimes that are making our streets unsafe for our constituents. We attended a DCTC planning meeting, and hope to continue to strengthen that partnership.
• CASS got you all to nominate bad ass feminists in the DC sphere to be invited to an intimate gathering with Jaclyn Friedman, author and badass herself. It was a great turnout of amazing women and men who are doing a lot in DC!
• We got SWAG!! YEAH!!
• …and we did a lot of media.

March Media Madness

In the meantime, please submit your experiences of street harassment here. You see, it is making a difference, one experience at a time.

In a trial for Disorderly Conduct – Abusive Language or Gestures, the prosecutor argued that the defendant’s statements rose to the level of “abusive language said in a manner likely to provoke physical retaliation.”  

The defendant made three statements to three different women walking in the street.  One of the statements was ”hey bitches, you want some of this?”. The judge asked how a single statement to a strange woman on the street would provoke her to retaliate against the defendant.  The government argued that the statement should not be considered in a vacuum.  Rather, the judge had to consider the culture of street harassment and the power of the word bitch (as used against a woman) when evaluating the provocative nature of that comment, and its likelihood to provoke a physical response.  

The judge acquitted the defendant. She found that while the language was abusive, it did not rise to the level mandated by the statute.

With all of these experiences with street harassment, we forget about the importance of caring for one’s self. Whether it be the physical and taking self-defense class to the metaphysical, thinking about our healing process is a necessity in finding a safe space in ourselves.

We have partnered with Luminous Warrior for International Anti-Street Harassment Week to bring you a two hour safe space to discuss street harassment and finding inner peace. It’ll take place on March 18 from 11-1 p.m. at the Luminous Warrior studios (near Metro Center).

Although it is a free event, gratuities are welcome (for studio space). Please RSVP here, and spread the word!

Let’s create some OM when walking/commuting/biking home.