Collective Action for Safe Spaces

City Council Here We Come

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:34:04 +0000

GROUP CALLS ON WMATA TO ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT

Collective Action for Safe Spaces attends February 22^nd DC Council Performance Oversight Hearing on WMATA to Recommend How to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault

WASHINGTON, DC— During the DC City Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) tomorrow, Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), private citizens, and a street harassment expert will testify about public sexual harassment and assault that occurs on the transit system.

Across three years, CASS has received hundreds of stories about public sexual harassment and at least 30 percent of the experiences took place on or around transit stations, trains, buses or bus stops. CASS will recommend a three-pronged approach to curtailing these crimes.

“We want WMATA to institute a public service campaign, giving information on how to report sexual harassment and assault,” says Chai Shenoy, co-founder of Collective Action for Safe Spaces. “The fact is that this is a public safety concern—where obvious, egregious, and repeated acts are taking place in our transit system and not enough is being done to address these acts.”

Behind New York City, Washington, DC has the second largest transit system in the country, but among the top four largest transit systems, it does the least to address sexual harassment and assault. For example, while the three other cities, Boston, Chicago, and New York, instituted anti-sexual harassment PSA campaigns in 2008 and 2009, Washington, DC still does not have one.

In addition to a campaign, the advocacy group wants the DC City Council to urge WMATA to collect data on sexual harassment and train their employees and the Transit police on how to address sexual harassment and assault complaints. In addition, the training would underscore the importance of not sexually harassing passengers.

The hearing will take place on February 22, 2012 in the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, Room 500 at or around 1 p.m. It will also be streamed live at http://dccouncil.us/granicus.

Collective Action for Safe Spaces is a grassroots organization that aims to empower the DC Metro area to build a community free from public sexual harassment and assault. It is accomplished through online activism, public policy and advocacy, community workshops, and innovative direct services. Find more information at www.collectiveactiondc.org or Twitter @hollabackdc.

# # #

If you would like more information about this topic, or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Chai Shenoy at chai@collectiveactiondc.org or (202) 556-4232.

Inappropriate and not necessary.

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:37:52 +0000

I work in food service in MidPike Plaza (I can’t disclose the specific place because I don’t want to lose my job), and there’s this guy that came in when I was working alone. He keep on making comments about what I was wearing, all of them I just glared back at him. I would have said something but I was scared because he was much bigger than I was an it was just me and him in the store. He knew what he was doing was making me feel uncomfortable, and when I finished ringing him up he said “you should smile it would make you look nicer” and left. Inappropriate and not necessary.

Submitted by anonymous on 2/18

Location: Mid Pike Plaza

Time of harassment:Night (7:30P-12A)

Did You See Us?

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:48:26 +0000

We are in the Washington Post this morning covering the planned testimony to DC City Council’s Performance Oversight of WMATA this Wednesday. It’s exciting because it’s the first time we are testifying in front of the Council and perhaps the first time the Council is hearing from at least five different individuals about their experiences with Metro sexual harassment.

Overall, Dana did a good job of getting my quotes. There is one glaring issue: her lede

A man walks up to a woman on a Metro train and tells her she looks good in that skirt.

Is that an insult, sexual harassment or a compliment?

A grass-roots group says it’s a form of “street harassment” that has become all too common throughout the transit network.

First, I was never given that example and asked if it was a compliment, insult, or sexual harassment? So, there is that. Second, if I was given that example, I would have said, it depends. Not to be all lawyerly, but the reality is that it does depend. Much of what we are dealing with in defining public sexual harassment is creating a community definition. We said that from the start of our online presence. We–the staff, Board, volunteers–are not the Merriam Webster of what is street harassment. Rather, YOU are. You, the individual that felt harassment. You, the reader of the website. You, the commenter. That is what makes this space unique. Things that occur now and deemed appropriate would be considered offensive in Downton Abbey. Culture shifts, definitions move, and human beings interact differently.

What I would have said if Dana asked me the question, is if that person who gave the compliment got angry/insulted and started saying curse words and invading her space, that would be considered public sexual harassment. If that person who gave the compliment got angry/insulted and then decided to follow the target of his compliment (period) and/or attempted to touch her or take pictures of her underneath her skirt without her consent, that would be public sexual harassment (and attempted battery/assault). But, if that person who gave the compliment and the target of his compliment didn’t respond, and he continued on his merry way, it would be considered whatever the person who received that compliment considers it to be. Most people who receive that compliment would not consider that harassment. And, we at Collective Action for Safe Spaces don’t necessarily consider that public sexual harassment. But, let’s be real here.

MOST OF THE EXPERIENCES PEOPLE SUBMIT ON THIS SITE ARE OFTEN OF THE FORMER, NOT OF THE LATTER.

Phew. Okay. There.

We know people minimize public sexual harassment and assault and boil it down to a woman being a target of a compliment and not being happy with it. Or not finding the person who stated the compliment attractive enough. Again, even if that does happen, our concern is to get WMATA to address incidents like this one, or this one, or even this one.

Public sexual harassment and assault is a big deal.

Really?

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:24:32 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was waiting for a friend outside the Chinatown Metro station. A guy walked by said “Hi.” When I said “Hi” back. He replied, “I love you.”

Really? You couldn’t just leave it at “Hi”, you just had to add on the “I love you.”?

Submitted by anonymous on 2/13

Location: 7th & H

Time of harassment: Day Time (9:30A-3:30P)

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault you would like to submit? Just click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

Vigil for Deoni Jones

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:43:01 +0000

Cross posted from Stop Street Harassment:

Last Thursday at 8:13 p.m., 22-year-old Deoni Jones, was stabbed in the cheek at a Metrobus stop at East Capitol Street and Sycamore Road NE in Washington, D.C. She died from the wound.

Deplorable. What senseless violence and end to such a young person’s life.

From video footage in the area, police described the suspect as “a black male between 30 and 40 years old wearing blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and black jacket. Anyone with information on the person of interest is advised to contact detectives investigating Jones’ death via the MPD tip line at (202) 727-9099 or texting to 50411.”

Via the DCist.com:

“Jones’ death brings up memories of a wave of attacks last year against members of D.C.’s transgender community. Perhaps most jarring was the killing last September of

Gaurav Gopalan, an aerospace engineer and theater director. One activist told DCist last week that 61 percent of transgender people experience some kind of violence against them, and in the case of transgender people of color, like Jones, the rate is even higher.”

Last night I joined two of my fellow Collective Action for Safe Spaces board members and about one hundred community members, family members and friends of Deoni at the bus stop for a vigil. We held lit candles and listened to prayers, memories shared of Deoni’s life, and condemnations of the senseless killing from trans-rights organizations and representatives from the mayor’s office and the police department.

Releasing balloons that represent the lives of murdered transgender individuals like Deoni Jones

Near the end of the vigil, someone let loose a bunch of colorful balloons. Each balloon represented the life of a transgender person who was murdered in DC over the last few years. People shouted out the names of their loved ones, including Deoni’s. It was a touching tribute and also sobering to see the visual showing just how many hateful murders have taken place.

The streets should be safe for everyone.

Via the DC Trans Coalition site:

“If you have been a victim of violence, or if you know someone who has, you can reach out to us at 202.681.3282 or email dctc@dctranscoalition.org. You can also call Transgender Health Empowerment at 202.636.1646 or HIPS via their 24-hour hotline at 1.800.676.HIPS. If you need police assistance, dial 911 or call the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit at 202.506.0714.”

Vigil and Memorial for Deoni Jones

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:04:24 +0000

UPDATE: Three CASS Board members, Carolyn, Alicia, and Holly attended the vigil. Although acoustics were bad, Holly memorialized the remembrance of Deoni and other DC victims of LGBTQ street harassment.

The entire Collective Action for Safe Spaces team is deeply saddened by the death of Deoni Jones who was murdered on February 02, 2012 while awaiting a bus at a bus stop near the intersection of East Capitol Street and Sycamore Street NE.

Yesterday, the DC Trans Coalition issued an invitation to a candlelight vigil in memory of Deoni Jones.

Please join community members, family, and friends at the bus stop at East Capitol and Sycamore Streets NE at 5:30pm Tuesday, February 7, for a candlelight vigil in memory of Deoni Jones, who was killed there last Thursday. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, February 11, at King Memorial Baptist Church, 2324 Ontario Road NW, with viewing from 9:00-11:00am, and the service beginning at 11:00am.

For more information, contact Earline Budd or Brian Watson at Transgender Health Empowerment, 202.636.1646.

“do somthing”

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:18:15 +0000

I was sitting on the metro and a man came onto the train car that I was on and walked up to me so he was standing directly in front of my face and started doing pelvic thrusts into my face and asking me to “do something.” I didn’t say anything and continued to stare out of the window the whole time until he stopped – about 30 seconds later he moved on and walked to the other end of the train where he continued to harrass other women who started yelling and him and then he started acting like he was a boxer and “fake punching” the women. The other metro riders did nothing, so I went and hit the emergency call button to the driver. The metro was stopped and off loaded at Braddock. I never had a chance to point out the offender by the time the metro driver found me to talk. All the women moved into a different train car, then the metro resumed. They thanked me for doing something.

Several weeks later, the same man recognized me on the metro as I was getting off the metro at King Street, he was getting on the metro, and as we passed each other as I was exiting he grabbed my by the arm and said “hey.” I hardly had time to put two and two together but the entire series of events was absolutely rattling to my sense of safety. He remembered me.

Submitted by Angela on 2/2

Location: On the metro between Reagan and Braddock

Time of harassment: Day Time (9:30A-3:30P)

Tell WMATA Public Sexual Harassment is a Problem!

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:37:31 +0000

Sexual comments, leering, groping and public masturbation: sexual harassment happens a lot on public transportation in Washington, DC. Collective Action for Safe Spaces/Holla Back DC! has been tracking and speaking out on this issue for three years. Now we’re doing something more – testifying. And we need your help.

We need people to testify with us about the issue of sexual harassment on public transportation during the late afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 22, for a public performance oversight hearing of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) held by the Council of the District of Columbia.

If we have enough people testifying, possible outcomes could be:

Council Member Muriel Bowser (who is overseeing the hearing and is from Ward 4) will be aware of the issue and could even propose legislation to help prevent sexual harassment on Metro.
Council Member Bowser could question the Director of Metro to find out why our concerns have not been addressed.
The Director of Metro could be more likely to address our concerns and take actions we recommend such as providing training for employees.

We are looking for people:

1) Willing to share a story or stories about sexual harassment on metro trains and buses,

2) Who can talk about sexual harassment they’ve witnessed,

3) Who can be part of the audience to help fill the room.

Testimonies are only 3 minutes long (about a page and a half). If you want to learn more about writing and presenting compelling testimony or want feedback on a draft, we will hold an optional training on Saturday, Feb. 18, 1-3 p.m. at the Southeast Library (across the from Eastern Market metro station). Susie Cambria will lead the training.

If you’re interested in providing testimony or helping to fill the room, please contact shannon@collectiveactiondc.org by February 17, and please share this announcement, especially with people in Ward 4 as that’s Council Member Bowser’s Ward and she’s up for re-election.

Info Session!

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:09:34 +0000

Have you been wanting get involved with Collective Action for Safe Spaces?
Then attend our first info session meetup on February 4th!

Where: Bread Brew (bonus: Bread and Brew is donating 10% of the proceeds to CASS!)
When: 3pm-4:30pm
What: Find out how you can get involved with us to make DC a safer place for all!

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to info@collectiveactiondc.org.

We look forward to meeting you!

PSAs

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:22:56 +0000

Through online activism, public advocacy and education, and community building, we work hard to make the streets of DC safe for everyone.

Tomorrow night, January 21st, local bands Miyazaki, Ra Ra Rasputin, and supergroup Volta Bureau will help us raise awareness and funds for some of our programming at an all-ages benefit concert at St. Stephens run by Positive Force. The bands have spoken out in a series of PSA videos for TVD, and we hope you join them in solidarity tomorrow night!

Volta Bureau

Ra Ra Rasputin

Miyazaki

Find out more about these incredible local bands on The Vinyl District!