This is a piece written by Earth Stream's Juniors, Jasmin Gilliam and Hikma Salhe in the class-wide magazine The Dirt.
Catcalling
Will it ever stop?
Catcalling: to make a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.
-Google Definitions
Just because they may think it is a harmless compliment or that they want to let the woman know that they think she is beautiful, does not mean that it comes across that way. One important part of this definition is the fact that it says “of a sexual nature” which is pertaining to the idea that this society views women as something to be associated with sex first and foremost in addition the definition only talks about catcalling towards women; it does not regard men unless they are the ones doing the catcalling.
There is no excuse for catcalling. There is no reason to comment on a stranger’s sexual appeal, or shout crude comments at women, familiar or otherwise. Once upon-a-time, there was a period where men opened doors for women and gave up their seat for a lady. The fight for gender equality is a huge part of American history. Women were not allowed to go to work, obtain a higher education or do anything that a man usually did outside the home. It was by struggling and fighting that women found their place in this country. Gender inequality is still something that is still present, you can tell by the way men go out of their way to make women feel uncomfortable.
Thomas Sowell, wrote in his book, A Conflict of Visions, “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” Shouting “Smile for me” doesn’t make us melt, it makes us angry. The gentleman has died when the humane person should have taken its place.
Just walking to the corner store can be a scary experience for some of us. There isn’t a sign that a man will wear on his forehead that he will whistle at you, holler at you, or rape you. Women and some men, are afraid to leave the house due to the harassment they are bound to encounter on the street.
Sometimes it feels like you are alone in a world of being barked at in the street, but then you talk to your friends and find out differently. They have their own personal load of stories that make you think, has this really become that common or will this ever stop? In an interview with Jae Cameron from Hollaback! we asked a similar question:
The Dirt: “Do you think that catcalling is something that can be stopped in the future?”
Jae Cameron (JC): “Absolutely ... I think that's already happening - when you look at media and entertainment from as little as 50 years ago, you see this incredible normalization of street harassment and other forms of sexism, things that would be laughable (and wouldn't be tolerated) today.”
Hollaback! is a wonderful organization teaching women to stand up for themselves on the streets. The organization was started by seven youth as a project when they got together and the women told their stories of catcalling. They all agreed that catcalling should be stopped and today we have Hollaback! They encourage women to understand the fact that it is never their fault that they have been catcalled on the streets. Jae put this beautifully after we asked her this:
The Dirt: How has committing to this project directly affected your personal life?
JC: Very much so - like all forms of activism. I think that, broadly, it's encouraged me to respond to street harassment and recognize that it isn't my fault when it happens. I think responding to street harassment, and recognizing some of the reasons behind it, bring up larger questions about entitlement to public space - which I think are really interesting to delve into. Working here has broadened my focus on how marginalized communities occupy (and do not occupy) public space.
As a society, we have to realize that women are human beings too. Women have feelings and thoughts too and harassing them in the street does not help validate that. The fight for women’s rights should not have to go to waste due to the feeling of being inferior that comes with catcalling.
“..I think as individuals step up as bystanders, and as a society we agree that catcalling and verbal harassment is "not a compliment," we'll see a decrease in street harassment.”
-Jae Cameron
iHollaback
Will it ever stop?
Catcalling: to make a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.
-Google Definitions
Just because they may think it is a harmless compliment or that they want to let the woman know that they think she is beautiful, does not mean that it comes across that way. One important part of this definition is the fact that it says “of a sexual nature” which is pertaining to the idea that this society views women as something to be associated with sex first and foremost in addition the definition only talks about catcalling towards women; it does not regard men unless they are the ones doing the catcalling.
There is no excuse for catcalling. There is no reason to comment on a stranger’s sexual appeal, or shout crude comments at women, familiar or otherwise. Once upon-a-time, there was a period where men opened doors for women and gave up their seat for a lady. The fight for gender equality is a huge part of American history. Women were not allowed to go to work, obtain a higher education or do anything that a man usually did outside the home. It was by struggling and fighting that women found their place in this country. Gender inequality is still something that is still present, you can tell by the way men go out of their way to make women feel uncomfortable.
Thomas Sowell, wrote in his book, A Conflict of Visions, “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” Shouting “Smile for me” doesn’t make us melt, it makes us angry. The gentleman has died when the humane person should have taken its place.
Just walking to the corner store can be a scary experience for some of us. There isn’t a sign that a man will wear on his forehead that he will whistle at you, holler at you, or rape you. Women and some men, are afraid to leave the house due to the harassment they are bound to encounter on the street.
Sometimes it feels like you are alone in a world of being barked at in the street, but then you talk to your friends and find out differently. They have their own personal load of stories that make you think, has this really become that common or will this ever stop? In an interview with Jae Cameron from Hollaback! we asked a similar question:
The Dirt: “Do you think that catcalling is something that can be stopped in the future?”
Jae Cameron (JC): “Absolutely ... I think that's already happening - when you look at media and entertainment from as little as 50 years ago, you see this incredible normalization of street harassment and other forms of sexism, things that would be laughable (and wouldn't be tolerated) today.”
Hollaback! is a wonderful organization teaching women to stand up for themselves on the streets. The organization was started by seven youth as a project when they got together and the women told their stories of catcalling. They all agreed that catcalling should be stopped and today we have Hollaback! They encourage women to understand the fact that it is never their fault that they have been catcalled on the streets. Jae put this beautifully after we asked her this:
The Dirt: How has committing to this project directly affected your personal life?
JC: Very much so - like all forms of activism. I think that, broadly, it's encouraged me to respond to street harassment and recognize that it isn't my fault when it happens. I think responding to street harassment, and recognizing some of the reasons behind it, bring up larger questions about entitlement to public space - which I think are really interesting to delve into. Working here has broadened my focus on how marginalized communities occupy (and do not occupy) public space.
As a society, we have to realize that women are human beings too. Women have feelings and thoughts too and harassing them in the street does not help validate that. The fight for women’s rights should not have to go to waste due to the feeling of being inferior that comes with catcalling.
“..I think as individuals step up as bystanders, and as a society we agree that catcalling and verbal harassment is "not a compliment," we'll see a decrease in street harassment.”
-Jae Cameron
iHollaback