”Mind your business bitch”

Published on December 7,2012 at 6:42 pm in Uncategorized, 2 comments 

New submission from Lydia

I called out a creepy guy in his mid 20′s. Dreadlocked hair, all dressed in black holding a binliner on his knee. It was on the Northern Line today (7/12/12 4:30pm) between Moorgate and Bank as he was leaning against the woman beside him, muttering abuse and trying to stroke her leg. The most disgusting part of this is that people were watching this and finding it FUNNY. Probably because he was being so blatant and had a pathetic scruffy look to him. I had to squeeze by the guy in front of me to approach them – he was laughing at it too despite the woman looking frightened and trying her best to pretend nothing was happening.

Me: Stop that right now, its disgusting.
Creepy asshole: Mind your own business (looking uncomfortable)
Me: (To the woman) is he bothering you?
woman:(nods)
Creepy Asshole: Mind your business bitch.
Me: I’ll make it my business as long as creeps like you threaten women!

———then my stop was due sadly and so had to high tail it off or risk missing it. And personally I feel great! We’re socially conditioned to be passive/ quiet/ to MIND OUR BUSINESS in situations of abuse, so it felt great to speak up – especially on behalf of another^^ Glad I had the courage to do it! I hope the lady is OK too.

Please PLEASE if you see abuse happening/ if you experience abuse then speak up and put a stop to it, you owe it to yourself to defend your rights and it is the most empowering feeling!

I've got your back!
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  1. Chai says:
    December 8, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    This is wonderful, thank you on behalf of all the women who haven’t had courage to fight off these attacks. Sometimes all you need is someone else speaking up, I hope he left her alone or that others did something after you left.

    Reply

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Some Hollaback facts:

- Street Harassment has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with power. Whether it's "Hey baby girl" or “You’d look good on me,” groping, public masturbation, or worse, these “compliments” aren’t about flirting or about chivalry either.

- If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it's not okay.

- If you feel intimidated, you DON'T need to 'take it as a compliment.'

- Street harassment is a gateway crime that makes other forms of gender-based violence OK.

- Studies conducted show that between 80-90% of women have been harassed in public.

- Street harassment may be the social and cultural norm, but it is far from OK. Street harassment teaches us to be silent, that taking action will only escalate the situation. While this isn’t bad advice, it has led us down a dangerous road. Ultimately, perpetrators realise they won’t be held accountable and continue to harass.

- Hollaback! was designed by a group of young people who were tired of being silenced and sought a simple, non-violent response. What has emerged is a platform where thousands of stories of street harassment have been told.

- We believe that by continuing to tell and map these stories, our voices will chip away at a culture that makes gender-based violence OK. Together we have the power to end street harassment, one Hollaback at a time.

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