FAQ

There are probably/possibly many questions you might have about Hollaback, so here is a starter. It’s been put together with the help of the entire Hollaback network, but is specific to London. Got something else not covered here? email ldn@ihollaback.org

“What does “Hollaback” mean?”

Hollaback! is about answering back to people who take power from you and your ability to go about your daily business by harassing you in the street or any other public space. Because none of us are as simple as a list of physical attributes. We have a right to be who we are, not who we are told to be. We have a right to define ourselves on our own terms when we walk out the door, whatever that means that day/hour/minute. It means not feeling alone or disempowered when you are shouted at, groped or worse on the street, and knowing that a network of women who experience the same thing daily are fighting it, too.

Started in NYC by Emily May, the blog format allowing women and women-identified people to share their experiences has grown into a global movement based on confident responses and mounting a worldwide challenges to harassment of every kind.

PS. You’d do well to ignore this interpretation as its a different, totally irrelevant meaning (if BBC London can get caught out by it, so can you!)

“I posted a comment but its not been published. Why’s that?”

HollabackLDN has been going well for nearly a year now. It’s a support network, a platform to get out that witty response that evaded you moments previously (don’t they always) and a place to vent. Somewhere to find out what the law is, and feel less like a victim. But there are a few things it isn’t. HollabackLDN is not a forum to debate what IS and ISNT street harassment. It is not a place to call people out for how they did or didn’t respond to an incident. Comments of support or congratulations are of course welcome, but simply to maintain the safety of this corner of the internet as somewhere women and women-identified people of London can go and tell their story without fear of reprisal, our word on what comments get published is final. It’s not censorship, it’s sensible.

“I posted a Holla and it hasn’t been published, why is that?”

“Why don’t you just take it as a compliment?”

Because street harassment has nothing to do with compliments or flirting, and everything to do with power, and abusing that power. If a comment (however it was recieved: shouted across the street, whispered in your ear..) makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s not a compliment, and you’ve no need to ‘take it’ as such. You weren’t there, she was. The idea that it’s okay to make a comment on appreciating a person’s appearance in a public place to us just reduces women to bodies parts; market produce on display. It’s not okay.

“Some of the other Hollaback sites include images of harassers. Why not yours?”

HollabackNYC and many other Hollaback sites make brilliant use of ‘caught out there’ pics of harassers. However, the law on taking pictures of people in public is different and every country, and in the UK we feel that culturally encouraging women (who might already be in a vulnerable position after an incident) to take a picture of the culprit might put her in further danger. That said, if you do feel you want to include any kind of image with your post, e.g. one of the area in which your harassment happened, do feel free – you can upload them with your Holla.

“Can I contribute to / buy / stock Langdon Olgar?”

Yes! Please email us – london@ihollaback.org

“Who runs HollabackLDN?“

Everyone who has ever or will posted here is part of HollabackLDN, but it was founded by Julia Gray in April 2010 and is run on a daily basis by Bryony and Julia.

“How related are all the sites?”

We now work on the same platform (ihollaback.org) but are still autonomous.

“Can I interview you?”

Sure, Drop us a line at london@ihollaback.org