May. 04, 2011 - Issue #811: On being a John

The threat of spring

Warmer weather brings with it increased street harassment

Spring is here and with it warmer weather and lighter clothing. But for many women, spring also means ramped-up street harassment. As 28-year-old Alison puts it: "Cue the once-overs, look-backs and catcalls."

Street harassment is defined by Holly Kearl, author of Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe and Welcoming for Women, as everything from catcalls and sexual comments to groping, stalking and public masturbation. "Eighty to 100 percent of women worldwide face sexual harassment in public places," says Kearl. It's a statistic that appears to hold true for Edmonton. When local women were asked about their experiences for this article, the most common response was: "Too many times to count."

Jessica Valenti, author of He's a Stud, She's a Slut ... and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know and executive editor of Feministing.com writes, "I've heard the argument that street harassment is actually a compliment … it's really a super-insidious form of sexism. Not only do perfect strangers think that it's appropriate to be sexual toward any woman they want, but street harassment is also predicated on the idea that you're allowed to say anything to women that you want—anytime, anywhere." An anonymous respondent in Kearl's 2008 survey put it simply: "Street harassment is a manifestation of the cultural norm that women are either public property and/or objects in the landscape that should be commented on."

Girls as young as 13-year-old Rowan are at the receiving end of public harassment. She describes a recent experience where, "This gross guy was following me and muttering about, 'Drop-dead gorgeous gutterslut goth kids,' and asking me for a kiss. I just sort of kept walking and ignored him until my dad stopped him." Kearl's survey found that for many women, street harassment begins around puberty and that nearly 90 percent of respondents had experienced it by age 19. Says Kearl, "Often it's by older men who are old enough to be their father or grandfather. That's disgusting, that's predatory, and that's wrong."

Alison remembers junior high school, after a "Post-summer vacation 'growth spurt,' high school boys would shout at me from their cars as I walked home." As another of Kearl's survey respondents said, "These interactions [especially from a car] are a show of power more than anything because you know the person can't respond to you as you speed off."

Thirty-one-year-old Lisa describes an experience on Whyte Ave, "Dressed in a tank top, zip hoodie and jeans, a guy stared at my chest from about a block away as he approached. Never looked at my face. When he was beside my friend and me he said, 'You can sit on my face anytime.' I wanted to zip my hoodie up to my chin and fold in on myself."

As Lisa says, "The worst part is the impression you're not a person—just body parts." The line between a compliment and street harassment is a difficult one to draw. Kearl goes a step further: "It is a form of sexual terrorism because women never know when it might happen, by whom and how far it may escalate. Because of street harassment, women learn that public spaces are male territory. They learn to limit the places they go, they try not to be in public alone (especially at night), and when they are alone, they stay on guard."

"Explicitly sexual comments or compliments on sexualized body parts are pretty clearly harassment, but some women might appreciate them," says Lisa. "Another woman might be creeped out by 'You look beautiful.' One key for me is that a compliment is heartfelt and given for the benefit of the person receiving it—not the person giving it."

The beauty of Edmonton and its people are easy to enjoy, and many Edmontonians are hoping the appreciation is appropriate and enjoyable to its recipient. V

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