Official Launch: Hollaback!’s “I’ve Got Your Back”
Bystanders: It’s time to step up and end street harassment with Hollaback!
The “I’ve Got Your Back” campaign teaches bystanders to safely intervene and celebrates when they do
Last week, Hollaback! launched its new international ‘I’ve Got Your Back’ campaign. The campaign provides real-time relief to those who are harassed by carrying a simple message: if you see someone being harassed, ask them if they are “OK” and if there is anything you can do to help.
“People always assume that intervening in street harassment situations means strapping on some superhero spandex, swooping down, and beating everyone up. But that’s actually the worst thing you can do. The ‘I’ve Got Your Back’ campaign will show people how to intervene, and celebrate when they do,” said executive director and co-founder, Emily May.
The bystander campaign was developed in collaboration with Green Dot a national bystander campaign supported by evidence based research. Together, the two organizations have re-vamped Hollaback!’s website (check out the new “I’ve got your back” tab above) with bystander resources and are working to train Hollaback!’s 150 sites leaders in 44 cities and 16 countries how to do bystander workshops in their communities. Successful bystander stories collected through ihollaback.org and Hollaback!’s newly re-released iPhone and Droid apps will be documented and mapped.
“In most of the stories submitted to our site, bystanders either failed or acted in a way that further traumatize the victim. And the same time, people are always asking us, ‘What can I do to help?’ The ‘I’ve Got Your Back’ campaign closes the gap by showing everyone they have a role to play in ending street harassment,” said co-founder and board chair, Samuel Carter.
According to Jennifer Sayre, Director of Training and Development for Green Dot, “It can be really hard to have someone’s back, even when we really want to. The good news is no matter what makes it hard, there is almost always something you can do that feels manageable to you. The ‘I’ve got your back’ campaign will help bystanders recognize street harassment, notice what keeps them from acting, and help them pick a solution that works for them.”
In addition to sharing their bystander stories, users will also have the option to anonymously click the new ‘I’ve Got Your Back’ button, located under each story. At the end of the day the person who submitted the story will get an email from Hollaback! telling them the number of people who ‘have their back.’
The campaign was funded in part by 268 donors through an on-line fundraising platform last June, and the technology upgrades were done by Hollaback!’s pro-bono team of developers which include Jill Dimond, Kevin Finity, and Josephine Hall. Jennifer Sayre from Green Dot says, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the amazing folks at Hollaback and to do our part to make the streets safer for everyone.”
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Permanent Wave HollabackPHILLY Benefit at Cha-Cha’razzi Tonight!
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Philly Lineup for Anti-Street Harassment Week 2012!
March 18 – March 24, 2012 is International Anti Street Harassment Week. Find events in your area: http://www.meetusonthestreet.org/
- March 18, 2012: 5-7pm, Free Self-Defense class at The People’s Emergency Center.
- March 21, 2012: 7-9pm, film screening, performance and discussion at the A Space on Baltimore Ave in West Philly.
- March 23, 2012: 7-9pm, Permanent Wave Benefit for HollabackPHILLY at Cha-cha’razzi in South Philly, featuring:
CATNAPS - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catnaps/180188005367838?ref=ts
ATTIA TAYLOR - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attia-Taylor/250857537036
LIZ & THE LOST BOYS - http://www.facebook.com/lizandthelostboys
BIKE CRASH (formerly Middle Aged Men) - http://bikecrash.tumblr.com/
- March 24, 2012: 1-4pm, “Meet Us On The Street” street teams and awareness raising at Broad and Lehigh.
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V-Day is coming up! Find a performance near you, or host one of your own!
“V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations.”
February 04, 2012, 7:00 PM
February 12, 2012, TBA
February 17, 2012, TBA
February 18, 2012, TBA
University of Pennsylvania Law School
March 03, 2012, 1:00 PM
V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.
V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.
V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.
V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.
V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.
V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.
V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine’s Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.
V-Day is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join us!
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“The Gay Rights Movement” – Trailer for “Second Class Citizens” documentary
Checkout the moving trailer advertising the documentary-in-progress “Second Class Citizens”, about how far the movement has come, and how far it still has to go.
**Trigger warning – intense look at LGBTQ rights and various hurdles-of-hate over the years.**
Ryan Yezak, director, is still fundraising for the documentary. Checkout the film’s Kickstarter page to learn more about the goals for the final film, and about how you can help.
About the documentary:
A second class citizen is defined as: a person whose rights and opportunities are treated as less important than those of other people in the same society. There are many areas in which gays, lesbians, & bisexuals do not have the same rights & opportunities as others in society. We must change this now.
I want to make a documentary that encompasses all areas in which we are discriminated against. The general population is not aware that discrimination against the gay community goes beyond marriage & bullying. There is far too much hate directed towards our community and I want to capture that hate on camera. In addition, I want to explore where this hate comes from, why it continues to exist, and what we must do to get rid of it. A better solution is needed because the solution we have right now isn’t working fast enough.
I am not a second class citizen. You are not a second class citizen. Right now, the laws in place (and lack thereof) say that we are. Let’s change that.
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Halloween Costume Contest Winners Announced!!
SPARK, BeautyRedefined, and HollabackPHILLY couldn’t be more thrilled with the costume entries for our 2011 Halloween costume contest! The contest itself had over 2,000 views and the message was shared all over the internet. Thank you so much to everyone who checked out the contest, shared it with their friends and networks, and a special thanks to those of you who entered your costumes that highlighted the awesome alternatives to “sexy takeout chinese girl”.
We had 21 fabulous entries, and they’ve been waiting patiently for us to announce the winners. So without further ado…
The costumes selected by our judging panel are as follows:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Truffula Tree Girls
Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas
Black Swan
Hulk Hogan and Macho Man
And now for the top three costumes, in ascending order.
THIRD PLACE:
Rosie the Riveter
SECOND PLACE:
Astrid, from How to Train Your Dragon
And the FIRST PLACE award goes to:
Waldorf and Statler.
A few more pictures in addition the above photograph (used as their entry into the contest) so you can fully appreciate their amazing handiwork.
Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks again for your participation! We hope you had as much fun as we did!
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Stay Tuned: Interview with women’s rights activist in Afghanistan, Noorjahan Akbar
Recently designated as the most dangerous place in the world for women by a TrustLaw survey, Afghanistan has dominated headlines in the US for over a decade. One of the centerpieces of the justification for our invasion and occupation of Afghanistan has always been the issue of women’s liberation, but sadly the promise of maintaining a safe atmosphere for women has often been ignored by decision-makers determining the future of Afghanistan and the American presence there. Additionally, widespread conservative attitudes and the creeping influence of the Taliban have made walking the streets a daily battle for every Afghan woman.
But even in spite of these enormous challenges, there are many rays of hope. Young Women for Change is one such ray of hope. Founded last year by Afghan women, for Afghan women, it has already begun organizing women and men in the capital of Kabul, and will soon be spreading to other areas of the country. In addition to campaigning for women’s rights in the most difficult of circumstances, and providing on-the-ground assistance to those most in need, the young women who make up the membership of YWC, this past summer, held the very first march against street harassment in Afghan history. Being a daily reality and struggle for all women in Afghanistan, street harassment is naturally one of the biggest issues that YWC addresses and confronts.
Noorjahan Akbar, one of the co-founders of YWC, spearheaded the recent anti-harassment initiative. She is currently a sophomore at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, but returns to Afghanistan regularly to continue the work that started simply as an idea she shared with fellow Afghan activist Anita Haidary last year. Ms. Akbar, in spite of her young age, has for nearly a decade been very active in campaigning for human rights, women’s freedom, and the preservation of Afghan cultures.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Akbar about her work with Young Women for Change, as well as her take on the pressing issues facing women both in Afghanistan and here in the United States. The video and transcript of the interview should be posted within the week!
For more information on Young Women for Change, visit their facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/ywc.af
For donations, please go to:
https://www.wepay.com/donate/youngwomen4change
-Max Paschall
Introduction: Lindsay and Lexie Kite: Beauty Redefined
In July of this year, I stumbled upon a set of body positive billboards that were put up in Northern Utah, and it brought me back to the day in 2006 or 2007 when I was driving back to campus on the 405 in Southern California and first saw the Dove Real Beauty billboards, and had to pullover on the side of the freeway because the billboard moved me to tears.
The twins behind Beauty Redefined, Lindsay and Lexie Kite, launched a body positive billboard campaign in Northern Utah with a similar, empowering, and moving message. Seven billboards were up for two months across Northern Utah this July and August 2011, some of which are pictured below.
Here at HollabackPHILLY, a large part of our mission is to combat the hyper-visibility and sexualization of women and LGBTQ in public spaces. Part of the mindset behind street harassment is the all too accepted idea that women exist for the male gaze, and when we dare to walk alone in public, we are sexual objects to be observed and projected upon. While Beauty Redefined isn’t an anti-street harassment organization, there work is so important to the overall anti-street harassment movement, and to making the world a more equitable, safe place for women and LGBTQ folks.
As you can imagine, when Lindsay and Lexie agreed to an interview for HollabackPHILLY’s interview series, I was a little starstruck, and really excited! Checkout their billboards, their movement, and our interview about Halloween. Then get excited, and buy some of their merchandise to help them fund more of these billboards all over the country and hopefully the world!
Additionally, we were lucky enough to partner with Beauty Redefined, and SPARK, to launch a body positive Halloween contest for Halloween 2011. If you plan to dress up in a creative costume that doesn’t strictly emphasize your body (but of course, we encourage a healthy sexuality, so feel free to submit costumes where you look and, most importantly, feel attractive!) – then submit a photo of your costume! The winners will be selected from a judging panel of costume designers across the country to receive awesome swag. Grand prize is an iPad and swag bag filled with goodies, with swag bags for second and third place, too!
BILLBOARDS:
“You are capable of much more than being looked at.”
“Your reflection does not define your worth.”
“There is more to be than eye candy.”
“If beauty hurts we’re doing it wrong.”
Checkout why Melissa is Taking Back Halloween!
“Build your own, win a prize! Happy Halloween!”
If you need costume ideas checkout our post with DIY suggestions. And don’t forget to enter your costume in the contest to win some awesome prizes!!
Halloween 2011 Costume (DIY) Ideas
If you’re still thinking of your costume for HollabackPHILLY, SPARK, and Beauty Redefined’s HOLLAween costume contest, look no further! We’ve listed a number of ideas below with some DIY suggestions if you don’t want yours to be like anyone else’s at the party!
Group:
- Scooby Doo Gang
- Bridesmaids
- Toy Story
DIY is easiest for Woody, Jessie, Barbie, Ken and the Mr. and Mrs. Potato head costumes, but the rest will surely be in store if you have a large enough group to need more characters!- Gnomeo and Juliet
These costumes can probably be made from dresses you already have, by just adding a white apron over the skirt and buying a gnome hat from a costume shop.
Individual:
- Jessie from Toy Story (see above)
- Juliet from Gnomeo and Juliet (see above)
- Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen
- Disney’s Rapunzel
- Flo, Progressive Insurance
- Queen of Hearts – Tim Burton version
This is easier than it looks – your costume just won’t be as ornate and elaborate as Helena Bonham Carter’s. Start with any red dress, preferably one with a full skirt (or one you can wear a tutu/petticoat under). Cut out hearts from yellow or gold fabric/felt, and pin them to the skirt of the dress. Next, get playing card tights (the pair in the picture can be tough to find, but you don’t need to be exact). Spray your head unnatural red (the costume store colored hairspray is perfect for this). The crown can be as simple as those folded paper crowns that come in things like traditional christmas crackers, or easily cut out of a sheet of gold foil paper from the craft store. The makeup for this costume is the funnest part! Don’t forget to outline the red heart lips with black eyeliner!- Hermione
- Raggedy Ann
- Alice in Wonderland
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