Campaign graphic, courtesy of Collective Action DC, via screen shot.
I consider myself lucky in never having been physically assaulted in the streets of DC. My compassion and healing thoughts are with those of you who have been mugged or assaulted, or have had property forcibly removed. My condolences are with the families who have had to endure the pain and stress of dealing with the death of a loved one or the lasting trauma of living with assault-related violence.
However, I have experienced the discomfort, disbelief and mixed bag of emotions that come with being the object of street harassment. Due to the mostly verbal (and gross-gestural) nature of these assaults –which unfortunately can and do escalate on occasion– it’s easy to dismiss them or feel like the victims bring the unwanted advances upon themselves. There is shame and guilt associated with this abuse, which is why it goes unreported so often.
This is why I admire and support the work of Collective Action, a non-profit that seeks to educate the population on what constitutes street harassment, as well as to provide resources for those who are harassed so they know their rights. They have a great guide that covers how to report sexual harassment on Metro and they are the force behind the, “If It’s Unwanted, It’s Harassment” campaigns on trains and buses. Back in 2012, WUSA-9 reported, “Metro says it arrested 22 suspects last year in sexual crimes that ranged from a single rape in the system to 41 sexually-related assaults and 40 cases of indecent exposures, proposals or acts.” Most harassment and rape cases were not reported to Metro because victims did not know their rights.
This Fourth of July, Collective Action wants to make sure people –especially those with a higher risk of getting harassed or worse, such as women and the LGBTQ community– get home safely after the festivities are over. RightRidesDC is a free service that will insure you get home safely. By texting 202-556-4232 between midnight and 3:30 a.m., you can get someone to drive you home.
Be safe out there, Capitol Hill!