Introduction

My handle, ironically, is "Golden Silence," but that has nothing to do with handling street harassment. I came up with that handle a year ago when I started my personal blog with that same title. It has to do with my being a writer. Trust me folks, "Golden Silence" does not remain silent when it comes to dealing with street harassment.

When I lived in my hometown of Buffalo, NY, men catcalled and made comments on the streets. It was annoying, but never as bad as what I've dealt with since moving to DC. It seems that my simply being a female was an "invitation" for these men to say whatever they want.

I've been harassed in all sorts of ways by these men. I've been called a "bitch," "gay," "ugly," and have been threatened with physical violence, simply because I refused to give these men the satisfaction they wanted. Sorry, but I don't respond to "shorty," "baby," "sexy," and colorist comments such as "Redbone" and "Snowflake." I only respond to "Miss" and "Ma'am."

HollaBack DC had a great website, but it seems to have become defunct. I'm stepping in where they left off to give the women of DC a place to speak up about their ordeals with street harassment.

It happens to young women, it happens to older women, and even worse, it's happening to little girls. The harassers range in age as well...from the dirty old men to little boys who don't have positive male role models in their lives and who think telling a woman "I'mma hit dat!" is the way to get her attention.

We need support against this in any way we can. I really don't have much of that from family. Some of the female members in my family like the male attention, and one female member, instead of understanding how pissed I was at being reduced to "Redbone" by some idiot on the street, said "You are a redbone!" Others think the best thing to do is ignore it. "Men will be men," they'll say. But I refuse to accept this as normal male behavior towards women!

In time, I want to make the next step towards getting off the Net and fighting street harassment. I'm sick and tired of the loser men on the streets feeling like they can get away with this shit. It's up to all of us to make a stand. Not only women can fight back, but men, you can stand up for us whenever you see this happening to us. Let those raggedy men know that that's not the way a real man acts.

So here's a place for people to speak up about their street harassment issues. Whether it happened in a rough area like Rhode Island Avenue NE, or a ritzy area like Georgetown, speak up! Don't Be Silent!!!