Sexual street harassment in Brixton

[S A Villarino]

Hi guys,

I'm writing an article on sexual street harassment in Brixton. While I love Brixton, one of the massive downsides is the street harassment I get on a daily basis. Regardless of what I wear (office clothes, jeans, dresses [and most importantly it doesn't matter!]) I can't walk out on my own without people making comments, shouting at me from across the road, making pussy cat noises, occasionally following etc. Many men don't seem to respect me because I am a young woman who has the tenacity to walk on her own.

I want to know other people's stories. Have you experienced it? Have you seen it happen to others? How does Brixton square with other areas?

Any input appreciated.

Thanks,
S

 

[Thimble Queen]

What publication is the article for?

 

[trabuquera]

lived in the area for nearly 20 years. sexually harassed in the street on fewer than 5 occasions. (no, I'm not yet a pensioner). I hesitate to play down anyone else's experience of this but IME Brixton is actually one of the least worst places for it. How long have you been in SW9? Because one other dynamic that *might* be at play is maybe some older male residents thinking that new, fashiony, or middle-class incomers (and believe me a LOT of that can be "read" in your clothes, gait and manner) are 'fair game' for this sort of crap, or at least less likely to unleash a volley of proper Brixton verbal abuse in return, cos they'd be too scared.

(none of this excuses anyone sexually harrassing anyone, btw. but my experience has been that sexualised harassment is far more common, far coarser and far more hostile in Clapham than Brixton for example.)

One to make ya laugh - this did happen in Brixton. Years ago:

Man driving stupid car halts at zebra crossing so I can pass. Beeps at me and makes remarks about my body.
me: *total silence, looks away, carry on, no big deal*
Man [shouting out of the car window]: Oi oi OI! Manners maketh man, BITCH!

I giggle about it even now.

 

[S A Villarino]

An opinion piece for Brixton Blog. Aim is mainly to raise awareness and/or explore whether it's a major issue for anyone else.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Hi guys,

I'm writing an article on sexual street harassment in Brixton. While I love Brixton, one of the massive downsides is the street harassment I get on a daily basis. Regardless of what I wear (office clothes, jeans, dresses [and most importantly it doesn't matter!]) I can't walk out on my own without people making comments, shouting at me from across the road, making pussy cat noises, occasionally following etc. Many men don't seem to respect me because I am a young woman who has the tenacity to walk on her own.

I want to know other people's stories. Have you experienced it? Have you seen it happen to others? How does Brixton square with other areas?

Any input appreciated.

Thanks,
S

Is it because you're stunningly beautiful?

 

[S A Villarino]

lived in the area for nearly 20 years. sexually harassed in the street on fewer than 5 occasions. (no, I'm not yet a pensioner). I hesitate to play down anyone else's experience of this but IME Brixton is actually one of the least worst places for it. How long have you been in SW9? Because one other dynamic that *might* be at play is maybe some older male residents thinking that new, fashiony, or middle-class incomers (and believe me a LOT of that can be "read" in your clothes, gait and manner) are 'fair game' for this sort of crap, or at least less likely to unleash a volley of proper Brixton verbal abuse in return, cos they'd be too scared.

(none of this excuses anyone sexually harrassing anyone, btw. but my experience has been that sexualised harassment is far more common, far coarser and far more hostile in Clapham than Brixton for example.)

One to make ya laugh - this did happen in Brixton. Years ago:

Man driving stupid car halts at zebra crossing so I can pass. Beeps at me and makes remarks about my body.
me: *total silence, looks away, carry on, no big deal*
Man [shouting out of the car window]: Oi oi OI! Manners maketh man, BITCH!

I giggle about it even now.

Thanks for the insightful post.

Interesting that you see a class dynamic at play - definitely something that needs to be explored. I've not been here long but because I'm of rather complicated mixed race ancestry, not sure if I can automatically be placed within the gentrifying elite. For example, when I refused to respond to the shouts of a (black) man, he turned racist and said, 'doesn't speak a word of English!' The aim was clearly to belittle me. My friend, who probably could fall into a gentrified demographic, experiences this rarely. Find it happens on both my way to Brixton and Clapham. Used to be okay about it and shrug it off but recently there's been a lot more hostility.

Who knew 'Manners maketh man' and 'Bitch' could go in the same sentence! ;-) Thanks for your amusing anecdote.

 

[Manter]

trabuquera that's both horrifying and hysterical!

 

[trabuquera]

I think he wanted me to say "thank you, kind sir, for your gallant comments, and for obeying the traffic laws and letting me walk past. Gents like you are just so rare these days". What a prince.

(It was looooooong before Breaking Bad was even dreamed of, so it wasn't even a Jesse Pinkman impersonation or anything.)

 

[trabuquera]

Thanks for the insightful post.

Interesting that you see a class dynamic at play - definitely something that needs to be explored. I've not been here long but because I'm of rather complicated mixed race ancestry, not sure if I can automatically be placed within the gentrifying elite. .

No reason at all that mixed-race people can't be part of a gentrifying elite. Not saying that you individually are, but, for example, I have seem plenty of young fashiony dressed-up mixed-race young women with VERY middle-class accents and ways all over Brixton Village, talking about how they'd never have touched Brixton with a bargepole in earlier years but "it's alright now" . Skin colour and class are two different things. they intersect (sorry everyone) but are not the same.

 

[gaijingirl]

a long time ago now - maybe 8 years - I probably wrote about it on here, a man started giving me all this "let me lick your pussy" etc whilst I was unlocking my bicycle outside KFC. I asked him would he speak to his sister or mother that way and he apologised and shuffled off. Ms T just reminded me of this the other day. Apart from that, not much - although I did get kerb-crawled when I was 9 months pregnant.. He may have just been a genuinely kind person but there was something about the way he was asking me if I'd like a lift home that made me think .. hmmmm

haven't had anything like that in years but then I'm invisible these days pushing a pram/dragging a toddler...

 

[Thimble Queen]

You could take a look at the @everyday sexism on twitter...

also btp have trained up a number of officers around how to deal with complaints of sexual harassment, although I'm sceptical about how effective this will be after a shitty experience in Liverpool St station in the launch week.

idumea and I both recently contributed to a study on sexual harassment. She might have some interesting stuff to share on this

 

[S A Villarino]

No reason at all that mixed-race people can't be part of a gentrifying elite. Not saying that you individually are, but, for example, I have seem plenty of young fashiony dressed-up mixed-race young women with VERY middle-class accents and ways all over Brixton Village, talking about how they'd never have touched Brixton with a bargepole in earlier years but "it's alright now" . Skin colour and class are two different things. they intersect (sorry everyone) but are not the same.

You're right that they're not the same thing and that skin colour and class are very different. However, if you're walking by in work clothes and no one hears you speak, it's hard to assume that they automatically think you're a yuppie hipster, especially when they use your own skin colour against you. I think you're definitely onto something when you say there is a bit of conflict between 'old' and 'new' Brixton and perhaps I get it even worse *because* of my ethnicity, which makes me an easy target because it means people can attack me for both my gender and race (God do I know that from growing up!!).

However, this is why I need more stories. I cannot possibly be the only unlucky woman in Brixton who experiences this. To go down the class route, is there anyone here to falls into a middle class, fashionista category who gets harassed?

 

[Manter]

gaijingirl that's really strange as I've had two pervy incidents in the last month or so, i.e. very heavily pregnant. There must be some sort of very specific fetish <<shudder>>.

op- I'd echo trabuquera, yes, I have been on the receiving end of some fairly bleurgh behaviour, but Brixton is still much better than Clapham, Islington (Upper Street can be a nightmare on a Saturday night)- and the very worst I have experienced was in the City. However, yes, I have had some delightful things shouted at me in the street in Brixton, but it's difficult to say whether it's worse now than before, partly because of the strange pregnancy stuff It has included some fairly tedious clichéd stuff too (you know you want my big black cock in you white bitch)- I mean seriously, at least be original.

E2A I am white & pretty obviously middle class but *not* a fashionista

 

[S A Villarino]

You could take a look at the @everyday sexism on twitter...

also btp have trained up a number of officers around how to deal with complaints of sexual harassment, although I'm sceptical about how effective this will be after a shitty experience in Liverpool St station in the launch week.

idumea and I both recently contributed to a study on sexual harassment. She might have some interesting stuff to share on this

Thank you.

What was your shitty experience at Liverpool Street Station?

I would like any insight you and idumea might have to offer.

 

[Kizmet]

I'm writing an article on sexual street harassment in Brixton. While I love Brixton, one of the massive downsides is the street harassment I get on a daily basis...

...a young woman who has the tenacity to walk on her own.

Temerity. Although some tenacity is also required.

 

[Thimble Queen]

You arent the only woman in brixton to experience this. It's pretty normal and by normal I don't mean that it's ok. Often I think it's about power, humiliation and showing manliness.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Is it because you're stunningly beautiful?

Attitudes like this stink and stop people from speaking up about sexual harassment.

 

[Manter]

You arent the only woman in brixton to experience this. It's pretty normal and by normal I don't mean that it's ok. Often I think it's about power, humiliation and showing manliness.

yes- I don't think it has anything at all to do with sex, is power

 

[Thora]

Is it because you're stunningly beautiful?

Seriously?

 

[S A Villarino]

You arent the only woman in brixton to experience this. It's pretty normal and by normal I don't mean that it's ok. Often I think it's about power, humiliation and showing manliness.

Yes, absolutely. The men are rarely ever alone when they harass. Always with a mate or in a group to show off cheap bravado.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Yes, absolutely. The men are rarely ever alone when they harass. Always with a mate or in a group to show off cheap bravado.

IME when it's happened in the morning on the way to work then men have often been alone. Afternoons and evenings is more likely to be a group. That said the liverpool St incident was by a lone man in the evening... but generally that's the pattern that I've observed...

 

[Rushy]

As a bloke, I've seen a lot of low level leering and cat calling around here over the years. Guys hanging on street corners or just walking past and commenting. More often rude in a seedy intrusive way - like leering and saying "hey sexy. you look like you want a real man" rather than out and out abuse or aggression - I've always thought it was unpleasant, as did my ex, but I am often surprised at the positive reactions the guys sometimes get from the women, who will act coy, giggle, flirt, make out they are annoyed and tell the guy off but at the same time stop and engage in conversation ultimately ending in an exchange of phone numbers. I assumed it was a cultural thing.

I had a (Jamaican, IIRC) builder in his 50s working for me who would constantly cat call and wolf whistle from the scaffold outside my house. I asked him not to because I thought it was unpleasant. But he would sometimes pull and would disappear for an hour!

 

[Kizmet]

In my experience Brixton has a thriving street culture (by English standards) and in common with a lot of other areas with similar street cultures around the world there is an externalisation of behaviours normally hidden. I think part of the problem, putting aside incidents of genuine nastiness of which there are many, is the clash between those comfortable on the street and those not so.

With the inevitable result of making those uncomfortable people even more uncomfortable.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Err I'm comfortable on the street I just don't appreciate men making unwelcome comments about my tits or fucking me.

 

[Boudicca]

Last week, as I was walking up my street, one of couple of blokes walking past, said 'Good evening'. When I turned towards him, he said 'I was just admiring you'.

As he was a very pleasant looking young man, and I am old enough to be his mother, IT MADE MY DAY.

 

[mrsfran]

In my experience Brixton has a thriving street culture (by English standards) and in common with a lot of other areas with similar street cultures around the world there is an externalisation of behaviours normally hidden. I think part of the problem, putting aside incidents of genuine nastiness of which there are many, is the clash between those comfortable on the street and those not so.

With the inevitable result of making those uncomfortable people even more uncomfortable.

What does this even mean? What's the link between being "comfortable/uncomfortable on the street" and not being ok with sexual harrassment?

 

[Gramsci]

In my experience Brixton has a thriving street culture (by English standards) and in common with a lot of other areas with similar street cultures around the world there is an externalisation of behaviours normally hidden. I think part of the problem, putting aside incidents of genuine nastiness of which there are many, is the clash between those comfortable on the street and those not so.

With the inevitable result of making those uncomfortable people even more uncomfortable.

"externalisation of behaviours normally hidden"

And what would these behaviours be?

There is a world of difference between chatting up a woman in the street and sexist abuse.

It is an issue in other countries. Such as India. Which have a street culture.

This video is part of] a social campaign against Eve Teasing. That is where Indian men just stare at you on the streets, pass really lewd comments, molestation, even kidnap and rape.

It is a horrible experience and no women should have to go through it. It is a form of public sexual harassment of women and a real problem in the Indian sub continent. This kind of violence against the women in India just has to stop. This campaign needs a lot of international eyeballs for people to understand how serious the problem is India.​

The campaign includes women from all over Mumbai speaking out against these men. The more people that see this the bigger the voice for women in India.”​

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[Manter]

Last week, as I was walking up my street, one of couple of blokes walking past, said 'Good evening'. When I turned towards him, he said 'I was just admiring you'.

As he was a very pleasant looking young man, and I am old enough to be his mother, IT MADE MY DAY.

There's a difference between compliments (which are unusual, this being London and everyone avoiding eye contact let alone interaction) and harassment. A guy stopped me today and told me I looked beautiful pregnant- it surprised me and I took a second to get beyond my instinctive distrust and thank him- but it was a completely different interaction to kerb-crawling 'you need real cock' man. Would be a shame if we lost one because of the other, but many men seem incapable of complimenting someone without propositioning them and then getting aggressive when we don't look instantly, pathetically grateful.

 

[Manter]

"externalisation of behaviours normally hidden"

And what would these behaviours be?

There is a world of difference between chatting up a woman in the street and sexist abuse.

As ever, you make my point much more elegantly than I did

 

[trashpony]

Is 'the clash between those comfortable on the street and those not so' the clash between men and women?