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Hollaback!

As is now apparent from this blog, writing=processing for me.  Shortly after my Incident, I wrote an email to all of my women friends in DC and beyond, recounting the experience and reminding them to stay aware of their surroundings.  (Like many, I never thought something like this could happen to me--as if I'm immune or invincible to worldly dangers!  Turns out there's no Superwoman belt beneath my business suit.)

A couple days after I sent the email, I received a message from the founders of Hollaback DC, a nonprofit org that is fighting street harrassment and sexual assault in Washington (they also work in other major cities).  They had received my email via several forwards, and wanted to know if they could post it on their website.  Despite being in a dark place, I was uplifted that my story was circulating, and of course agreed to their request.  Several weeks later, I received another note from Hollaback, this time with the news that they had used my story in one of their fundraising appeals.  Knowing well the pressures of fundraising for nonprofits, I was touched and thrilled that I had helped!

Hollaback is now taking their fight viral.  A friend just sent me a NYTimes article about the launch of Hollaback's new iPhone app.  I love it!  Read the article here.  The article concludes with the same question I am struggling with: how do we change the cultural basis upon which it is okay for men to harrass women?  I'm glad to know that organizations like Hollaback are proactively addressing this complex issue.  And now I'm downloading their app!

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