As UCSB students anticipate the arrival of Halloween celebrations this coming weekend, groups such as Men Against Rape and Students Stopping Rape have launched a campaign to end the practices of ‘catcalling’ often directed toward women.
Campus groups have plastered anti-harassment posters on campus buildings and in central areas such as Pardall Tunnel to emphasize the seriousness of sexual harassment and assault as the notorious Halloween celebrations draw near. Taglines on some of the posters include ‘Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you can get away with street harassment’ and ‘Catcalling is not okay,’ in addition to digital anti- sexual harassment posters shown on dining commons TV screens.
Dr. Kegan Allee, Assistant Director of UCSB’s Rape Prevention Education Program, said catcalling is being specifically addressed this Halloween due to the widespread nature of incidences of harassment.
“We are working to end street harassment as a way of targeting something much more common,” Allee said. “We’re trying to change the perspective.”
According to second-year chemical engineering major Jaime Gonzalez, the campaign endeavors are surprising and focus on a previously less-emphasized aspect of assault.
“Last year, I didn’t hear about [any] of [this kind of] stuff, like catcalling,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve never had anyone directly tell me not to do it until this year. I don’t remember seeing anything like this last year.”
Anacapa Residence Hall resident assistant Quoc Le, a second-year math major, said many residence halls are also making efforts to discourage offensive gender-targeting practices.
“Catcalling is not okay [and] people need to be more educated,” Le said. “So we’re just really putting an emphasis on advocating this.”
This is hilarious
It’s more pathetic than hilarious. People have freedom of speech whether you like what they’re saying or not. Be an adult and ignore it. Stop trivializing rape and sexual assault by associating it with this garbage.
I don’t see anything hilarious nor pathetic about what these organizations are trying to accomplish.
I would urge you to go to these group’s meetings or speak with someone from these communities rather the use the anonymity of the internet to disrespect the experience/ calls to action.
I also have office hours in case you’d like speak with me directly.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Save your personal insults because they have no effect on me or my opinion. I have no interest in going to the meetings of a group that want to tell people what they can and cannot say. People say things to other people all the time that they do not like and or hurt their feelings. Welcome to the real world and I’m done with this.
This is neither pathetic nor hilarious. Street harassment is a serious issue that affects soo many people, especially on college campuses. No issue that hurts people is too small, and talking about street harassment does not trivialize rape. No one is saying that street harassment is rape. This is not garbage. It horrifies me that people think this is funny or pathetic. Just because there are horrible things out there does not mean we should ignore smaller issues.
If someone wants to catcall you or me they have every right to do so, I’m glad that they do because I support freedom of speech whether I agree with what is being said or not. Their freedom is more important than my “hurt feelings”, and if you think it isn’t then go somewhere that people never say anything to one another. I have no interest in arguing against your straw man arguments either. You’re horrified by me, and I pity you and your weakness. Now I’m done with this.