A new video, created by Rob Bliss Creative along with nonprofit Hollaback!, shows a woman walking the streets of New York City for 10 hours being sexually harassed by her fellow pedestrians.
The woman, New York City-based actress Shoshana Roberts, is not wearing anything revealing, just a pair of jeans and a black crew-neck t-shirt. Still, according to the video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, she is harassed over 100 times.
Earlier this month, Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” satirized street harassment in NYC, equating correspondent Jessica Williams’ experience walking down the city street with competing in a beauty pageant. But street harassment isn’t just limited to New York. Street harassment is a form of sexual harassment that takes place in a public location and can range from catcalling to stalking.
According to Hollaback! one out of every 50 men will street harass a woman and/or LGBTQ individual.
“I’m harassed when I smile and I’m harassed when I don’t,” Roberts said while filming the video, adding, “I’m harassed by white men, black men, Latino men. Not a day goes by when I don’t experience this.”
Since publishing the video on Tuesday, Roberts has received threats of rape on Youtube, according to both Rob Bliss and Emily May, the executive director of Hollaback!
Roberts has also received threats that she has equated to hate crimes, both on her website and via e-mail. She described one, saying that due to her Hebrew name she has received a number of anti-Semitic threats, including one that referenced her acting website where she is “seeking representation.”
“They would represent me if they could get me up on the cross,” Roberts said.
She also added that, “the ‘thank-yous’ speak the loudest,” and plans on taking those threatening e-mails to the New York Police Department.
Michelle Langer