When I briefly lived in Baltimore, I enjoyed a lot about the city-- its compactness, the grime, high art standing shoulder to shoulder with rundown buildings, abandoned warehouses. There was a lot to love. Yet, never before had I felt so threatened by random men on the street. I'll never forget walking home at 2am (not a good decision to begin with) and having a group of three guys follow me nearly the entire way saying things that made me cringe. I remember how horrified I was when someone suggested that it was because of the way I dressed.
Harassment like this isn't about sexual attraction or flattery, as so many people have pointed out. It's about power and control.
That's why sites like
Hollaback! Baltimore are NECESSARY.