Vigilantism Does Not Equal Competent Advocacy.

Sharon Haywood, writing for Adios Barbie on “Street Harassment: Is “Turning the Tables” Really the Answer?“:

“Friends emailed me the link, allies posted and praised it on Twitter, and my Facebook newsfeed was overtaken by it. Just before this year’s international anti-street harassment week came to a close, the Guardian online posted a video, “‘Get your arse out, mate’: we turn the tables on everyday sexism” where Leah Green, the Guardian journalist responsible for the video, gave men a taste of their own catcalling medicine. Like Green, I also loathe street harassment and recognize that increasing men’s understanding of the invasion, fear, and harm it causes is no easy task. I also agree that we need to drum up creative ways to get men to grasp that street harassment is not a trivial issue, let alone complimentary. But her video—currently boasting “a million hits and nearly three thousand comments”—is not the way to go about it.”

I’d like to ask the proponents of such approaches what they think about intentionally triggering male survivors on the receiving end of their vigilantism. My guess is the “advocates” are too poorly informed to have even thought it out that far.