Props to this Minneapolis woman who decided to take the problem of catcalling into her own hands this weekend by 1) directly confronting the men who did it, and 2) handing out cards explaining why it's absolutely not okay.
"Individual comments taken in isolation may seem like they are not inherently offensive, but considered in the cumulative, the constant barrage of such attention tells women that the moment we step outside into a public space, we are being graded for our looks, and not just silently graded, but graded in a way we are supposed to find complimentary when expressed by total strangers," writes Lindsey, the woman behind Cards Against Harassment.
She's also found that many men don't see anything wrong with their behavior. "The theme I hear the most often is that they truly, genuinely think it's a compliment. and they are shocked," Lindsay said. "If that is true, then simply telling people it's not a compliment may go a long way." This is where the cards, of which there are currently 10, come in handy.
She's even posted a series of videos, including the one below, depicting her daily commute to highlight just how often she gets harassed on the street:
While Lindsey seems comfortable confronting and educating her harassers, she notes, "Certainly if you do not feel safe confronting street harassment, you should not put yourself at risk. However, for many women, silence is frustrating and its own form of victimization."
Here are a few of the cards, which you can download and print on her site:
[via Buzzfeed
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