‘We have to protect each other’
Hannah Quinn Horr courtesy of Facebook
Earlier this year, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright drew fire for saying there was a “Special place in hell for women who don’t support Hillary Clinton.” Albright’s statement stems from a special women’s code that throughout history has helped women fight for their rights and protect each other in the face of abusive men. A great example of the power of this code happened last week when Facebook user Hannah Quinn Horr shared stories of women who stood up and saved each other from being victimized by men. Horr’s posts inspired other women to share their stories, too.
Horr’s first post was from Tumblr user Natnovna who shared how she was was saved by a female maintenance worker after being harassed by men at a shopping mall.
“[T]hat was the moment [I] realized women were the most important beings on this planet and we have to protect each other...nobody else is going to.”
This inspired Tumblr user actual ginny weasly to reshare Natnova’s story and add her own.
i was at a grocery store really late one night and some old guy kind of eyed me as i walked out of the store next to this other lady. She and I made eye contact and i knew she was scared too. we loaded up our groceries into our cars as fast as possible and I had way more bags than her so she got done faster than me. I panicked because i was sure she was going to leave so i just hurried faster, shaking a little, and then i noticed she sat in her car, watching me and making sure nobody came near. She waited not until all my groceries were loaded, or until my cart was put away, or until I got into my car. No, she didn’t drive away until I drove away.
And that was the moment that I realized how much women need other women. That we can’t win this war without each other and we have to be looking out for each other, every second.
And it snowballed… Tumblr user not of self, but of geography shared Natnova and actual ginny weasly’s stories, then added her own.
my last year in new york city, i got off the subway around 9 or 10p.m. i only lived about 5 blocks from the f train, but i hadn’t gotten more than two before a woman’s hand suddenly touched my arm.
“that guy behind us is following you,” she said. “he was watching you leave the train car and followed you up.”
i hadn’t noticed him, or at least not noticed him following me. when we stopped outside a grocery store, he stopped half a block back and loitered. the woman linked her arm with mine and walked me several blocks out of her way to my front door and made sure i got inside safely.
another time, nocigar and i were walking home and at a stoplight a stranger grabbed my arm when i wouldn’t respond to him and tried to physically drag me over to him. she–who is, by the way, not a very physically imposing girl–ripped his hand off my arm and snarled, “don’t fucking touch her.”
protect your friends. protect strangers. there are good men in the world, but don’t wait for them to do something if you can do it yourself.
The snowball grew bigger when aydenmarie28 shared her story as well.
Once I was at an arcade with my friend and I saw some guy grab her butt and she shoved him off and then her grabbed her wrist and started to pull her away, but I ran at them and yanked her away from him and practically growled “get the fuck away from her” and he started me down for a solid six seconds as he debated on what to do before rolling his eyes and walking off.
Another time I was walking alone in the dark and a girl came up to me out of nowhere and asked if she could walk with me because there was someone following her and I agreed. He caught up to us and I noticed him so I asked where she lived and walked her home. That creep was hiding behind a bush watching her door and so I told him to get lost or I’d call 911. He ignored me and so I started to call 911 and he grabbed my phone and tried to take it away so I kneed him in the balls, smacked him over the head with a stick, and finished calling the police.
Protect each other girls. Never be afraid to walk up to someone and say “hey he’s following me. Can I walk with you for a bit?”
Get your ass in the impala shared how women saved her in a parking lot.
I was at a club once and my friend left with her boyfriend so I finished my drink and was heading out to the parking lot when three girls came up to me and basically surrounded me.
“Those guys behind us were talking about following you. We can walk with you.”
I have MMA training but have never in my life had been offered the protection and sanction of my own gender. This is so important.
And finally, miles to go before I sleep summed it all up perfectly…
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