Loronda Johnson DB 7

• What do Vera-Gray and Kelly  say about “public space” as “gendered space”– what do they mean? What can you add to their discussion from your own observations and experiences of public space?

According to the article, Vera-Gray and Kelly said that “public space is gendered space has not been a focus of mainstream academic analysis, but such a framing offers important insights”. But also the struggles over space always be about the right to be seen or heard, including new fundamentalisms involving gender segregation and limitations of access of public space for women. I think what the authors means is that there’s a limitation of public spaces between both genders, and that it seems that men feel that they’re the superior gender, so they feel that they can do whatever they please, including sexual harassment towards women in these public spaces. And because of these limitations, women had to become invisible to public eye in order to not be sought out by these men who limit their access to these public spaces, meaning no safety towards them. Based on my own observations to certain places, i see women wearing their  headphones with hoodies most of the time because I believe that they don’t want to be bothered with the outside world, meaning they don’t want another among their space without permission, including myself I can admit.

• What do the authors mean by “safety work?” What examples do they offer? Do you have other examples to add?

According to the article, the term “safety work” means existence in the form of invisible work mandated for women and girls in public. For women and girls doing “safety work” especially in a public space, they do what’s need to be done so they wont become another statistic of the many women who was sexually harassed in public spaces. For example, if not wanting to become sexually harassed, especially going to and from a public space where men and boys are involved, they use strategies to become invisible to the public eye like changing routes, choosing seats on public transportation, using headphones and sunglasses, even physical isolation. With my own experiences, whenever I feel unsafe within my own space, i would do the same as any other woman would, changing my seat, putting headphones on etc. But if I feel that the person or people don’t get the hint, then I would tell someone, authority or not, to witness or help me to have my public space to myself.

• How do you think the praxis models engage in “safety work,” if at all? What other “work” do these interventions do?

The praxis models engages in “safety work” by bringing the problems of public space and gender harassment to light. For example, the website, Stop Telling Women to Smile is an art series that addresses gender harassment by using portraits of women, composed with captions speaking to the offenders who offended their public spaces. And Fenced Out is an documentary about the fight of the Christopher St. Pier, a safe public space for New York City’s youth and low income, homeless, LGBTQ+ And two-spirited youth.

• Do any of these models give you ideas for your own project- and especially about the use of websites, videos, journalistic essays?

The Stop Telling Women to Smile websites gave me ideas of using a website to broadcast stories like videos, journalistic essays, photos etc. of mental health that affect LGBTQ+ BIPOC families to people who are willing to see, listen, and hear about what they can do to help the members and their families.