Mexican Activists Address Subway Harassment by Crafting an Anatomically Explicit Seat

I grew up in Mexico City, and there were few things that terrified me more than travelling alone in the subway. And not because I ran the risk of being mugged (I barely carried any money or valuables with me) but because the men could not seem to keep their hands in place. The situation was so bad, that the joke among us, females, was that the Mexico City subway was the only place where you could get a pap-smear fast and completely free (ha ha… NOT.)

But I digress. The point is that a group of Mexican activists have decided to address harassment in the subway with an unusual campaign that consists on outfitting a subway car with nude male torso — and prominent genitalia where riders would sit. A plaque on the floor in front of said seat reads:

“It’s uncomfortable to sit here but not as uncomfortable as the sexual violence women suffer every day in their commute.”

Activists then recorded men’s startled reactions, especially after sitting down. A YouTube video has has now almost 1.5 million views to date.

I’m really digging this idea, but will it really change minds? I can only hope so.

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