Former NYC First Lady Told Residents To ‘Physically Intervene’ To Stop Street Harassment

Stand Up Against Street Harassment: A Call to Action

Chirlane McCray’s Message

In March 2021, Chirlane McCray, co-chair of New York City’s Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity, took to Twitter to urge New Yorkers to stand up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. Her message was in response to the rise in racist attacks against Asians and the “Defund the Police” movement. She shared five tactics for “interrupting” harassment, including “Direct: Respond directly to the aggressor or physically intervene and only after assessing the situation. Be confident, assertive, calm.”

The Tragic Incident

However, when Marine Daniel Penny followed McCray’s advice and physically intervened to stop a violent criminal from harassing people on a subway train, he was charged with second-degree manslaughter by New York’s district attorney, Alvin Bragg. Despite putting the aggressor in a chokehold to restrain him and then putting him in the “recovery position” after the threat was neutralized, the aggressor died.

The Nonprofit’s Response

McCray was sharing techniques from a nonprofit called Right To Be, previously called Hollaback, that is dedicated to stopping street harassment. The group runs trainings on “bystander intervention” and “stand[ing] up against street harassment,” including at schools and for teacher certification. However, recent materials seem to have dropped “physically intervening” from the fifth tactic.

Right To Be did not return a request for comment from The Daily Wire on its view on the Penny-Neely incident as specialists in intervention and opposition to street harassment. Its president is Emily May, who goes by the pronouns she/they and is a member of the mayor’s appointed Street Harassment Prevention Advisory Board.

The Nonprofit’s Focus

Right To Be, which received a grant in 2017 from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, is focused heavily on racial identity. It says it is preserving the “Right to be” “Black,” “Latinx,” “LGBTQIA+,” “Asian,” “Muslim,” and “more,” but it does not explicitly include white or Marine, like Penny. Despite its mission positing street harassment as an important issue, the nonprofit appeared to characterize the aggressor in sympathetic terms.

A Call to End Street Harassment

Street harassment is a continuous form of silencing victims. It creates a cycle of abuse, where everyday people are taught to walk fast and ignore comments, instead of fighting to be free to walk anywhere! Let’s stand up against street harassment and create a safer community for all.

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