Life

These Anti-Catcalling Posters Are EVERYTHING

by Jaime Lutz

We all know catcalling is the absolute worst. There's nothing like a strange man yelling "NICE TITS!" at you to make you feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in a new area, or even your own neighborhood. Most of the time, I want to shout back at them and tell them to stop (for instance, I often think of saying, "Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?" because it sounds so daintily shaming), but I often feel too exhausted or scared or in a hurry to say anything. That's why I love these wonderful anti-catcalling posters from Debi Hasky, a Latina artist who grew up in Miami and now lives and studies art in Barcelona.

The series grew out of "enduring countless whistles on the streets of Panama," according to Hasky's website, which credits the series "Call Out Cat Calls" for her full scholarship for graphic design at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Barcelona. The posters — usually in Spanish, but occasionally in English — use protest-worthy slogans like "No soy tu Mamacita" ("I'm not your mommy"), "Me visto para mi" ("I dress for me") and "Las mujeres somos fuertes" ("Women are strong") on top of adorable pastel illustrations that send a real, powerful message in the cutest possible package. I want one of these babies on a tee shirt:

"Being treated as a walking sexual object never made me feel empowered or good about myself. I felt helpless. I didn’t feel like a person," Hasky told Latina.com in one of the many interview requests she's gotten in recent weeks about these images. "I hope my illustrations inspire people to embrace their unique qualities, giving them the courage to express their emotions. Your feelings are valid. You are not alone." Girl, we couldn't possibly say it better.

Alas, right now, you can't buy these images (otherwise they'd wallpaper my house), though Hasky says she's trying to set up a shop soon, both for these pictures and her other sassy designs — for instance, I particularly love this one for armpit hair-sporting girls everywhere. In the meantime, might we suggest that they'd be a kickass iPhone or computer background? What could be better to see before signing off from work for the day and gearing yourself up to face the streets? Las mujeres somos fuertes! Women are strong!

Check out more of Debi Hasky's work at her official website, and connect with her on Instagram @debihasky, Tumblr, and Facebook.

Images: Courtesy of Debi Hasky