First Make it Safe to Skate event held in Fremont.
Hundreds show up at Fremont Skate Park to support women, girls
FREMONT >> Hundreds turned out for the first ever Make it Safe to Skate event held in Fremont over the weekend, to stand in solidarity with girls and women who want the local skate park to always be a safe space, free from sexual harassment.
People of all ages showed up at the Fremont Skate Park on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, aiming to spread good vibes, raise awareness about sexual harassment and speak out against its many forms.
The youth-led event ran for hours, and included booths for skating organizations and local photographers, painters, designers and crafters to show off their goods.
Best trick contests were held for both skateboarders and roller skaters, as the concrete bowls, stairs and ramps were flooded with people pulling ollies, kickflips, full cabs and backsides in the summer heat while music, including metal, hip hop and electronic, flooded the park.
While many skaters view skate parks as beloved venues where they can relieve stress,
try out new tricks and hang with friends, the girls who organized Saturday’s event said they and some of their friends experienced sexual harassment and predatory behavior from men at the park — some whom they previously considered friends.
“It was super rough for all of us,” Asiya Ditona, 17, of Fremont said about the incidents that occurred over the past several months.
“A lot of them were making the girls here uncomfortable,” said Jaiden Weber 15, of Fremont.
Ditona, Weber and Cielo Loza, 15, of Fremont decided they needed to do something to ensure the park is “safe, comfortable and welcoming” for all,
Weber said Saturday.
The harassment prompted online callouts in local skating circles on Instagram, some of which were met with resistance or denial, while many others offered support, the girls said.
“At first, we were scared to talk about it. We thought we’d get a lot of hate for coming out about it. But once we talked to each other, we realized it was not just us, and we decided that we needed to speak up about it,” Weber said.
“We were scared no one would believe us, or not support us, because most of the people who got called out were people who are loved here, they’re locals,” Ditona said.
“We wanted to have this
(event) to stand up against it, and for everyone in our community to come together and have a good day and support each other,” Ditona said.
“Just come together and let everyone know, it’s not OK, and we have each other’s backs.”
Amid the skating, volunteers and participants chatted, laughed, ate pizza and other snacks, perused art pieces, and some poured water on each other to stay cool.
The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Skate Like a Girl, a nonprofit promoting inclusivity in the sport, had a booth at the event with giveaways, as well as information and resources about sexual harassment, offering help for people who experience it and those who want to stop it.
“It’s very inspiring to see young women using their voices,” said Beth Mora, a board member of the organization and an employment sexual harassment attorney.
Kim Woozy, the chapter’s director of marketing and partnerships, helped announce one of the skating contests during the day over the loudspeaker, and reminded people of the main reason for the event.
“The way we can deal with what has been happening is if we come together and talk,” Woozy said to the crowd. She also told skaters they could get
the phrase “Consent is Rad” spray painted onto their boards at one of the booths.
Deandre Thebpanya, a 19-year-old skater from San Francisco — more widely known as Lil Dre — came to the park to skate and show support for the event.
“I think it’s cool because it’s not like older people doing it. It’s actually the youth doing it,” Thebpanya said.
Thebpanya came out because
it’s important that “girls are able to feel safe when they’re at the skatepark,” and because “I don’t (expletive) with weirdos,” they said.
“All these people out here know that (sexual harassment) is wrong, and it shows that everyone has each other’s back,” Jaylen Taylor, 18, from Fremont, said in between skate sessions.
Carolina Rey, 30, a skater and physical trainer from Oakland, said it was great to see the community band together to call out sexual harassment.
“The skatepark is one of those places where you shouldn’t have to deal with that s---. You’re out here to have fun and do your own thing, hang with your friends, and the last thing you want is to have someone kind of preying on you,” Rey said.
“Skateboarding can be a huge outlet and a place for kids and people to get away from their troubles,” Rey said.
“If a kid doesn’t feel safe at home, and they come to the park, and that’s not a safe place anymore, where are they going to go? What’s going to happen?” she asked.
Ditona, reflecting on all the support shown for the event, said she hopes it helps others who might have to face down unwelcome situations.
“I hope they would feel that if they ever felt uncomfortable, that they would feel brave enough to speak about it now, because the people we called out were like our friends. So for them to see that we called them out, it doesn’t matter who it is,” Ditona said.
“This is my safe place.”