Saturday, June 25, 2011

SlutWalk

So what did you do on your vacation?

I went to a SlutWalk.

In case you've never heard of a SlutWalk, you can google the term. They walks started April 3 in Toronto after a police officer in Toronto said at a college forum, "Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.''

It wasn't long before the first SlutWalk was organized to protest the idea that how women dress should be a factor in being raped. They've now gone world wide.

I was visiting relatives on vacation when I saw that a SlutWalk was being held the next day downtown. We were down there visiting a museum so we checked out the walk. Most of the women weren't dressed provacatively, but they had a clever signs and T shirts.

I wish I could remember them all, but some T-shits had the word MINE written on top with an arrow pointed down. Anther said My skirt is not a password to my vagina. Another said rape is caused by a) slutty clothing, b) global warming, c) rapists. The last word was checked.

Another said I am a slut, Don't rape me.

And another T-shirt had several things that mean NO, including "maybe'' and there were signs about consent.

I thought it was a positive sign that young women were protesting being victimized.

Of course, the word SlutWalk is designed to designed to draw attention. One organizer told the local paper that if they called it Women Against Rape, it wouldn't draw as much attention.

Well, they are certainly getting attention. In just three months, there are SlutWalks being held in cities around the world.

Your thoughts?

FD

6 comments:

  1. Great! I wish things like violence, racism, oppression...were as controversial as slutwalks.

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  2. K: Good point. Thanks for sharing the comment.

    FD

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  3. I'd never heard of a SlutWalk but it sounds awesome. Many good points, but the "I am a slut, Don't rape me" resonated with me - simple but so true.

    It reminded me of this image that made the rounds recently: http://amberskye.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rape.jpg and also a thing titled "Only Rapists Can Prevent Rape" (http://kittywampus.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/only-rapists-can-prevent-rape/).

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  4. Amber: Thanks for sharing those links with us. I will check them out.

    FD

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  5. That sounds a really great idea - attention grabbing and amusing but with a very serious point. In Leeds during the Yorkshire Ripper years there were "Reclaim the Night" marches. At that time it was like living under a curfew just for being a woman. The Slutwalks sound much more effective for getting the point across and a lot more fun.

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  6. Alice: Yes, the women seem to be having fun and are getting their point across.

    FD

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