“However we dress, wherever we go, yes means yes, and no means no.”
In a span of six months, this phrase of protest will have echoed through the streets of Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Argentina and forty three American cities. What began as a single city response to sexism has grown into an international movement: SlutWalk – a collective effort to combat the myth of “the slut” and protest the culture of victim blaming that has surrounded sexual violence for centuries. The controversial name of this movement is derived from a statement issued by a representative of the Toronto Police Service during a panel discussion regarding college campus safety. On January 24, 2011, a Toronto Police officer speaking at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University stated that “…women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized.” In response, SlutWalk co-founder Sonya JF Barnett spoke for several thousand outraged protesters at the inaugural SlutWalk Toronto on April 3:
“…we are here because we have had enough. Enough of being told that we should be ashamed of ourselves, ashamed of our appeareance, ashamed of our pleasure, and ashamed of being victimized. We are here to call foul on our Protective Services who instead of making us feel safe, make us second guess whether we should call upon them at all in our time of need. Because sexual assault is already a heavily underreported crime, we need and expect better.”
Barnett’s words caught like wildfire, and the flames have continued to burn throughout the world. Many have questioned Barnett’s choice to include “slut,” a notoriously derogatory word, in the name of a protest intended to empower women and all victims of sexual violence. As a progressive-minded individual myself, even I am uncomfortable with embracing a sexist slur in the name of reclamation. But, as noted by Hugo Schwyzer, the word “reclaim” is rooted in the Latin word reclamare: “to cry out” in protest. And, as Schwyzer notes, SlutWalkers are doing just that by “reject[ing] the madonna/whore dichotomy…SlutWalk stands for the principle that no matter how short the skirt, no matter how high the heel, no matter how promiscuous the past, every woman is entitled to freedom from verbal or physical sexual assault.” For quite possibly the first time in history, thousands of individuals are collectively lifting the heavy baggage associated with the word “slut” and lifting into the light for everyone to see. A word that normally silences its victim is instead being used to demand humanization. While I don’t plan to incorporate the word into my short list of endearments, I will proudly join SlutWalk (in two cities, no less) in its effort to end the use of the word “slut” as justification for sexual assault and rape.
I will be participating in SlutWalk Chicago on June 4th and SlutWalk Portland on July 31st. Will I be dressed as a slut? Absolutely, because as a person who engages in and enjoys sex freely, I fit under the slut continuum – even in the loose-fitting jeans and hoodie that I plan to wear. The mission? To enforce the truth that those who experience sexual assault are never at fault – no matter the degree or manner in which they enjoy sex for pleasure or engage in sex as means of employment. As confirmed by SlutWalk’s many satellite websites, the Walk “is for everyone: singles, couples, parents, sisters, brothers, friends. People of any age, race, gender-identification, and sexual-orientation are welcome. Come walk, roll, strut, holler, and stomp with us in demand of a revised cultural attitude toward sexual assault and rape.” To combat a culture that teaches “don’t get raped,” as opposed to “don’t rape,” it is necessary to engage others in dialogue. Let the conversations begin.
For those in the Seattle area, check out SlutWalk Seattle on June 19, and let the Emerald City know that a dress is not a yes.
Photos originally published at: http://www.bielousov.com/2011/slutwalk/.