Content Warning: rape/sexual assault mentions
What is the “SlutWalk?”
SlutWalk is a worldwide protest against sexual and domestic violence. Every year, people all over come together to challenge rape culture (ex. cat calling, victim blaming, slut shaming, etc.) in city-wide marches.
The walk first took place in 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The first rally was a response to a police officer telling women “they could avoid unwanted sexual attention if they were to ‘stop dressing like sluts.’” It is a common phrase heard by many and said by more (even I’ve been put in the uncomfortable position to be told that by family members). And feminists were tired of it, so they decided it was time to push back.
(photo from Toronto 2011SlutWalk)
In an effort to confront the issue, protesters take to the streets. Many choose to dress “like sluts” in revealing outfits, sometimes painting words such as “cleavage is not consent,” “no means no,” and “still not asking for it” on their bodies. Signs and banners with similar messages can be seen throughout the crowds, with powerful chants like: “Blame the rapist not the victim, doesn’t matter what I’m dressed in.”
Why is it important?
At 2011 SlutWalk in London, England, a young woman discussed her time on a jury for a sexual assault trial. The victim’s behavior and attire were called into question as a defense tactic for the attacker. Victim blaming and victim shaming can be far more that disrespectful or frustrating – it can be the difference between whether or not a rapist is sent to prison.
Throughout history, rape culture has proven to be harmful to many people. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), every 109 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. However, as few as 6 out of every 1,000 of these perpetrators will actually be prosecuted and sent to prison.
College-aged women are at an even higher risk, they are 3 to 4 times as more likely to experience sexual assault. College-aged men are 78% more likely to be assaulted than men who are not students. And with party culture that comes alongside college, it is only too easy to imagine the victim and “slut” shaming that meets who choose to report the incidents. And what their lives on campus might be like after they report.
Everyone saw how the criminal justice system failed when convicted rapist Brock Turner was released from jail after only serving 3 months for raping a young woman at Stanford University. As if the 6 month sentence wasn’t short enough. There has been outcry against the injustice for the victim and sympathy for the perpetrator. California has begun to work on a new bill that will force courts to treat assaults against individuals who are unscious or unable to consent (ex. while intoxicated) the same way they would treat one against a conscious victim. “With the Governor’s signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison.”
SlutWalk aims to reappropriate the term “slut,” by taking it back and barring it from being an excuse to condone sexual assault and rape. Activists want to push our culture to placing the blame on those who commit a crime rather than those who are victims of one. “Our culture needs to change – teach people not to rape, not how not to be raped,” student Rhiannon Frame told BBC News in London.
How can you get involved?
Look for a SlutWalk rally happening in your area!
For those in the Portland, Oregon area, our annual rally is happening soon. It takes place on September 18th at the Portland State University Park Block & Salmon at 2 PM in downtown Portland. Visit the Facebook page for more info.
What’s going on at UP?
This year, several students started a new club called Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA). It aims to be our student voice against sexual assault on college campuses. At this year’s freshman orientation, SASA took to the stage prior to Green Dot’s presentation. Co-founders Abby Sherman, Katie Reinig, and Erik Wingfield delved further into the issue for the new students, clearly explaining statistics and the importance of consent. More about the new club can be found HERE!