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Last weekend, I attended SlutWalk DC. This rally was part of a nationwide movement in response to a comment made by a police officer in Toronto claiming that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” SlutWalks aim to end the widespread shaming and blaming of survivors of sexual assault, rape and street harassment. There were all kinds of different people at SlutWalk DC, wearing all kinds of different outfits. And everyone looked really, really good.
Most of the speakers told the crowd (of about 2,500 people) their own personal stories of being a survivor. These stories made the atmosphere very personal, despite the fact that there were so many people there. Two men told their stories about being survivors of rape, helping bring awareness to the fact that it’s not just women who experience sexual violence. Because of these stories, and the fact that strangers were willing to open up to me about personal experiences, I felt very comfortable at SlutWalk. It was great to be in a space that was created to make us feel like we could wear whatever we wanted, but it really sucks that spaces like these are the exception to the norm. In addition, my positive experience at SlutWalk is not universal. For more on this, see the analysis of SlutWalks at Colorlines.
I arrived at SlutWalk DC a little late. I got there during one of the many awesome speakers. She was giving the crowd a lesson in self-defense. She had everyone stand up in a firmly balanced position, put their hands in front of them, and yell “NO!” Then, she taught us a couple techniques, like how to hit an attacker in the nose or stomp on their feet. It felt great to be in a crowd of people punching the air, stomping on the ground and yelling at an imaginary attacker. This group felt ridiculously powerful.
For anyone who has interest in participating in this emerging movement, go to a SlutWalk! Click here to find out when it’s happening in your area.
By Alicia Dudziak
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