Ok, I'll admit I'm addicted to Pinterest. Upon searching through the multitudes of posts, I came across this photo and it shocked me. How could people believe that people deserved to be raped? How could anyone spit in someone's face for being raped, instead of the rapist? This picture made me curious. I had never heard of or witnessed a SlutWalk so when I looked it up I was surprised at the importance of this relatively new movement amongst today's women. In an article posted by Huggington Post, SlutWalks Sweep the Nation, Laura Stampler explains how the SlutWalk movement began. Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto police officer, spoke to a group of law schools students during a safety forum in 2011. During the forum he advised students that the best way to prevent rape was to "Avoid dressing like sluts". Authority, police officers, people you should be able to trust when you are a victim of rape are blaming victims for their clothing. The SlutWalk began "to shift the paradigm of mainstream rape culture, which they believe focuses on analyzing the behavior of the victim rather than that of the perpetrator". Participants showed up with signs, attire ranged from average clothes (jeans and tshirts) to lingerie. The fact that women are blamed for their dress or expression of sexuality as fault for rape explains why SlutWalks have become so popular among women today. An article posted by the Washington Post, SlutWalks and the future of feminism, authored by Jessica Valenti, goes as far to proclaim SlutWalks the most successful feminist action in the past 20 years. Other popular signs found at SlutWalks across the globe:
Lately, rape has become a hot topic amongst society with the recent elections. There has been a big controversy regarding Todd Akin's claims of legitimate rape and how "real" rape won't lead to pregnancy and therefore excluding the need for abortions for rape victims. Rape has become so downplayed amongst society because of these assumptions that women are asking for it with their clothing. One sign even stated that "Society says this skirt makes me look pretty, society also says this skirt makes me look like I'm asking for it". Victim blaming has become a big deal in sexual assault cases. When a girl is known as a slut amongst her peers, it's assumed there's no way she was raped. She's crying wolf for sure. SlutWalks are calling to attention the problem with blaming victims. Like the first picture I found, her rapist doesn't even know he's a rapist. Society has told him what he did was acceptable and okay. Where is the world headed? No one would say if a house was broken into that it was the owner's fault for having a beautiful house, yet women are blamed for having beautiful bodies. As my curiosity grew on the topic, I asked a group of guy friends their opinions regarding the "blame game" of sexual assault. I first asked if a girl was dressed provocatively, is it her fault if she's raped? They all answered no. How about if she is intoxicated? No, again. Well, what if it was your sister or your girlfriend? Well, that's when the answer got tricky. Most said they'd end the relationship with their girlfriends for putting themselves in situations to be taken advantage of. They shouldn't have been drunk or they wouldn't have been so easily assaulted. Point proven. We're quick to say we wouldn't cast blame on victims but the answer changes when it becomes personal.
Often in class we've been discussing the "so what?" of what we're learning. What should we do to put an end to the expectations, the taboos, the mixed signals of society on girls and women? This was the answer for many women. This is a glimpse at modern feminism. Women are angered, women speak out (often on the internet), and it's translated into the local community. In today's world it's easier than ever to spread a movement because of technology. Toronto's SlutWalk went viral, sweeping the nation. Valentini wrote in her article, "instead of young women being organized by established groups, SlutWalks have young women organizing themselves — something I believe makes these women more likely to stay involved once the protest is over". It's a change in feminism that we've been discussing in class. "[Women, participants] are generating excitement, translating their anger into action and trying to change our supposedly respectable society into one that truly respects men, women and yes, even “sluts.”" Personally, I believe this is an amazing cause and something that should continue to be made public until society understands it's not a victim's fault for being victimized.
