SlutWalks

What is a SlutWalk?  Probably the greatest act of Feminism ever. If that's not true, well than it is our generation's Feministic protest. I first came across SlutWalks researching a paper for my journalism class. A paper I was dreading turned out to be my favorite paper of the year. That of course was because of what I was researching. SlutWalks were a result of a Toronto police officer telling college students women would not get raped if they did not dress like sluts. What? That is absolutely absurd. I do believe in being classy and following the old rule - you only show one thing, legs, cleavage, back or arms, but this guy was crazy! Can you say male chauvinism and double standard? It all goes back to how men can hook up with anyone they want or as many women as they want but if a woman does that she is a whore. Or if we were in the '60s, as the new season of American Horror Story illustrates, men could like sex but if women did they were nymphomaniacs and institutionalized. It is incredible how things have not changed. Despite all women have contributed to society we still are not allowed to be sexual beings, we are still inferior.  
SlutWalks exist to show that no matter what women wear they are still at risk for sexual violence. During the walks it is not unusual to see one woman in lingerie and the woman next to her in sweatpants. Women hold signs up that say, “Don’t tell us how to dress. Tell men not to rape.” and “It was Christmas day. I was 14 and raped in a stairwell wearing snowshoes and layers. Did I deserve it too?”  The fight against sexual violence needs to take a different route. Instead of making the victims into criminals for expressing themselves, media outlets and society need to look at how we raise our young men. It is not only apparent in houses of poverty or houses without fathers but also in wealthy families with fathers. We all remember Duke's Lacrosse team, right? What happened to respect? It is things like this that make me wish I grew up in the 1920s or 1940s. I know it wasn't all peachy-keen during that time either but it was an era of respect - at least in my idealized picture of that time. All the cute old men who call women darling and sweetheart need to teach men of our generation how to treat a lady. And women need to learn how to be ladies.  Oh that was a rant - back to the slut walks...
There was controversy over the title but one of the founders Heather Jarvis makes it clear it was intentional - "We called ourselves something controversial, did we do it to get attention? Damn right we did...It’s easy to forget that change starts with anger, and that history has always been made by badasses.” So I don't know about you but when the SlutWalk comes to my city during April, which is sexual violence awareness month if you did not know, I will be there! Because in the words or Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "Well-behaved women seldom make history!"
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