Reprinted with permission from Autostraddle Amber Rose’s SlutWalk in Los Angeles Saturday brought together hundreds of survivors and allies in the fight to end rape culture, victim-blaming and slut-shaming. But this SlutWalk was unlike many that had come before it—and in all the best ways. The event, which took place in Pershing Square, matched up […]
Slutwalk
SlutWalk is a transnational rally, march, protest and movement aimed at highlighting the prevalence of victim-blaming, rape-culture, street harassment and sexual violence. It emerged in 2011 following a Toronto police officer’s remarks saying that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” to prevent being sexually assaulted.
Amber Rose Shares Her First Memory of Slut-Shaming, and it’s Brutal
Model, author, businesswoman, feminist. However you know her, Amber Rose seems to be everywhere right now. From her forthcoming book, How to Be a Bad Bitch, to her FunnyOrDie video taking down double standards about casual sex, to her SlutWalk on Saturday in Los Angeles, Rose is unabashed in her feminist activism. On Friday, she hosted an […]
How to Have a Feminist Halloween
A report from England … Walking around one of Manchester’s most prominent fancy dress shops recently I was horrified at the outfits it had to offer. It’s not that the stock was scarce or anything, its just that with all the lycra nurse outfits that look as though they would only just fit a child, […]
Scenes from SlutWalk LA 2012
Slutitude. What is it? That was the question posed to a crowd Sunday afternoon crammed in a tiny studio space behind, of all places, the Chick-fil-A on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Dressed in bras and underwear, fishnets and the occasional lace-up platform boot, we all had, according to comedian Luce Tomlin-Brenner, an air of slutitude. […]
Should We Ban “Slut” and “Ho” From the Lexicon?
I must commend Sandra Fluke, like so many others have already done, for rightly condemning “shock jock” Rush Limbaugh’s efforts in silencing women who dare to speak publicly about sexual politics by calling them “sluts.” The furor over Limbaugh’s slut-shaming tactics, however, seems to underlie a different anxiety that is more than just outrage over […]
It’s a Dress, Not a Yes
“It’s a dress, not a yes,” is a rallying cry at the SlutWalk marches, which demand an end to rape and victim blaming. The movement started in January 2011, when a Toronto constable warned students that to avoid getting raped they shouldn’t dress like sluts. Within months, anti-rape activists began taking to the streets in […]
Am I Troy Davis? A Slut?
1. On September 21, 2011, I joined hundreds of my friends and millions of people around the world to watch, through tears and in abject horror, as Troy Anthony Davis was executed by the State of Georgia. In the 20 years between Davis’ trial for the murder of police officer Mark McPhail and his execution, Davis maintained his innocence […]
Thoughts on SlutWalk from a Wheelchair
As a sexual violence prevention educator, I find hope in the grassroots activism and passion that radiates from SlutWalk. Anything that gets people talking, that breaks down the myths and reduces victim shaming, is a step in the right direction. This activism is so badly needed in a society that still justifies violent victimization according […]
#OccupyWallStreet, SlutWalk NYC and Racial Blind Spots: Editors’ Picks, 10/2-10/8
Progressive and feminist activists were in the national spotlight this week as they took to the streets of cities and towns across the country in protest of corporate greed and rape culture. The Occupy Wall Street movement continued to gain momentum, spreading from New York City’s Liberty Square to 18 other cities in the U.S. and […]
Woman is the “N” of the World?
In 1969, Yoko Ono coined the phrase, and I quote, “Woman is the N****R of the World.” Shortly thereafter, she and her husband, the late John Lennon, wrote and he recorded a song with that same title. According to Wikipedia (which is ALWAYS questionable), at that time (don’t know where they would stand today) Dick Gregory and Ron Dellums defended the […]