After a Toronto police officer’s advice to women for staying safe on campus was to dress less like “sluts in order not be victimized,” the first SlutWalk was born, according to thinkprogress.org. That was four years ago.
As you might guess, the officer’s remarks sparked outrage in women across the globe. The first SlutWalk was conducted to take back the degrading term “slut” and the idea women are responsible for the sexual violence enacted upon them.
This past October, a new spokesperson and activist for the cause, Amber Rose, has brought a attention to the term “slut” and these SlutWalks. She has experienced slut-shaming for being a stripper as well as for her sexual history with Kanye West and her son’s father, Wiz Khalifa.
With Rose’s large social media platform and celebrity status, she was the host of one of the largest SlutWalks. Hundreds of walkers —men and women — joined Rose in Los Angeles’ Pershing Square.
Walkers were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted, and they did, wearing everything from lingerie to being topless. Rose discussed her first experience of being slut-shamed at 14. She also noted West’s comment saying he “needed ‘30 showers’ after being with her” and Khalifa’s saying she was nothing but a stripper, according to CNN.
Rose’s goal in the SlutWalk was not only to reduce the derogatory degree of the term “slut” but to be inclusive of all groups of people who are marginalized and shamed.
On her SlutWalk Los Angeles website’s homepage it reads, “...we recognize that shaming, oppression, assault and violence have disproportionately impacted marginalized groups, including women of color, transgender people and sex workers, and thus we are actively working to center these groups in this event.”
I find these SlutWalks to be amazing because not only are they asking for victims of sexual assault to not be slut-shamed but they’re inclusive in asking sex workers, transgender people and women of color not be as well.
Rose hasn’t stopped her feminist activism at the SlutWalk either. At this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, she and Blac Chyna wore clothing with derogatory terms written all over them, such as “gold digger,” “whore” and “stripper.”
Rose also participated in a Funny or Die video, “Walk of No Shame.” The video shows Rose walking out of a house in what looks to be the clothes she was wearing the night prior. One of my favorite parts is when a mailman walks up to Rose after she tells him she did, indeed, have sex last night and says, “Sounds like you’re living your best life.”
As I am someone who hates the word “slut,” I support Rose’s activism to end slut-shaming not only for victims of sexual assault and rape but women who are sex workers and women who are sexual beings.
By the way, all women are sexual beings. Just as all men are. Just because we are women doesn’t change our sexuality, nor does the clothing we wear determine our consent.
I never understood the reason behind being called a slut. Who gets to determine who is a slut based on their sexuality, gender or field of work? More importantly, why aren’t men ever called sluts?
As for me, I’m going to follow Rose’s direction. Rather than shaming women with the word “slut,” instead I’m going to use it to empower myself and other women.
prhurst@indiana.edu
@IDSPeyton
