Last year, activists in Toronto, Canada, organized a “SlutWalk” of protest after a police officer suggested to college women that they wouldn’t be victimized if they didn’t dress like sluts. The anti-victim-blaming focus touched a nerve worldwide and dozens of SlutWalks have taken place in major cities and on college campuses since then.
On Friday, SlutWalk Toronto will host their second walk. From their website:
“The prevalence of this attitude in our culture at large drew many to this cause to end blaming victims of sexual violence, and judging peoples’ worth by their bodies and what they do with them. In the last year, this fight has spread to over 200 cities around the world, where independent organizers have organized locally-driven SlutWalks and SlutWalk-inspired events. SlutWalk started, and is still going, because we and so many others around the world have had enough.
We demand our bodies and all bodies be respected. Our worth as human beings is not determined by our sexuality.
No matter what I wear
No matter what I look like
No matter what my gender expression is
No matter how much, how little or what kind of sex I have
No matter what I’ve done before
No matter where I come from
No matter how my body has been ‘devalued’ by others
No matter what I’ve been called
MY BODY IS NOT AN INSULT.
We invite you to join us on Friday May 25, 2012, as we take up space and fight for our right to live free of violence, victim-blaming and sex-shaming. We invite people of all gender expressions and orientations, all walks of life, levels of employment and education, all races, ages, abilities, and backgrounds, from all points of this city and elsewhere to come as you are, dressed as you feel comfortable.
UPDATE and MORE INFO
Due to availability of public space in Toronto, we are having a slight shift in time and date. Instead of the originally planned Saturday afternoon on May 26, come out and meet us on Friday May 25, early evening. We’ll be meeting at 5pm at Nathan Phillips Square. The rally will start walking at 5:30 sharp up University Ave. to Queen’s Park. Speakers will be at Queen’s Park between 6:30 and 7pm, finishing up before 8 p.m.Participants are welcome to meet at Queen’s Park and not Nathan Phillips Square if this is a more accessible option for anyone present. Volunteer marshals will be at Queen’s Park, south of the legislative building for this option.
We look forward to seeing you all there, and will have more details about speakers and route specifics to share as they become available.
If you’d like to volunteer and help out with SWTO 2012, we’d love to have you.”
Best of luck to them on SlutWalk year #2!
