I think that one of the protesters sums this up as eloquently as anyone could.
“I think that I can dress in a thong and some tights or maybe not wear any underwear when I’m wearing a skirt and that not be a consent for me to get raped.”
She’s absolutely right and that’s why over 2,000 people gathered in Toronto for the first “slut walk”. The event was spurred on by comments made by a Royal Mounted Police officer back in January. During a safety lecture, he stated:
“women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”
While not the smartest thing to ever come out of someone’s mouth, we’ve got to congratulate him for being the catalyst for the coolest protest movement we’ve seen in a long time.
Here’s an excerpt from the “Slut Manifesto” :Historically, the term ‘slut’ has carried a predominantly negative connotation. Aimed at those who are sexually promiscuous, be it for work or pleasure, it has primarily been women who have suffered under the burden of this label. And whether dished out as a serious indictment of one’s character or merely as a flippant insult, the intent behind the word is always to wound, so we’re taking it back. “Slut” is being re-appropriated.