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June 18, 2011 in City
SlutWalk raises awareness of sexual assault
‘Blaming the victim’ has consequences
Taylor Malone uses a bullhorn to address the crowd before they marched from Riverfront Park across the Monroe Street Bridge to the courthouse during the first Spokane SlutWalk, Saturday, June 18, 2011. Malone organized and led the event.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
Little did a Toronto police officer know when he told some college women to stop dressing provocatively if they don’t want to be sexual assault victims that his comment would ignite a world-wide movement.
About 200 marchers rallied downtown Saturday in Spokane’s first SlutWalk. Their message: no matter what a person is wearing, no one deserves to be raped, assaulted or harassed.
SlutWalk began in Toronto after a police officer there, speaking at a college campus in January, said women wanting to avoid victimization should not dress like “sluts.” He later apologized for the remark, but the quote quickly sparked a movement across the globe.
Organizers of Spokane’s SlutWalk and other SlutWalks around the world say shifting the blame to the victim rather than the perpetrator is a common mentality.
“We won’t stand for that,” said organizer Kelli Crawford. “Blaming the victim is not what we, as a society, should be doing. We need to focus more on the actual perpetrator.”
Those marching Saturday were encouraged to wear whatever they find comfortable, whether it’s skirts, fishnet pantyhose and corsets, or sweatpants, sneakers and T-shirts.
Along the way, the marchers chanted “The way I dress does not mean yes,” and “I won’t be blamed, I’m not ashamed.” Information about self-defense classes and other resources were passed out.
While the officer’s remark was aimed at women, men also were invited to the rally; rape and victim-blaming affect both genders, said organizer Taylor Malone.
“Everyone can be a victim of rape,” she said. “Rape doesn’t happen to any particular gender, race, age or any other demographic. It happens to men, it happens to women, it happens to gays, straights, old and young.”
Mark Kloehn, education specialist for the Sexual Assault and Family Trauma Response Center, said blaming a victim has many consequences. The victims may feel ashamed, internalize their trauma, and be less likely to report sexual assault to authorities, keeping perpetrators from being caught and prosecuted.
“When we go to the hospital, the first, second, third, fourth thing we tell victims is it’s not their fault,” he said. “It’s a constant message we have to repeat to them. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s our mantra.”
Kloehn also emphasized that people should always seek help when they are assaulted.
“There are services out there in Spokane for victims of sexual assault,” he said.
Crawford agreed that the consequences of victim blaming are profound.
“I think there is definitely shame,” she said. “I know several people … who have been raped on college campuses and don’t want to report it. You just feel powerless. Even your allies turn against you, so a lot of people keep it to themselves.”
“It turns something beautiful – sex – into something horrific.”
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eagleproducer on June 18 at 8:28 p.m.
1111: Thanks for expressing the U.S. Taliban’s sentiments. It’s nice to know we are spending trillions abroad trying to defeat your medieval world view while misogynists like you are in our midst.
Who amongst us knows that 1111’s post was really Dazzee’s? “Her” typical self-hatred and denial is on full display.
I love how men are depicted in 1111’s post. We aren’t capable of explaining to our daughters how Women are victims of sexual exploitation and that no matter what, they aren’t responsible for the violent acts that happen to them.
paulti on June 18 at 8:49 p.m.
Seruously 1111…..I mean seriously…….
misjustice on June 18 at 8:51 p.m.
1111 is correct tho. Dress like a slut you get treated like one. Not saying you should be raped, but you send a lot of conflicting messages when dressed in nothing!
jessiepn on June 18 at 8:56 p.m.
Thank you, eagleproducer. I’m glad someone responded to the inane statements of 1111. And why is it always women who get singled out in terms of dress or called sluts? How many times have you seen guys in the park or on the street bare-chested? Do they deserve to be treated like sex objects, either by women or by other men, because they aren’t wearing shirts?
And while I agree that folks in general should be aware of the messages their appearance and dress are conveying, I seriously doubt that anyone, female or male, secretly “enjoys” being sexually harassed.
RWF1984 on June 18 at 9:13 p.m.
I would have to say I am not surprised with any of the comments thus far. But I do believe that people dress they way they do causes certain actions. I believe no one should be raped at all. But I could also say that females usually think of males as dogs, correct? So they should know what kind of mind some do have. Dress like a slut, well some would get aroused by it and some of them seem to take action from it. Out of those who take action may be people who are not afraid to force themselves on another human. 1111 is correct on people do know this and it is sitting in the back of their minds on the way people dress. I don’t think I can come across a single person that can say that they never had a problem with anyone on the way they dress. It could be from a child to an adult, we all have our opinions. I do believe the officer was out of line because he is suppose to be a role model or anything like that saying or even using the word slut especially at a campus speaking to college women. What kind of response did he think he would get and that is why I don’t mind them marching for this cause, but in reality we all judge people on what they wear!
catfuzz on June 18 at 9:13 p.m.
This is stupid. I’m starting a movement to bring awareness to people walking around with 100 dollar bills hanging out of their pockets. Just because someone has 100 dollar bills hanging out of their pockets doesn’t mean they deserve to be robbed. And they shouldn’t be. Just because I have 100 dollar bills hanging out of my pockets doesn’t mean I’m asking to be robbed.
normsy on June 18 at 10:10 p.m.
Somebody else has kindly done my work for me to refute the thinking of people like 1111.
http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/hvfnf/things_that_cause_rape/c1ypfjv
eagleproducer on June 18 at 10:31 p.m.
gramma: You must support the burka too. Disgusting.
Most of the negative comments on here are probably attributable to the Easterner staff. I thought college newspapers were progressive.
AK_3_7_77 on June 18 at 11:17 p.m.
While I don’t think that a person’s dress dictates their sexual persona, I do think that when people dress a certain way they bring attention to themselves, whether good or bad. Dressing provocatively may not be a catalyst for sexual assaults, but I don’t think that presenting one’s self in that light necessarily demands respect.
The women that parade around in these “Slut Walks” do so under the guise of Womens’ Lib but what are they really liberating us from? If a man were to come to the office in his underwear it would be deemed entirely unacceptable. A woman shows up revealing just as much and if it’s deemed inappropriate then you’re a sexist.
This has nothing to do with oppression, berkas and the like, it’s about self respect. No strong, liberated woman needs to show off her goods in order to feel powerful. Power comes from a far different place, it’s within one’s own character and is exuded through intelligent words and actions. It’s a daily affirmation through intelligent words actions and ideas. The notion that being a free woman by letting your ta tas hang out escapes me. Women need to wake up and see that they hold a far greater worth than just their physical attributes.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on June 19 at 9:31 a.m.
normsy - that is chilling.
eagleproducer on June 19 at 9:55 a.m.
AK: You don’t get to decide any of what you wrote for OTHER people. If you want to dress conservatively because you think that makes you morally superior (think deeply about how stupid that sounds) then fine, go ahead. It doesn’t mean that those who don’t share your attitudes about clothing are immoral, loose, promiscuous or asking for violence to be visited upon them.
Sexual power is just as valid as other forms. Both genders should understand that and most of the women I know with your attitude simply don’t have the bodies to look good in the clothing you describe so you hate on the ones who do and try to mask the hating with an appeal to some mythical purity women should possess.
Gimme a break…
G6 on June 19 at 10:25 a.m.
To all the uneducated people in support of 1111, I suggest you click on normsy’s link. The most common outfit a victim of rape wears is jeans and a t-shirt. Most rapists don’t remember what their victims were wearing, and plan their rapes in advance. RWF1984, I dont think you quite understand that rape is about power, control, and the degradation of another human being. It very very very rarely has to do with uncontrollable libido.
AK_3_7_77 on June 19 at 11:48 a.m.
Eagle - you know nothing about me except what I’ve posted here. Don’t assume that I’m some loud mouthed prude looking down my nose at women who wear clothing you assume I couldn’t fit into. No where in my post did I say women that dress that way are loose or immoral nor did I say in doing so they deserve harm inflicted on them. My point was don’t mistake dressing “slutty” as a substitute for power or as a means of winning respect in general. Maybe you should re-read my original post and “think deeply” before you attack someone simply for not sharing your point of view.
RWF1984 on June 20 at 12:11 a.m.
Catfuzz: Really? I know people don’t deserve to get robbed or anything negative towards them. Have you ever thought to your theory of the person walking with 100 dollar bills hanging out of their pocket? No your not physically asking, but you are putting yourself in a situation to where you would be most likely robbed other than the person with 1 dollar bills hanging out of their pockets! Have you ever considered the fact that it is basically called advertising? I personally have gotten my vehicle broken into twice. I know now that having a stereo system is good use from a distance from your home. Cars are the same thing! Would you steal a ford pinto or would you rather steal a Honda Civic?
G6: Thanks for just creating a profile just to leave a comment. Rape can be unpredictable, but it is not like the criminal just rapes anybody! Seriously, something had to attract the criminal to the victim. I don’t believe in the facts or myths or percentages that normsy posted with their comment. The reason why is that most crimes go unreported so those numbers are based off the ones that do get reported and there is a lot more crimes unreported compared to reported crimes and if you were educated just a little bit in the criminal justice field you would know that! Why don’t you keep listening to Far East Movement and keep your opinion to yourself if your not bringing the facts!
G6 on June 22 at 6:09 p.m.
“Something had to attract the criminal to the victim”. What attracts a criminal to their victims are their submissive personalities. They generally choose victims with seemingly low self esteems because then they are more likey to get away with it. You, however, probably won’t believe that, since it’s been thoroughly researched…
The criminal justice system is part of the problem. On May 26th, NYPD officer Moren got charged ‘not guilty’ of raping a woman, even though the court had video footage, a taped admission of guilt, witnesses, a false alabi, a testimony of the victim, and evidence of marks seen by a doctor, because the woman had been drinking.
By the way, you used the wrong ‘your’.