Slut Walk, a march defending women’s right to dress how they please without being treated like objects of sexual desire or being degraded, took place in Toronto this week.
“I think I can dress in tights and a thng or maybe not wear any underwear when I’m wearing a skirt and that not be a consent for me to get raped,” one of the marchers explained.
Slut Walk was in response to a Toronto policeman advising female students of Osgoode Hall Law School in January that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised.
As many as 2000 people, both male and female, took part on the march.
Organiser Heather Jarvis said the group was reclaiming the word “slut”
“We’re using the word Slut to take it’s power away from harming us and damaging us and telling us that we’re less worth it,” she said.
Toronto Police Accountability Colition spokewoman Anna Willats was unimpressed with the cop’s comments and was disappointed the officer wasn’t confronted by his partner at the time.
“So we have to presume that does represent a significant attitue on the part of the Toronto police service,” she said.
Toronto police services’s Anna Drummond was adamant police were trainined in sensitivity as they did have to deal with victims of sexual attacks. She said the comments were at odds with the training.
The officer later said he was embarrassed by his remarks but that didn’t stop the Slut Walk form heading past the local police station to let the departnent know exactly how it’s participants felt.
“We love sluts,” a male chanted on the march.
Organisers say more Slut Walks will be held across the country in the coming months.
WATCH THE SLUT WALK VIDEO BELOW:
