"SlutWalk" to advocate justice for sexual assault victims
Organization of Women Leaders | Courtesy Photo
The Organization of Women Leaders is organizing “SlutWalk,” a march to protest rape culture and support sexual assault survivors, on Saturday, April 8.
The organization aims to “smash rape culture, end victim blaming and support survivors.” Students will gather at noon at the Bovee University Center to march, and will route through downtown Mount Pleasant until 2 p.m. When the group returns to Bovee at the end of the march, participants can sign a banner in solidarity with those affected by rape culture.
During SlutWalk, several people will speak to the crowd and provide information about sexual assault and aggression and share their personal experiences.
Brownstown junior Madison Rodriguez-Eberth, president of Organization of Women Leaders, said many questions have come up regarding the “SlutWalk” name of the event. She said some are concerned with offensive nature of the term “slut,” which is why the title is powerful.
The point of using the controversial word “slut” is to "reclaim" the word and dismantle the negativity surrounding it, Rodriguez-Eberth said.
The SlutWalk movement was inspired by an incident in 2011 where, Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto police officer told Osgood Hall Law School students "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized," Rodriguez-Eberth explained.
"He's insinuating that by dressing a certain way, people are more prone to sexual assault," she said.
T-shirts will be sold throughout the week leading up to the event, with "pop-up" stores in the Bovee University Center.
Clothing sale times will be posted on the "SlutWalk at CMU" Facebook Page. A wagon of shirts will also be pulled along during the walk for interested buyers at the event.
Those interested in speaking and sharing their stories at the event can contact the Organization of Women Leaders on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OrganizationOfWomenLeaders/ or the at the “SlutWalk at CMU” Facebook event page.
