Protesters march at the SlutWalk in Seattle on June SlutWalks began in April when a Toronto police officer suggested women "avoid dressing like sluts" to not be victimized. Alexander Chamas hide caption toggle caption Alexander Chamas This spring and summer, scantily-clad women, and some men, are taking to the streets in what are called "SlutWalks. Hundreds of women in skimpy outfits β plunging necklines and the shortest of shorts β disregarded the overcast degree weather and marched down the streets of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood last weekend.
Protester Monica Thomas explained why she came out for the walk. No one wants to be raped. And no one deserves to be treated like that," she said. SlutWalks began in April when a Toronto police officer suggested women should "avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized. So far, thousands of protesters have participated in demonstrations in Ottawa, Dallas, Boston, London and several other cities.
From afar, the protest could be mistaken for a Mardi Gras celebration, but behind the garter belts and bustiers are stories like Jessi Murray's. Never been kissed," she said. Murray is one of the organizers of the Seattle SlutWalk.
She says on her 18th birthday, she visited MIT as an accepted student. I wasn't used to the idea of guys being into me. And it happened that I was assaulted that night. And I ended up blaming myself and I thought, 'I must be a slut,' " she said. Murray says this march was for women like her, who were shamed into feeling responsible for their own abuse. She says it's about reclaiming the word "slut. But maybe, you know, 'I'm a slut. For some people, it's a really uncomfortable term, and it's one we need to take the negative power away from," she said.
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But there are some people who are a bit uneasy with some elements of the protest movement. Catherine Sharpe is one of many women at the rally who were uncomfortable with "I'm a Slut" protest signs and the general chest-beating on display. It seems like an excuse to just dress slutty and I don't know how I feel about that," she said. She was dressed in a hoodie, jeans and sneakers. There was a topless year-old in pasties nearby. And it's never an excuse for sexual assault or harassment.
