A new protest movement sparked by policeman Michael Sanguinetti's advice to women students to "avoid dressing like sluts" to stay safe on the streets has taken off in the US and Canada.
Thousands of people are taking part in marches, or 'SlutWalks', whose aim, organisers say, is to highlight a culture in which the victim rather than rapist or abuser is blamed.
Some 3,000 people took part in the first "SlutWalk" in Toronto last month. The SlutWalk Toronto website said the aim of the movement is to "re-appropriate" the world slut.
A march took place in Boston on Saturday, whilst other cities in the States and in Argentina, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden have hosted the protests.
A march is planned for London next month, and 'SlutWalks' a growing movement online.
Sam Adams 76 posts on Free Republic.comSo now we have yet another class of victim - women who dress like sluts and are apparently upset because some guys are not acting like gentlemen around them and are not treating them with the proper decorum and respect. This "movement" also insults the victims of rape. Most rape victims are not "sluts" and would never walk the streets of Boston in fishnet stockings and bras.
From patman023.wordpress.comWhat matters is that every woman, from a street sex worker to a Member of Parliament, has the right to safe public space and the right to withdraw consent at any point without fear of violence, no matter how she dressed, no matter her history, no matter her reputation. Every woman has the right to say no. Even "sluts". And I think that Edmonton SlutWalk will be a positive contribution toward this conversation.
But Gail Dines and Wendy J Murphy write that SlutWalk is not sexual liberation. Women need to take to the streets to condemn violence, but not for the right to be called 'slut'.
Does the Toronto police officer have a point, or should women have the right to wear whatever they want? And are 'SlutWalks' the right way to go about sending out the message that victims of sexual asault should never be blamed for what happens to them? What do you think?
Lesbians get raped to they are not dressing for men to look at them Tracey Australia
Comment sent via SMS
18:56
117784779
If you dress like a slut, that means you are yarning to be a slut or you are a slut & I percieve sluts as mentally cheap who use their bodies as a weapon of att
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:54
117545924
@成人论坛_WHYS dr gail does not get it, some of this is instinct in men that in some hasn't evolved out of them
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:54
117784766
@成人论坛_WHYS reclaiming sexist slurs? what's next? reclaiming rape and domestic violence? should we start enjoying it too?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:52
114860312
Dr Gail Dines on @成人论坛_WHYS: "there is increasingly a porn culture that allows men to be misogynistic" #slutwalk #whys
Comment sent via SMS
18:45
117784683
I鈥檓 a man, and a slut. It means I am not ashamed of enjoying sex a lot. Sex should be enjoyed responsibly and consensually. Rape is really about violence.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:43
117784443
@成人论坛_whys Yes there is absolutely pressure to dress a certain way in order to succeed. "Ugly" women don't get promotions by male bosses
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:41
116088614
The entire point of SlutWalk is that pop culture exists and is misogynistic. @bbc_whys
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:41
117784619
@成人论坛_WHYS we've forgotten that men are "visual" creatures. when a man sees women dressing promiscuosly it instantly turns on his sex drive
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:41
117784371
@成人论坛_WHYS Fighting against negative connotations of certain dress or # of sexual partners is THE point.The point:reclaim the word. #slutwalk
Comment sent via SMS
18:38
111598717
Using the word makes you realize how ridiculous the word is. I think it鈥檚 a good idea to use it for now.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:34
113631290
<p>
Lincoln in Fort Myers Beach</p>
<p>
Of course it's awful and monstrous for a man to rape a woman but you cannot discount that we live in a twisted world where you are a bigger target when you dress that way. </p>
Comment sent via SMS
18:33
108486501
Slut is also very popular in gay culture, there is no excuse whatever for rape in any form, none whatsoever. Its time for women to reclaim the word. Simon Florence. Call me
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
18:28
113631290
<p>
Beena in Accra - "the word 'slut' is undermining the purpose of the walk". Do you agree?</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:28
117784541
@LaraEmilyFoley @成人论坛_WHYS It's always Heather Jarvis vs. Gail Dines. On the 成人论坛, CBC, TVO, etc. It's an echo chamber.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:22
116081777
Have been so incensed by @成人论坛_WHYS debate on #slutwalk I've called in to contribute. May be on between 7/8pm.
Comment sent via SMS
18:20
112768572
The policeman is absolutely right.in ja.u can c the ladies private parts n they act in a seductive way.ladies were made as sexual objects!call me.fabian,ja.
On air: SlutWalks
| Tuesday, 5 May 2011 | 17:18 - 20:00 GMT
A new protest movement sparked by policeman Michael Sanguinetti's advice to women students to "avoid dressing like sluts" to stay safe on the streets has taken off in the US and Canada.
Thousands of people are taking part in marches, or 'SlutWalks', whose aim, organisers say, is to highlight a culture in which the victim rather than rapist or abuser is blamed.
Some 3,000 people took part in the first "SlutWalk" in Toronto last month. The SlutWalk Toronto website said the aim of the movement is to "re-appropriate" the world slut.
A march took place in Boston on Saturday, whilst other cities in the States and in Argentina, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden have hosted the protests.
A march is planned for London next month, and 'SlutWalks' a growing movement online.
Sam Adams 76 posts on Free Republic.comSo now we have yet another class of victim - women who dress like sluts and are apparently upset because some guys are not acting like gentlemen around them and are not treating them with the proper decorum and respect. This "movement" also insults the victims of rape. Most rape victims are not "sluts" and would never walk the streets of Boston in fishnet stockings and bras.
From patman023.wordpress.comWhat matters is that every woman, from a street sex worker to a Member of Parliament, has the right to safe public space and the right to withdraw consent at any point without fear of violence, no matter how she dressed, no matter her history, no matter her reputation. Every woman has the right to say no. Even "sluts". And I think that Edmonton SlutWalk will be a positive contribution toward this conversation.
But Gail Dines and Wendy J Murphy write that SlutWalk is not sexual liberation. Women need to take to the streets to condemn violence, but not for the right to be called 'slut'.
Does the Toronto police officer have a point, or should women have the right to wear whatever they want? And are 'SlutWalks' the right way to go about sending out the message that victims of sexual asault should never be blamed for what happens to them? What do you think?
Your comments
Comment sent via SMS
Lesbians get raped to they are not dressing for men to look at them Tracey Australia
Comment sent via SMS
If you dress like a slut, that means you are yarning to be a slut or you are a slut & I percieve sluts as mentally cheap who use their bodies as a weapon of att
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS dr gail does not get it, some of this is instinct in men that in some hasn't evolved out of them
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS reclaiming sexist slurs? what's next? reclaiming rape and domestic violence? should we start enjoying it too?
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
Dr Gail Dines on @成人论坛_WHYS: "there is increasingly a porn culture that allows men to be misogynistic" #slutwalk #whys
Comment sent via SMS
I鈥檓 a man, and a slut. It means I am not ashamed of enjoying sex a lot. Sex should be enjoyed responsibly and consensually. Rape is really about violence.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_whys Yes there is absolutely pressure to dress a certain way in order to succeed. "Ugly" women don't get promotions by male bosses
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
The entire point of SlutWalk is that pop culture exists and is misogynistic. @bbc_whys
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS we've forgotten that men are "visual" creatures. when a man sees women dressing promiscuosly it instantly turns on his sex drive
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@成人论坛_WHYS Fighting against negative connotations of certain dress or # of sexual partners is THE point.The point:reclaim the word. #slutwalk
Comment sent via SMS
Using the word makes you realize how ridiculous the word is. I think it鈥檚 a good idea to use it for now.
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Lincoln in Fort Myers Beach</p> <p> Of course it's awful and monstrous for a man to rape a woman but you cannot discount that we live in a twisted world where you are a bigger target when you dress that way. </p>
Comment sent via SMS
Slut is also very popular in gay culture, there is no excuse whatever for rape in any form, none whatsoever. Its time for women to reclaim the word. Simon Florence. Call me
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
<p> Beena in Accra - "the word 'slut' is undermining the purpose of the walk". Do you agree?</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@LaraEmilyFoley @成人论坛_WHYS It's always Heather Jarvis vs. Gail Dines. On the 成人论坛, CBC, TVO, etc. It's an echo chamber.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
Have been so incensed by @成人论坛_WHYS debate on #slutwalk I've called in to contribute. May be on between 7/8pm.
Comment sent via SMS
The policeman is absolutely right.in ja.u can c the ladies private parts n they act in a seductive way.ladies were made as sexual objects!call me.fabian,ja.