Providence Slutwalk attempts to reclaim a derogatory word

There have been several Slutwalks across the country, though the first took place in Toronto. The provocative name for the event comes as a reaction to a Toronto police officer telling a group of students that if women didn’t dress like sluts, then they would be less likely to be sexually assaulted. The events have been organized on a grassroots level, and Providence’s was no different. A crowd of around 175 people gathered downtown in Kennedy Plaza to hear poets and activists speak about a range of things from women getting cat-called on the streets to an unfortunate culture of victim blaming around rape and assault.

Sarah Quenon, one of the organizers of the Providence Slutwalk described the event as “a group of people coming together to stand up against something that they see as an injustice.” When asked about the name of the event, she went on to say that the shock value certainly draws people’s attention, although it might mislead others. In some ways, trying to reclaim the word slut so that it is empowering to those it has been used to hurt is similar to the reclamation of the word ‘queer.’ Derogatory terms, are, of course, easy to come by and reclaiming one will only see the use of another pejorative as long as bigotry persists. The somewhat contentious name aside, the Slutwalks have largely been seen as a resurgence of a women’s rights movement.

Following the march through downtown, there was an open meeting for brainstorming future ideas for events and projects that the group could work on, culminating in the formation of the Rhode Island Anti-Sexism League. The diverse group of people in the room were energetic and excited about fighting for the cause.

When speaking to Quenon and Josh Kilby, a LGBT activist who had spoken at the rally, it was clear that this was not just a women’s issue, but a serious problem that affects a broad swath of people. Quenon made the point that a gay man or a transgender person might be taken less seriously by the police when trying to report an assault, particularly transgender people of color. Kilby made the connection that in the wake of the recent gay teen suicides, anti-LGBT pundits had made comments like, “If gay students weren’t flaunting their sexuality, then maybe they wouldn’t be bullied,” which shows the same kind of victim blaming that initiated the first Slutwalk. Kilby went on to say that “this is the logic of rape culture which permeates and creates natural links between events like Slutwalk and the LGBT movement.” Indeed, the LGBT community of Rhode Island was represented by individuals who participated because they saw the links as well.

For more information on the Rhode Island Anti-Sexism League, check out: speakoutsayno.tumblr.com or follow them on Twitter @RIAntiSexism.