Slut Walk Denver 2011 -- because rape is wrong no matter what you're wearing (PHOTOS)

•  a cops uniform says he is a cop. a suit at 9 am says buisness man. clothes make the man, etc

• by calling yourself a derogatory name? yea go ahead own that and pretend the real world is picking on you.

• i dont believe. a man with daughters could say that last part.

•  US lawyers dont return the verdict or release prisoners. typically the victims history, dress etc is proscribed if the prosecutor asks.

• angry slut

• i take harassed means hit on as you didnt say rape. so no male should speak to you until you deign to give him some (unknown to him) sign he may speak? why do you think a woman without make-up  cant be desirable. that cant be right for such an enlightened feminist.

• stan i dont think these are the kind of girls looking for an all-knowing daddy

• a stripper isnt a  slut? no correlation? none? cant see it huh? ya might want to invest some of that non-slut money in a dictionary

• the officer DID NOT 'say"  that at all. that is a stupid girl thing to say. you are lying. you are a lying liar who lies. if i put on a police uniform and a police hater sneaks up and  kills me it was because i was dressed as the po-po. is it right? no but dont try and pretend that isn't what it is.

• i think you mean to say that is the way you interpret the cop.  i couldnt believe how fast that was twisted. now tape a 100 dollars to your shirt and claim you were robbed for being smart

• from what i know women judge women way more harsh for how they dress.

• nobody said anything like that. you are delusional.marching in a parade?  you could do something that rally matters.  the women of arabi could use some guidance. to pretend this dialogue just started is dishonest. its been said for decades. we got it a long time ago but it allows you some self-aggrandizement. good for you

• shut the fuck up already skank

•   we are not all your daddy, settle down

• yea stan quit trolling for coco and hotwaters women.

• if you get raped and want to feel better beat your rapist with a bat.  be careful tho you got to know when to stop if you are scared of a murder rap.  all that talk about surviving will never make you feel this much better.

• i was at a slutwalk and even held a sign saying i love sluts. all the marchers acted offended. wassup wi dat?

• and you are starting to sound like angry woman. go ahead and kill daddy you will feel better

• the cops never said it made it ok. it was a warning.  when i go out i dont safety pin 100 dollar bills to my shirt duh. i have met women with their boobs exposed down to the nipple then are outraged if you look. whats up with that? 

• This is quite an event! There is a point to the movement. It simply cries out against women being raped and doing something like this attracts attention to the issue. Just my two cents...

• Are you fucking kidding me?  You are the world's biggest asshole.

• die

• stupid douche

• attention sluts!!

• most of them are unrapeable

• stupid bitches like this deserve rape if not a bullet for their complete sea of ignorance.

• when women stop using looks and attire for advantage then they can claim foul if raped...stop jiggling boobs to get out of speeding tickets, stop using sex to manipulate relationships and just earn your own way (you can't use it and then condemn it when it no longer suits you idiots)...I am no rapist but this shit is simply stupid...make yourself an appealing target by slut attire and get potentially raped (tragically and not condoned)...duh...modest dress, for all gender identifiers is safest when alcohol is involved, strangers are involved and the environment is closed...like frat houses, sorority houses and dark bars...duh...or have you lost all common sense you slut-tards... most of these would use sex and yet cry about the results ... most are too closed minded to head the warning

• spoken like a true idiot you slut beeotch...do you really believe you attire isn't a trigger...hey, I agree rape is wrong but as the father of two young girls I wouldn't want them to set themselves up as potential victims...and how many rape victims simply regret slut activity and blame the guy...go cry to your sorority sisters and wipe that cum off your chin

• probably

• disagreeing with you isn't supporting rape...you have the logic of faux news, which is to say none at all...attacking different views is what this walk is about yet you espouse a terrorist like attack on opposing opinion...yo suck balls, at gun point if needs be beeotch

• It amazes me that so many butt ugly people showed up to this...trust me, you couldn't get raped at a just paroled club of convicts trying viagra for the first time...you are in no danger

• Undoubtedly a interesting article. http://funnyandspicy.com/cheeky-baby-in-action-go-baby-go 

• No one will take you seriously for this event. Maybe more thought next time?

• omg... you defended it...

• you used the word 'where' when you should have used 'wear'... dumbass slut.

• Ex-stripper... making money off of her body? You have a weak stance...

• Sorta makes me want to take sides with the rapists...

• I know.  I was wondering where my dinner was.. and my clothes aren't ironed.

• Listen, these girls need to be raped and have a wake up call. Stupid girls not taking precautions and thinking the world will simply protect them. The terms the cop said were pretty clear, "if you do not dress slutty, less rapists will watch you." Then these girls somehow twisted it into something else.

• How did they get out of their Kitchens?

• Who cares what women think?

• What do you have against rape?

• Too many ugly lesbos, not enough hot sluts.

• So happy to see this phenomena spreading throughout the continent.  It's not just the depiction of the extremities of the issue,  but the underlying  subtext that drives it.  Equality for all:)

• Strong take, RD. Thanks for posting.

• "clothing choice in no way justifies or excuses sexual assault"...True enough, but it damn sure doesn't discourage much either.

• Spoken like a true slut.

• Another slut.

• Gotta be a lib.

• Just about as stupid as it gets.

• Thank you for your civilized response. I agree with you when it comes to the way some women are viewed and I am not trying to say that I agree with the officer who said that women who dress like "sluts" are "asking for it." Of course that is a stupid guy thing to say! All I am saying is that if you are going to fight for what you believe in, there is a right way to do it. There will always be people who are going to disagree with you, and I strongly feel that by labeling them and calling them rapists or sexists is very immature and definitely not the right thing to do. I understand that blogs like this are sometimes the only way people know how to say what they feel and "fight" for what they believe in, but arguing with people who are obviously not going to change their mind just because you called them a rapist is going to help. Do you know what I mean? I had a friend who was raped and murdered by an ex-boyfriend, and the only way her family and friends knew we could help stop these situations is by being proactive. Less talking, more acting. We started a foundation with her name, where we raise money to help raise awareness of domestic violence/rape.We have counseling sessions with teens and we teach them warning signs of violence, we also offer them help when they have been victimized. I could sit here and argue with these people for years, and never get anywhere.  Instead of spending so much time being angry, people should spend more time working to actually make things better for themselves and others :)

• thank you.

• Very interesting post. Thanks, hotwater4tea.

• Admitting you're a rapist? That's a new angle. 

• http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?14+Duke+J.+Gender+L.+&+Pol%27y+125#B139 While people perceive dress to have an impact on who is assaulted, studies of rapists suggest that victim attire is not a significant factor. Instead, rapists look for signs of passiveness and submissiveness, which, studies suggest, are [*pg 145] more likely to coincide with more body-concealing clothing.140 In a study to test whether males could determine whether women were high or low in passiveness and submissiveness, Richards and her colleagues found that men, using only nonverbal appearance cues, could accurately assess which women were passive and submissive versus those who were dominant and assertive.141 Clothing was one of the key cues: "Those females high in passivity and submissiveness (i.e., those at greatest risk for victimization) wore noticeably more body-concealing clothing (i.e., high necklines, long pants and sleeves, multiple layers)."142 This suggests that men equate body-concealing clothing with passive and submissive qualities, which are qualities that rapists look for in victims. Thus, those who wore provocative clothes would not be viewed as passive or submissive, and would be less likely to be victims of assault.

• http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

• and I can repeat this comment to the person who liked the above post as well. Please get the help you need and try to be a better person. Correct yourself.

• Hi - I hope you get the help you need for your psychological problems. Please see your physician and they can refer you to a psychologist or therapist who can help you get assistance with your mental failings. You are making innappropriate comments on a blog that is writing about a movement that started to help educate people about victim blaming. This rally was to help survivors of sexual assault, abuse and rape, and you are here making hateful judgments and speaking of committing crimes. I am not sure why you would want to make hurtful comments in a place like this, but you are clearly disturbed. You might be happier in life if you did something constructive and tried to help people instead. Either way this is unacceptable and rude.

• Hi LC, I'm glad you feel like a strong, confident woman. I'm sure there are many women out there who share your optimism for social systems, and I regret to say that I am not one of them. I do NOT, however, consider myself to be a victim. I simply recognize that there are huge disparities between the perception of male and female sexuality that I can not accept as valid or natural. The sexism is inherent even in our language. Studies of North American English have identified over 220 sexual slurs aimed at promiscuous women, versus about 20 aimed at promiscuous men. Also noteworthy is that while those words that target men (stud, Casanova, ladies' man, etc.) embody a sense of conquest and romance, words that describe sexually active women (hussy, whore, "easy" woman, the list goes on...) are of an entirely different tone. When a woman is called a "slut", the perpetrators are not only criticizing their perception of her sexual habits, but are effectively denying her any sort of credibility even outside of the sexual realm, and this is exactly the sentiment that events like the SlutWalk are trying to derail. This struggle is not now, nor has it ever been, the case with sexual slurs against men.  The study I referenced was done by Julia P. Stanley in 1977. While I do not anticipate a massive change of heart on your end, I hope that this post has at least been informative enough to help you understand and respect why this is an issue that many people take very seriously, even in the context of "a stupid blog".

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opLorI2nLfU

• and you bring up a really good question on how to find a way to reach a more conservative audience - I don't have answers to that yet, but I'm glad you are bringing it up and questioning how to reach people who are in a different audience. I will ponder that some more and see what comes of it. Glad to be talking about it with you! thank you so much for reading about this movement and wanting to engage in discussion. It helps a lot and i appreciate it...

• *seem

• i love this! it turns the focus back onto the perpetrators - where it belongs. http://lipstick-feminists.org/post/1166695409/100-foolproof-tips-to-prevent-rape-and-sexual-assault

• I have seen this posted online before - the keynote speaker read these at the rally - I loved seeing the focus shift to the criminal, instead of blaming the victim http://lipstick-feminists.org/post/1166695409/100-foolproof-tips-to-prevent-rape-and-sexual-assault

• One of the things i this is really great about this movement was the shift of focus of telling woment "don't get raped" to trying to figure out how to communicate to men "don't rape" In replying to a really sick comment on the slutwalk events page where a young man said he was "bringing the rape" to the slutwalk that day, i told him that he needed to get help for his desire to enact violent behaviour. He wrote me a personal message asking me where he could get help. I was pretty sure he was just baiting me, but since i didn't know for absolute sure i recommended that he contact his physician and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist or therapist and that they would be able to counsel him and recommend additional support. I did searches to try to find out if there were hotlines for men to call if they thought they were going to commit a sexual crime and i wasn't able to find any resources out there. One of the points brought up at SlutWalk was that boys and men will listen to other men more than they will will listen to women about this issue - i could feel a call to arms for the good, sane men out there to speak up and to be available to dialogue with other men about this and how much it could help. This is the first time i am hearing about educating men and boys on the differences between consensual sex and assault. "In addition to educating and empowering women for their own defense we need to counteract a mental and perceptual illness about what makes a man a "Man" as opposed to a rutting pig menace to civil society." i love this!

• Jennifer you bring up some really good points - and i'm glad to hear you were there - i was there too and it was such a powerful day. i loved hearing all the speakers and seeing all of the signs. I was moved to tears by people's personal stories and survival. There was so much strength there that day. I think there are a lot of different ways to approach this issue, the only thing i won't do is stay silent about it. Thank you for speaking up and showing up! It helps all of us...

• That is a good point Ambs - and what drives people to violate someone else's basic human rights in having a say in what happens to their bodies comes from dominance and power, not the natural human impulse to have sex. I was thinking this morning about what is the definition of a slut - is is someone who walks around in public wearing clothes so revealing that they are almost showing as much as just wearing their underwear, and someone who has had multiple sex partners before getting married? If that is the definition, then go to any of America's beaches on a summer day and hundreds of thousands of people now fit that definition. And if seeing bodies is really what drives people to sexual assault, then why aren't the beachs, pools and lakes of this country scenes out of a horror movie akin to jaws except with rapsists running rampant unable to control themselves with all the people in their bathing suits? these arguments don't hold up to common sense because they are based in disturbed thinking. I hope people get the psychological help then need. Thank you for posting you 2 cents it is much needed here!

• In no way, shape, or form, should we, as educated people, ever accept any type of causal relationship between the dress of a victim and the horrible action of rape. In a free society, women have the right to dress how they wish, and as with free speech, the rest of us are obligated to protect those rights. The idea that the way that someone is dressed could provoke an act as violent as rape is utterly ridiculous, and clearly is perpetuated by those who either have no experience around rape victims, have no desire to protect those victims, and who are too apathetic to be bothered to assist them. Shame on you all.

• Gah. I feel compelled to add my two cents -- for all the people who argue that men are visually driven with high sex drives, blah blah blah, and "can't help themselves," therefore all scantily clad women are "asking for it" ... ever eat out at a restaurant? Ever sit down when you were really, really hungry? Maybe you hadn't eaten all day. And maybe the table next to you was feasting on something, and your stomach was growling, your digestive juices flowing. Did you manage to refrain from snatching their food out from under them and noshing on it? It's called self-control. Everyone has biological urges; part of living in society is refraining from acting on those urges. Grow up; you're not a toddler, and presumably you've learned that taking other people's food, clothes, water, shelter -- and even raping women who are suggestively dressed -- is inappropriate behavior.

• Thanks for this information as it's enlightened me to the genesis of using "slut" as a means to rally for this greater cause. I respect that its organizers needed to shake the foundation a bit but hope they were able to deliver a pivotal message to a conservative audience (the ones who likely agree with the Toronto police officer) before those same folks averted their eyes and attention out of discomfort over diction. I say forge on but we have to find some cleverness and tact to lure entrenched minds from the La Brea tar pits of indoctrinated thinking. To break the cycle of belief that a man's value is represented by power, prowess and wealth and not strength, compassion and wisdom is the end goal. Men are at times rational but an innate drive and societal compulsion to exhibit their virility has to carry some blame for their acting with such inhumanity. When they can't gain intimacy and a means to express themselves sexually in a consenting relationship they apparently resort to non-consenting means to achieve their ends. In addition to educating and empowering women for their own defense we need to counteract a mental and perceptual illness about what makes a man a "Man" as opposed to a rutting pig menace to civil society.

• Did you attend the rally? I didn't find it to be self-objectification at all. For me it was very empowering and I was moved to tears by the key speaker because her speech was so powerful. I understand not everyone is going to agree with this angle of protest for this issue. But it was organized by intelligent and insightful women who care about this issue, and the people who attended were energized by the day. I stayed and talked to a lot of the participants afterwards because I wanted to find out first hand what kind of impact it had. The problems with rape in this country and the world are very important to me and I was glad to hear directly how positive the results were of this day.

• Did you actually attend the rally and hear the speakers?

• and here is a quote from one of the organizers "This event isn't about advocating for a particular style of clothing or promoting a certain number of sexual partners. It's about challenging the idea in our culture that there is an underclass of women who are undeserving of the protection of the law because a so-broad-as-to-be-meaningl​ess slur is used against them. Far too many times survivors of sexual assault are dismissed or are blamed for the crimes committed against them by being labelled as "sluts". We're calling foul on this and challenging people to stop blaming victims and put the blame on the only person responsible for sexual assault - the perpetrator."

• The police officer also did apologize for his comment. Here is a small article about it in Police Magazine http://www.policemag.com/Channel/Patrol/News/2011/02/17/Toronto-Officer-Apologizes-for-Telling-Women-Not-to-Dress-Like-Sluts.aspx

• Also I am wondering if you attended? There were some brilliant speakers and I was pleased with the execution myself.

• That is a great point Britt - my guess would be that they didn't attend. Hopefully some people will click on the links posted about how the movement started so they will understand it better. I loved this event. It was powerful, moving and empowering as well for me.

• whoops that was supposed to be in reply to someone down below - still getting the hang of this...

• And also it isn't about wanting to be "respected" because that is a term that can be interpreted many different ways in different cultures and different neighborhoods. It is about the media and lawyers using the public's skewed thinking in order to let rapists go free.

• Thank you!

• This is true that anyone can be called a "slut". It is a judgmental word that no one is actually able to define since it is so subjective. Originally i believe it had to do with someone being unkempt or perhaps unclean. SlutWalk is actually a movement that started in Toronto  - here is a post on that... http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

• Also if you want to start a movement of your own, and hold a rally with a different angle to this issue - please let us know the place, date and time and we will show up! We just want to help bring awareness to this issue - I am completely supportive of other ways to do that and I hope you organize something yourself so we can attend.

• Thank you!

• Hi LC - we take rape, sexual assault and victim blaming very very seriously. They are all very serious issues. This blog is just one other way to get the information about it out there. While the name is certainly controversial, the SlutWalk movement is not advocating a certain style of dress or a certain number of sexual partners. It was a word used by a Toronto police officer that sparked the rallies. While he was trying to offer advice to protect women, his comments actually give away an underlying judgment that is part of the syndrome of victim blaming. It doesn't keep people safe from assault, helps rapist go free, and does a double whammy on the victims because they are then blamed for the heinous crimes against them.

• and that is awesome! SlutWalk isn't about advocating a certain style of dress - there were people at the event dressed conservatively and covered up, men and women of all ages. it is just one way to get the dialogue going of the syndrome of victim blaming...

• Hi Ealing - it is very easy to sit behind a computer and complain about what other people are doing and how they do it. If you have any causes you are currently working on and would like to let us know about them - please do - we'd love to support you. Also if you had attended the event itself you would know that it wasn't about "funky costumes" there were very powerful speakers and survivors of assault told their stories. It was inspiring and moving. It is okay if you don't like it, or don't approve - but please do something of your own and let us know about it.

• Hi Stan - if you google SlutWalk you will see that it is a world wide movement that is sparking discussions about victim blaming in the case of sexual assault. It is helping raise awareness. Maybe you need to find some other causes if this one doesn't suit you. It is easy to sit at your computer and complain about what other people are doing. If you have some causes of your own please let us know so we can attend your events.

• hotwater4tea you type so fast! Thank you for your intelligent replies and information. 

• i appreciate the points you are making - there are many different ways to support awareness about victim blaming and sexual assault. This is just one of them and it has been very effective in major cities in the US and Europe and is still going strong. I think it is important to support the movements that are getting this dialogue going, and if you can do it a better way please do! we would love to support you too. please just let us know when and where and we would love to come to another rally that has a different approach for the same issues... http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

• That is an excellent point! I lived in NYC for 16 years and I noticed that when I was dressed in sweats and converse with no makeup on and my hair in a pony tail I was harassed more than if i was dressed up in a skirt with high heels. It was something my friends all noticed as well and we used to talk about it quite often.

• and yes it is good advice not to walk into dark alleys by yourself - that is something I would tell anyone.

• Actually David you are carrying the same misconception that a lot of people have - here is a study that was done that shows the opposite of what you are saying. Women who have been raped know this from personal experience... While people perceive dress to have an impact on who is assaulted, studies of rapists suggest that victim attire is not a significant factor. Instead, rapists look for signs of passiveness and submissiveness, which, studies suggest, are [*pg 145] more likely to coincide with more body-concealing clothing.140 In a study to test whether males could determine whether women were high or low in passiveness and submissiveness, Richards and her colleagues found that men, using only nonverbal appearance cues, could accurately assess which women were passive and submissive versus those who were dominant and assertive.141 Clothing was one of the key cues: "Those females high in passivity and submissiveness (i.e., those at greatest risk for victimization) wore noticeably more body-concealing clothing (i.e., high necklines, long pants and sleeves, multiple layers)."142 This suggests that men equate body-concealing clothing with passive and submissive qualities, which are qualities that rapists look for in victims. Thus, those who wore provocative clothes would not be viewed as passive or submissive, and would be less likely to be victims of assault. http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?14+Duke+J.+Gender+L.+&+Pol%27y+125#B139

• Hi William - your statement is actually pretty subjective. I can see how you might feel that way, along with others, but i saw it as a celebration of femininity, and it is just one angle in the battle against sexual assault. Having a subjective judgmental view of how a woman should dress and be in her femininity is fine in personal relationships, but when it is brought into a courtroom by lawyers, then rapists go free. and they attack "provocative" women, the elderly, children, conservative moms and "sluts" alike...

• Hi LC - we realize that not everyone agrees with the angle of SlutWalk or the name. and I respectfully understand if someone doesn't support the movement because of that. But it is a genuine rally organized by intelligent powerful people who care about rape and how to prevent it, and how to make sure perpetrators are prosecuted. If you want to start your own rally please let us know and we will support you too. there are many ways to talk about victim blaming and how to help shift the focus, this is just one of them

• Hi TrannieJesus - your mindset is exactly the kind of thinking that lawyers bank on to help rapists go free after they have committed violent crimes. Rape isn't about sexual attraction - it is about dominance and power. That is why small children and the elderly are also raped and sexually assaulted. It doesn't matter what a woman is wearing. that is the point of this rally.

• Hi LC - you might not realize it but this blog is about a rally to raise awareness for victim blaming in the cases of rape and sexual assault. Here is some more information about SlutWalk and how it started http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

• Hi Stan  - you see to be very interested in posting on this blog  - which is about this movement http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why. If you want to be productive with helping people with their spelling etc, maybe you could teach a class at a community center. Or maybe there are some grammar blogs out there where you could share your advice.

• Hi Carolsuehj - the issue at hand here is about victim blaming for sexual assault. Slutwalk is not advocating a certain style of dress or having a certain number of sexual partners. If you are interested in helping make people aware of the syndrome of victim blaming, then thank you for your support. If you would like to organize your own rally to help men and women who have survived sexual assault and call it a different name with a different angle, please let us know the time and date so we can support you too.

• hi Spencer - there is a much more important issue at stake here than someone's grammar, usage and spelling. Especially in the modern world of posting and replying from phones on the go etc. Here is some information about Slutwalk. http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

• we realize it is a controversial name - and that not everyone agrees with this method of raising awareness. the decision was made to to take this approach and not everyone has to be on board for it. it is just one approach to try to help people understand the syndrome of victim blaming and how it is help rapists go free.

• Hi Colorado Shu - before judging this movement, it might help to read about how the Slutwalk started. the term was used by a toronto police officer and it was then used to protest victim blaming http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/about/why

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