After taking a one-year hiatus from marching, the organizers of SlutWalk Toronto are taking back the streets of Toronto on July 12th with renewed vigor. The latest march is called “SWTO 2014: Who are you calling a slut?” The objective of the organizers is to challenge the stigma of being a target of sexual violence, because the person who should be shamed is always the perpetrator, not their victim.
They further state: “The two years since our last SlutWalk Toronto have been full of triumphs, but also stark reminders that there is still much work to be done in ending victim-blaming and holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable.”
Learn more about why they are marching this year on their event page.
Location:
Starting at Nathan Phillip’s Square at 3pm, marching up University Avenue to Queen’s Park. Speeches starting at 4pm at Queen’s Park, until 5pm.
Quote:
“We’ve started a lot of conversations surrounding sexual violence, victim-blaming and rape culture. It’s now up to us to use this platform for more nuanced conversations about who is affected by sexual violence, how we as a culture and society harm rape survivors, and what we can do to change that.“
- Natalee Brouse, SlutWalk Toronto Organizer
Quick facts:
- SlutWalk originated as a direct reaction to a Toronto Police Services officer’s rape myth-laden remark during a safety seminar that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”.
- Since 2011, SlutWalks have been independently organized in over 200 communities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
- More information about SlutWalk Toronto as well as statistics surrounding sexual violence available here.
Associated links:
Website: http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SlutWalkToronto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SlutWalkTO, hashtag: #SWTO2014