slut walk vancouver.

{Image via Slut Walk Vancouver.}

On Sunday I will be attending Slut Walk Vancouver. If you're uncomfortable with the name, you should be. (I am too -- see below -- and I feel pretty strongly about this!) Slut Walk Vancouver is inspired by and in solidarity with Slut Walk Toronto. SWT was start in response to a Toronto policeman's advice to women to avoid dressing like sluts if they don't want to be sexually assaulted. I'm not sure why this particular disparaging comment has galvanized everyone but it doesn't matter. Slut Walk is here to prove that it doesn't matter what you wear, how you act or what environment you're in: NO ONE asks to be sexually assaulted or raped. The idea behind this is to start punishing the people that assault, not their victims.

If you'd like to join me (ladies and gentlemen, Nick is going too ... seriously how did I get so lucky?) please let me know. Everyone is meeting at the art gallery at 1PM on Sunday and according to Facebook, it's almost 4000-strong and still a few days away. There are also slut walks in Edmonton and Halifax and many other cities across the world.

P.S. Just in case you were wondering: slut [sluht] -noun 1. a dirty, slovenly woman. 2. an immoral or dissolute woman; prostitute. (From dictionary.com.)

Slut is not a word I like and try never to use. The fact that there are so many more derogatory words in the English language for women than for men is something that really troubles me. These words objectify and hurt women. (Don't get me wrong, I don't think pasteurizing the English language is a good idea, I just think it needs to be part of the conversation.)

Next post will be back to your regularly scheduled, less-preachy programming. Promise.

{Update: Want to know how it went? Click here.}