Slut Walk

Okay, rant time. It’s been a while.

I keep reading about the last Slut Walk (Marcha das Vadias) that happened in Brazil a few days ago, and the comment I see make me feel like doing a permanent double-facepalm. It starts with people complaining about the “confusing” name and goes on to include almost every piece of nonsense imaginable. SO in case someone who’s reading this didn’t know, here it goes.

First - SW has this name because they’re trying to claim the word ‘slut’. Turning it from a misogynous “bad” word into something empowering to women shouldn’t really be that confusing an action at this time and age, not after so many other groups have done similar things to other words. I see caucasian people complaining about afro-descendants using the n word, too. Let minority groups use whatever words they want, you really don’t have to be offended on their behalf or complain that you should also be able to use that word. If you’re the oppressor, nope, just, nope. It’s none of your business if you’re not part of the group, just take it as it is and move on.  

Second, I see people, mostly cis-gendered men, complaining that SW doesn’t do anything to help anyone, that beaten housewives keep on getting beaten, etc. Sure they do, unfortunately, but how is this SW’s fault, exactly? At least they are trying to do something to raise awareness instead of, you know, sitting around complaining about the use of ‘confusing’ words by ‘alienated’ women. It is terrible that abuse continues - no duh, Sherlock. Still, calling women who are trying to fight it as they see fit ‘alienated’ when you know NOTHING of what they go through and utterly lack perspective is demeaning and preposterous. Other than that, the question is: are there better ways to fight abuse? Probably, I agree with you on that (and only that). But participating in SW doesn’t keep you from doing these other things, too.

I also came upon talk about how it’s fashionable to protest, how everything turns into party-time!, and how instead of SW being a series of serious manifestations, it’s just random semi-naked women and men in lipstick screaming stuff. What they don’t seem to get is that:

a) There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself in whichever venue you chose;

b) Enjoying yourself while doing something important does NOT mean you can’t achieve results, especially when what you’re aiming for is basically to raise awareness of an issue and, well, shatter the status quo while doing it;

c) There is nothing wrong with semi-naked women or men and people in lipstick and this is exactly what SW is talking about!

The thing that irritates me the most, though, is when women post saying things such as ‘oh, they prance around nekkid to fight rape, what’s next? smoking to fight tobacco addiction?’ Well, guess what. Being naked is not an excuse to be raped or abused. Being naked is not to being abused what smoking is to tobacco addiction, and this should be pretty obvious in a non-victim-blaming, non-woman-thing-fying culture. This attempt to be funny would be quite offensive coming from a man, but from a woman it smells of self-loathing, ingrained concepts of what being a ‘proper lady’ means, and other patriarchy-infused mindless, thoughtless mottos and conventions established through time. You’re a victim and you’re fighting those who are fighting a battle you don’t even know is happening, for themselves and for you too. Wake-up.