Hundreds gather to challenge rape culture
Despite a rainy and grey day on Saturday, Oct. 4, at least 300 people showed up to march with the second SlutWalk downtown Guelph. The protest challenged rape culture present in society to fight the reality of victims being blamed for their own sexual assault, as well as to bring attention to the pervasiveness of slut-shaming.
After opening remarks at Market Square, the walk proceeded to march the downtown core, returning to the Square for presentations from several key speakers in the movement against rape culture. Many drivers and passersby expressed their support with encouraging shouts and car horns, and many joined in on the walk, grabbing a sign from a participant and adding their voices to the chants and shouts.
Participants were treated to empowering speeches from representatives from the White Ribbon Campaign and V-Day Guelph, as well as several writers and poets, who spoke of their own experiences with sexual assault, sexuality, and rape culture. Each speaker spoke passionately about challenging corporations and the state in attempts to demonstrate how each aspect of society forces rape culture and victim-blaming on survivors of assault.
SlutWalk began in Toronto in 2011 when a representative of the Toronto Police stated that women could avoid being raped or sexually assaulted if they “didn’t dress like sluts.” The statement caused immediate outrage, and SlutWalk has since grown into a worldwide movement, with nearly 100 countries and every continent participating. Guelph joined the movement in April of 2013 thanks to efforts by Kara Carder and Elsa Bagg, who organized the first event. After the first walk’s success, preparations began immediately for the second event to take place.
97 sexual assaults were reported in Guelph in the past year. Given that only 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to the police out of fear of shame or victim-blaming, it is mortifying to think of how many sexual assaults may actually be occurring in a community considered so safe. SlutWalk Guelph aims to support these survivors and to provide an outlet in which victims can feel safe and empowered. Many find it hard to talk of their past and what happened to them during their attack, and SlutWalk Guelph hopes to provide resources, awareness, and hope to those survivors.
“After finding it hard to speak to anyone about my own assault, I found solace in the fact that so many people turned out to support this movement,” noted one participant, who chose to remain anonymous, about the importance of the SlutWalk movement. “I used to believe I was at fault for my own rape; that I drank too much or hung out with the wrong people. All the young people here have helped to me realize that I am a victim, and nothing I wear or say is to blame for the fact that I was raped. The only person at fault for my attack is my attacker, not myself.”
Statements like these are what keep participants marching and supporting the movement. With an increasing awareness of rape culture in society, the third SlutWalk in Guelph could be the largest yet.