Last month i attended an event in Chicago called the "slut walk." It's a protest against victim blaming in cases of rape. Women (and men) come dressed as scantily as they want and proclaim their right to live without fear.
As we tramped down Michigan avenue 500 strong, i just kept thinking about the time when i was 9 and afraid to put my hands in my pockets for fear of attracting attention. The time i was told i couldn't be friends with that little boy anymore because boy-girl friendships were inappropriate. I thought of how i have felt like an object and a problem my entire life. And It was liberating to shout along with the crowd.
Enjoy these Pictures taken by my friend Darlene Bunch. She is an extremely talented photographer and has always been an inspiration in my life. Check out her photography web page here. <3
What do you think? Would you be brave enough to walk with these Ladies? :)
This is AWESOME.:) That would have been empowering for sure. So glad you went out there to participate. :)The pictures are great.
ReplyDeleteEngima, I am so glad that Young Mom led me to you! I find your posts so very powerful and encouraging. Thank you for sharing them with us! <3
ReplyDeleteWOW this is so empowering!
ReplyDeleteI was basically raised the same way in that I was told I was going to become a whore if I wore "short" shorts or dresses (anything above knee length) & from about the age of 10 I wasn't allowed to be anywhere alone w/a member of the opposite sex. By "alone" I mean in plain sight of my parents (in a rowboat, sitting next to each other, or simply talking).
When I finally moved out @ 20, I went to a BIG city & dressed however I wanted, dated whomever & made some horrible decisions I might not have if I didn't have my self-esteem shattered & been told I was worthless.
This is good. I know I wouldn't have been in such a rush to get married if I wasn't taught that marriage was the only acceptable male/female relationship available.
ReplyDeleteI had one pair of culattes growing up. I clung to them and wore them at every available opportunity. When I started babysitting as a teen, I bought a pair of jeans on the sly and changed into them whenever I was out. Not because I wanted to show off; far from it. I just felt safer. I wanted the protection of something around my crotch besides flimsy underwear. When I remembered being molested at age 4, I suddenly understood. And only after that could I start wearing dresses again without feeling exposed. It took me years to be able to sing out in church as an adult, without being afraid that I was attracting some old man's attention.
I don't know that I will let my daughter wear bikinis and short shorts, but I will certainly teach her that she ALWAYS has the right to expect respect, even if a man walks in on her stark naked. And I will teach my boys that they always have to keep their hands off if the girl isn't willing, no matter what.
Given our modern society, I think I will also teach them that a girl who is pressuring them for sex is probably trouble. Not that she is bad, just that she is making unwise decisions they are better off avoiding.
This is totally awesome, I wish you had told me more about this before you went, I probably would have joined you :)
ReplyDeleteYou are such a strong person and am excited to hear more about your life.
That is so cool!
ReplyDeleteI recently found a post on the LAF website about the Slut Walk. Of course it made me really mad. :P Check it out if you want something to rant about. haha. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/feminism-related-issues/%E2%80%98slutwalk%E2%80%99-and-the-negation-of-female-sexuality/
Charity, I have seen countless girls (including myself) make very poor decisions out of ignorance and low self esteem. Why is it that when children "rebel" parents so often sacrifice the influence they could have on the child's life for their principals?
ReplyDeleteLove it! Wish I could've been there.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I actually did something similar recently. I went to a rally for Planned Parenthood, because my state has recently cut all funding to them, funding that went not to abortions but to birth control and health services for poor women. And so I went to their rally and held a sign in favor of health care for women and felt...empowered. Because I have been on the other side of that line way to many times.
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