Campus Holds Second Annual “Slut Walk”

Student groups unite to raise awareness about sexual assaultBella RiosThe Santa ClaraMay 4, 2017Last Friday afternoon, 16 students—accompanied by an energetic cocker spaniel— loudly chanted “MY LITTLE DRESS DOES NOT MEAN YES” as they marched throughout campus. Part of the second annual campus Slut Walk, the march aimed to increase awareness about sexual assault, particularly the blaming of survivors based on their attire. The April 29 event also included tabling by on-campus organizations and student performances in front of the Harrington Learning Commons.The event was organized by Feminists for Justice (FFJ), He for She and the Violence Prevention Program (VPP). Sophomore Sarah Locklin, an FFJ leader, said she hoped to raise awareness about the universality of sexual assault through the walk. “Fighting for more transparency on behalf of survivors of sexual assault and raising the voices of the survivors of sexual assault is a cause that we can all get behind,” Locklin said. “It’s so universal because the statistics say how many people in your life are going to be affected. It could be you, and it could be a loved one.”Locklin said that using the word is an effort to reclaim a label often used to belittle people, especially women, for their sexuality.“The word ‘slut’ has constantly been used to stifle people and to repress people,” Locklin said.According to Locklin, using the word also encourages people to reflect on their motives for employing it and creates more dialogue about sexual assault. “If we did make anyone gasp at the idea of using the word,” Locklin said. “That was absolutely our intention.”According to BBC News, Slut Walk is a global movement that criticizes the blaming of sexual assault survivors rather than perpetrators and the suppression of female sexuality.The first Slut Walk took place in Toronto in 2011, after a police officer told a group of law students that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized.” Popular Slut Walk locations include Los Angeles, Melbourne, Mexico City, Chicago, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college. Additionally, an estimated 90 percent of sexual assaults go unreported. As of June 2016, the university is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its handling of sexual assault cases. The full compliance review, which has yet to yield a definitive result, was opened after an individual filed a complaint about the handling of their case.Senior Adrian Chavez, a leader in Queers & Allies (Q&A), formerly known as GASPED, said that tabling for Slut Walk is important for the Rainbow Resource Center (RRC) because sexual assault is a concern in the LGBTQ community, but often receives little attention.“People don’t report it and often when it is reported, it’s often not taken seriously especially with gay men reporting that they’ve been raped,” Chavez said. “It’s something that affects our community but is not as widely talked about.” Sophomore Libby Kelly participated in the march in solidarity with her friends who are survivors of sexual assault, saying that the trauma they endure does not end after the attack.“They suffer twice. First, when experience the assault and twice when they feel ashamed of it,” Kelly said. “I want to raise awareness so we can bring an end to both.”First-year Christine Morino, a member of the recently-approved registered student organization People United for Reproductive Rights (PURR), tabled for the organization during the event. PURR, she said, supports the freedom to express your sexuality without stigmatization.“You are your own person and you have the right to your own body,” Morino said. “Nobody can label you based on what you’re wearing and what you’re doing with your own life.”Although she hoped for greater attendance during the march, Locklin said this year’s event was an improvement from last year’s, as it took place in a larger area on campus and was not confined to just the space between Kenna Hall and Benson Memorial Center.She said the longer route gave the walk more legitimacy. “We were able to expand this year from the Bronco statue, down to Vari, up to the Mission and back through Kenna,” Locklin said. “(Slut Walk is) being recognized as a more legitimate event that’s happening and not just a bunch of kids who got riled up.”Holding the march during class time, similar to what the Undocumented Students and Allies Association (USAA) did for their walkout last November, was intentionally inconvenient to raise awareness about sexual assault to a large audience, according to Locklin. She added that events that address sexual assault are crucial in supporting survivors and ending a culture that perpetuates sexual assault.“Bringing to light something that’s uncomfortable is the first step in opening this door to transparency and hopefully, improving the culture for survivors,” she said.Contact Bella Rios at irios@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.