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Slutwalk Manchester 2011

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10th June 2011

The march will be accessible to wheelchair users and the pace will be set by the slowest marcher. However it may not be an accessible event for everybody, it will be a busy and noisy evening march through places where we may encounter people who are hostile to us. Please contact us if you would like any more access information.

On 24th January 2011, a Toronto policeman told a group of law students that in order to avoid being raped 'women should avoid dressing like sluts'.

This sparked protest and outrage around the world because this statement represents an attitude in our society. That if we behave or dress in certain ways, we deserve to be raped.

Rape is NEVER the fault of the survivor.

SlutWalk Manchester says that nobody deserves rape. If we wear revealing clothes. If we are drunk. If we walk home alone late at night. If we flirt with you. If we are married to you. If we are sex workers. If we defy gender norms. WE DO NOT INVITE SEXUAL ASSULT.

SlutWalk Manchester does not just fight against rape, it fights against all forms of sexual assault and harassment, right down to the last time you were shouted at or 'complimented' by a stranger in the street. It fights against sexism and promotes feminism.

We are tired of being oppressed by slut-shaming; of being judged by our sexuality and feeling unsafe as a result. Being in charge of our sexual lives should not mean that we are opening ourselves to an expectation of violence, regardless if we participate in sex for pleasure or work, or if we choose not to have sex at all.

SlutWalk Manchester aims to reclaim the word slut, but it is important for us to remember that not everyone who fights sexual assault is comfortable being called a slut. It is a loaded term which is used to control people. For some who have experience of sexual assault it may be a difficult and triggering term. Call yourself a slut if you want to, and shout it from the rooftops! But don't call anyone else a slut unless you know they are also comfortable reclaiming the word.

Even if you're asexual, even if you've never had sex, don't find sex important, do not find the word "slut" empowering, this march is for you - because we don't just want to reclaim what slut means, we want to erradicate the notion of being able to criminalise, victimise, or confine some one through this social construct of a "slut!"

We will be meeting at 7pm on Friday the 10th of June outside Manchester Town Hall. The march will be followed by an after event, at the end point, with bands, a bar and a speakers corner.

There will be a gender neutral space available for people to change at the end point of the march as well as toilets for more privacy. Just in case people want to come dressed in clothes they might not feel safe travelling home in.

This is NOT a women only march, we invite all genders to unite to fight against sexual assault because sexual assault affects us all.

There will be no tolerance of transphobia in SlutWalk Manchester. Any transphobic comments will be deleted from this event page but will be kept and made available on request. SlutWalk is inclusive and respectful of ALL genders.

The march will be accessible to wheelchair users and the pace will be set by the slowest marcher. However it may not be an accessible event for everybody, it will be a busy and noisy evening march through places where we may encounter people who are hostile to us. Please contact us if you would like any more access information.

Come as you are. Wear what you want. Bring banners and megaphones. March. Fight back. All sluts and allies welcome.

Just a little note to say, the people on the admin list at the top are not personally organising the slutwalk - they are on it to help answer questions/comments. Slutwalk is the personal responsibility of noone and belongs to everyone :)

Location

Manchester Town HallManchester
United Kingdom
Date: 
06/10/2011
User reference: 
slutwalkarchive
Language of project: 
English
Topic: 
SlutWalk