In my response, I want to dispel some myths and ask for cooperation among those in Baltimore's feminist community. For us, this isn’t about one day, one march, or an admittedly controversial name. It’s about two common desires: to change the way sexual assault victims are viewed, and to make Baltimore even better.
To organize SWB, I collaborated with Alana Smith of the International Socialist Organization (Baltimore chapter), and Brennan Lester – an enthusiastic, albeit young, activist. Following our successful SlutWalk event in Baltimore on September 17, Ms. Brennan posted on SWB’s Facebook page, confronting Lester about an arguably sexist joke he made online at age 16. Alana and I believe his prompt apology was sincere and his commitment to advancing the cause of women’s rights is genuine, obvious to anyone who has met him. However, one small comment was apparently enough for Brennan to label Lester as a chauvinist and that SWB was not an authentic feminist event (referring to it as “astroturf”). Conversely, we believe people can change, otherwise what’s all this consciousness-raising for?
Following her post, Ms. Brennan emailed SWB organizers with one question for her upcoming article: Which organizations endorsed SWB? While we were hesitant to respond in light of her recent confrontational comments, we cooperated by providing a list of organizations that we contacted during event planning. We told her truthfully that most either declined participation (because of the controversial name) or just never responded. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) was on our list, and although their official stance toward SlutWalk is “neutral,” they did allow us to insert flyers in “swag-bags” at the National Sexual Assault Conference, held in Baltimore the day before SWB. For an issue of semantics (I referred to organizations that “helped out” as "endorsing" SWB). I do apologize for any unintentional misrepresentation of the NSVRC and hope this does not deter them from working with young activists in the future.
Brennan also accused SWB of mocking our sisters in Baltimore’s sex workers community, which is deeply offensive and factually untrue. We set out to prove that no matter how someone dresses, or where they work, no one deserves to be assaulted. If Brennan had attended our walk, she would have seen many sex workers come out of local strip clubs and smiling, waving, and chanting with us in solidarity.
Brennan did get one thing right: we believe “SlutWalk counts as the first event in years to energize the women’s rights movement.” Participants can attest to the contagious energy at SWB. Like it or not, it was bigger than most Take Back the Night events, and for good reason: it is defiant and celebratory, and there are no feminist theory prerequisites to get involved. We do recognize that this movement would never have been possible without the groundwork laid by our many fore-feminists, but any movement that inspires people to work together to end sexual assault should be taken seriously and is worth improving.
This brings us to the well-deserved critiques that the movement is not inclusive of women of color. As organizers, we knew our message was authentic: Blame the rapist, not the victim. But regardless of the positive intentions behind SlutWalk, whether in Baltimore, New Delhi, or Lima, if diversity is lacking, the power of the movement will be limited. It is our vision that anti-racism will become a natural component of feminism, and we know that it will take listening, learning, and a lot of work to get there. After SWB, we now have a much greater understanding that creating an inclusive environment is a life-long practice - but also that we can‘t do it alone. We're not asking to set aside our disagreements, but to discuss them while uniting to work together in solidarity -- think of the power! We hope that new feminists who were excited to be part of SlutWalk will not be turned away from making connections with experienced local activists, including women of color, just because we don't always get things right. Surely Ms. Brennan will agree that attacks and defenses are not a productive way forward. Let's treat each other with the respect, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity that we demand from others. Let’s remember that we are on the same side.
