By I am not as vocal in person about my feelings towards women, especially those that count themselves as championing for feminism. That being said, there are times in conversation where I just cannot help speaking my mind. One of my co-workers, a 56 year old woman stated that her 23 year old daughter was joining the “Slut-walk.”
For those that don’t know what this walk is…according to Wikipedia; “SlutWalk is a transnational movement of protest marches which began on April 3, 2011, in Toronto, Ontario, with subsequent rallies occurring globally. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman’s appearance, and call for an end to rape culture.” “The rallies began after Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto Police officer, suggested that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” as a precaution against sexual assault.” My take on this is that the officer was wrong to make that statement.
Even if a woman was to walk naked down the street it should not be an invitation to sexual assault. Nor should a man walk down the street with $100 bills taped all over his body. The reason? He might get robbed. If men (or women) chose to start wearing money on their body in plain view of potential thieves, the police might issue a warning that “people should avoid dressing in money” as a precaution against robbery. The point is like I said, that how a woman dresses should not increase her chances of sexual assault but it might. Men who assault woman and thieves are among us in society and neither of them wear placards stating their true intentions. If police warned people not to wear their money in public and everyone decided to gather once a year to wear their money in a march against police statements…what would happen? Would anyone be so stupid?
Back to my co-workers daughter. I asked why she was in the march and I was told it was because her daughter (and herself) felt that any woman should dress however they pleased. I agree She went on to state that if a woman dressed “like a slut” it should not gather unwanted attention from men. I disagree. I do not think that dressing like a slut should be an invitation to sexual assault, including unwanted verbal attacks BUT if a woman is going to dress provocatively and walk down the street I AM going to look at her, probably stare and WILL be happy that she dressed like a slut. My coworker went on to call me a typical man and that she felt that I should “keep my eyes to myself” and under no circumstances should whomever I was ogling know that I was…as that was as bad as assault…to which I replied “then she should not dress that way if she does not want unnecessary attention.”
The conversation went on with her staring that women (including her) dress for themselves not to attract the attention of others (men). Don’t even get me started on that one! So there we were back to square one…I just wonder if either of them will stare the next time I walk down the street dressed in my $100 bills?
theromanticmisogynist.com 