Slutwalk 2019 Recap
Unspoken Voices Speaks Out Against Violence
by Desmond Homann, Unspoken Voices Contributor
On October 5, 2019 Unspoken Voices attended the ninth annual Twin Cities SlutWalk. Unspoken Voices has attended SlutWalk in the past, and always appreciates collaboration with others who stand up to sexual violence. Though it was raining the whole weekend, the weather did not stop Unspoken Voices or any other attendees from participating in the march. Though this may have resulted in a smaller group, the energy and passion were still present.
Last year, Unspoken Voices was able to begin the “Fragmentary” mosaic project at SlutWalk. Those who attended were able to write things that hurt them on a ceramic plate and smash it, later putting the pieces into the larger mosaic. Several people who participated in this mosaic project last year also attended SlutWalk this year, and it was good to catch up with these advocates, survivors, and allies.
Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing that every response to SlutWalk will be positive. There is no point in denying that some who pass by will stare or make negative comments. That being said, the positive responses and support from the community always outweigh the negativity, with the supportive comments growing each year. There was an incredibly powerful moment during this year’s march when a car pulled over to ask the organizer for SlutWalk what the march was for. Upon hearing the explanation, the two older women in the car tearfully thanked them for doing this work against sexual violence. The sad truth is that in previous generations, survivors and allies did not have this support or this outlet to speak out against violence. We do not know what these women may have experienced in their lives nor is it our place to make assumptions about the pasts of others, but through this interaction as well as some others it is clear that any amount of work against power based violence truly is making a difference for someone.
As always, Unspoken Voices is thankful for the help and initiative of the organizers, the attendees, and especially Unspoken Voices’ volunteers. Each year we are seeing a slightly smaller yet significantly stronger group at SlutWalk. This is not a bad thing at all, it is simply a sign that people have already gotten what they needed out of SlutWalk and that things have already changed in the community and beyond the community. We can hope that someday a day will come when we no longer need to march against sexual violence because so many changes will have been made. Kimberia Sherva Plante, the executive director and organizer for Slutwalk Twin Cities, has announced that October 3, 2020 will be the tenth and final SlutWalk. So much has been done and so many people have stood up in the face of violence. When this final SlutWalk does take place, you will find many from Unspoken Voices attending and marching. This event is so important and so dear to us, and any moment that provides the chance to fight sexual violence is a moment that we wouldn’t want to miss. We can all take action together to create change in a world where rape culture causes so much violence.
More information about SlutWalk Twin Cities can be found online at https://facebook.com/SlutWalk-Twin-Cities-1010952475616079/