Feminists Organized to Resist, Create and Empower will be hosting the SlutWalk 2021, an event that copes the issue of slut shaming, victim blaming, street harassment and other forms of sexual violence.
On Friday, Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., SlutWalk 2021 will take place at the stage area of the University of Arizona Mall.
FORCE is the UA’s feminist internship program offered through the Women and Gender Resource Center, which is the responsible for organizing this year’s SlutWalk.
In 2011, Toronto police officer, Michael Sanguinetti said “You know, I think we’re beating around the bush here. I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”
Sanguinetti’s words gave way to the creation of SlutWalk rallies, marches and protests that took place at a national and international level.
Any people of all genders, races, individuals with disabilities or in LGBTQ+ communities have encountered violence and sexual harassment in public spaces, and the SlutWalk is a chance for everyone to come together and demand respect, an end to victim blaming and provide a safe inclusive space, according to FORCE.
In an effort to promote the themes of empowerment and liberation, FORCE has decided to alter this year’s event from previous years.
Rather than walking through the streets of Tucson, the SlutWalk will now be a stationary gathering focused on poetry and performances.
Daniela Estrella Garcia, FORCE co-director, said she believes that this alteration is an important decision to make in relation to FORCE’s pedagogy that as feminists, disability justice must be a part of their framework.
“You can’t have conversations about intersectional feminism without also including disability justice because that is inherently a feminist issue and topic,” Garcia said.
In 2019, many individuals complained that the pace of the walk was too fast, posing physical restraints on some participants, along with the issue of non-Americans with Disabilities Act-accommodated sidewalks for individuals with disabilities.
RELATED: SlutWalk returns to fight rape culture and uplift marginalized voices
In response, this stationary event will host four speakers from the community to perform and share poetry to create a welcoming and accessible space to everyone.
“We are being really intentional about having our entire event be intersectional and representing historically marginalized people and just be able to give an intentional space to discuss sexual liberation and taking a stance as a community against sexual violence or against rape culture and against victim blaming,” Garcia said.
Along with this, activities such as crafts, food, games and more will be included to establish a sense of community and comfort.
Emerson Lampert Mayorga, a co-director of FORCE, encouraged all to attend to release and acknowledge all of the emotions that follow experiences of sexual violence regardless of their identity backgrounds.
“Just feeling empowered by being in a community and feeling seen, heard, validated and advocated for and being able to be around others who also value those things and believe in those ideas,” Mayorga said.
The power of advocacy, sharing and channeling your emotions through art, creativity, crafts and building a community is a form of empowerment and liberation, according to Mayorga.
Aimee Einloth, a speech, language and hearing science major at the UA, has personally experienced forms of sexual harassment and said she appreciated that the SlutWalk brings awareness to this issue on many different levels.
“Allies and advocates are able to come together to bring awareness to an issue that is sadly not going away to build bonds to mend wounds as well as to educate individuals who may not have been personally impacted by sexual harassment themselves,” Einloth said.
Einloth said she hopes one of the bigger takeaways from SlutWalk is that community building is important for people to know that they are not alone.
Participants are also welcome to attend the event wearing what makes them feel most powerful in their bodies.
RELATED: Cushing Street Skatepark: Tucson’s upcoming first covered skate park
In previous years, wardrobe has ranged from sweatpants to nothing but lingerie.
Including a wardrobe of choice, FORCE is also inviting the public to bring signs which express their emotions or to participate in poster making prior to the event.
For more information on this event, please visit www.instagram.com/force_ua/.
Follow Abbie Kosoc on Twitter
