“Hey Sluts! How are we doing tonight?”
Feminist Organization to Resist, Create and Empower, held their annual SlutWalk on Oct. 30, when they came together with other student organizations to speak out against slut-shaming and encourage a safe environment for students to learn more about resources offered for them.
The dress code for this year was Halloween costumes with “sexy and empowering” ones highly encouraged, according to FORCE’s Instagram.
As you approached the area, you would see a series of tables arranged to form a square so that people could gather in the center to talk and dance along to the DJ’s music.
Once checked in, you could go around the square and gain more information about the different resources out there for all demographics of students as well as some fun goodies, candy and activities.
FORCE is the first booth students came across after checking in.
“It’s to understand the more broader aspect of feminism […]. It’s not just being female, it’s for everybody. It’s the understanding of empowering each other and resisting what is oppressing all other groups. It’s like intersectionality in itself,” said Jade Price, FORCE’s communication lead.
SlutWalk started in 2011 in Toronto, Canada as a response to offensive comments made about women by a police officer. FORCE brought it to UA and created a feminist festival rather than a march to remain accessible to many different demographics.
“SlutWalk is to push against the typical Halloween aspect of like, ‘Oh, if you dress like a slut, you deserve to get assaulted,’ because it doesn’t. It’s not how we dress or how we look that defines how we’re treated. That shouldn’t define that and that shouldn’t affect us feeling safe and being able to express ourselves in different ways on any night, not just Halloween night,” Price said.
Farther along the square of tables was the LGBTQ+2S Resource Center. According to their website, their mission on campus is to create a safe and inclusive space for queer students.
“We’re here to support women of course, and then also to help people understand that they, especially queer people, understand that they have a place in the resource center and just let other people know that we have a space for them,” said Blaise Carrozzina, an LGBTQ+2S Resource Center intern.
Another booth there was Valid USA. They partnered with El Rio Reproductive Health Access Project in supplying free gender affirming wardrobes to youth up to age 24 in Arizona.
“Our mission, in general, is to make gender affirming care and wardrobe items more accessible, so things like the SlutWalks, which are about embracing bodily autonomy,” said representative Grayson Agrella.
There were many other resource booths including Campus Health, Campus Pantry, African American Student Affairs and more.
The energy at the festival was electric, according to various attendees, with booming music and the loud chatter of people as they met up with friends to walk around and look at resources provided.
“I think it’s amazing. This is something that, if I had when I was younger, it would have made things a lot easier for me if I had this kind of support. So I think it’s a wonderful thing to talk about and to just be a part of the community,” said Bella Walker, an attendee of the festival.
Nox Lucas, another attendee, said they have seen many differences coming to Arizona from Colorado.
“I come from a state where it’s completely legal for women, femme-presenting people, to be completely topless. So then coming to Arizona and seeing that that’s not a thing here, I think it’s really important to talk about bodily autonomy and how your body isn’t sexual or weird or something to be ashamed of or cover,” Lucas said.
The festival ran from 6-8 p.m. with music and a video presentation featuring content from thisishowilook on Instagram.
For more information on the SlutWalk or any other events and resources provided by FORCE, visit their Instagram.
