Fashion Feminism
Today I participated in SlutWalk LA, something I have been passionate about since I first participated in it in 2013, just after the movement’s founding. It was founded in Toronto in 2011 after a woman was told by police officials that she should “avoid dressing like a slut” if she wanted to avoid being raped. If you know me in the least, then you know this is quite an easy cause for me to get behind, given my work with sexual assault on college campuses and my first-hand experience as a cisgender woman with rape culture, slut-shaming, and gender inequality. The movement even inspired me to create my own movement during my time as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley: REDEFINE MINE, a means of reclaiming our power as womxn, humxns, sexual beings, or activists, and creating a space where people can redefine themselves by taking a photo with a phrase, a quote, or a label, that makes them feel empowered. SlutWalk shaped me, shaped my college years, and shaped the way I view the world. However, what I observed of the new movement upon returning back to Los Angeles was noteworthy enough to prompt this post.
I don’t know much about celebrities or celebrity culture. In 2015 celebrity Amber Rose took over the walk. It is now called the Amber Rose SlutWalk Festival. Two problems here: I don’t think SlutWalk is or should be a festival, something I any many others connote with DJs, celebrities, fashion, photos, and of course, a price. Second of all, SlutWalk does not belong to Amber Rose, it belongs to all womxn: cis, trans, gay, straight, citizen, or immigrant. By taking this on Amber Rose is not just taking on a walk or a foundation, she is taking on the role of role model for many young people seeking validation, and even more so, education, and I’m not so sure Amber is equipped to provide them with the latter.
For starters, the actual walk now lasts approximately 10 minutes and ends at the “festival” entrance. The festival costs $20 to enter (cash only), and nowhere within 100 feet of registration could I find someone who could tell me where this large sum of money was going. This lack of transparency and accessibility to lower socioeconomic groups were two aspects of the walk which I found to be problematic right off the bat.
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Then, the walk itself.
While of course the overall message of SlutWalk 2017 was an important one, that no matter what women wear or how they act, they do not deserve to be raped or otherwise sexually assaulted, the event seemed to overlook many crucial aspects of modern-day feminism. The event only touched on the historical and political construction of feminism and the struggles and fights of our mothers and sisters who came before us, our understanding of which is integral to understanding why we are where we are today; the “festival” as it was labeled had become extremely commercialized since my attendance in 2012, and seemed as though the performers and speakers were attempting to hit certain “buzz words” to satiate the mainstream feminist crowd, rather than addressing more deep-seeded and intellectual issues of the problems faced by today’s womxn, sex workers, gay, and transgender individuals on a larger scale. It did not acknowledge the immense privilege we have, that allows us to fight issues such as slut-shaming and make claims such as “sex is as important as eating your dinner,” as per one of the speakers. I’m sure the people starving in Puerto Rico without potable water as a result of the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria would beg to differ. Another speaker, in her effort to promote sex-positivity went so far as to claim that sex-addiction was not real, and instead merely an effort to shame body-positive individuals. I would like her to tell this to the thousands of families who have been torn apart by sex-addictions, which much like alcoholism, or any other drug addiction, is a mental illness, not a habit. The rally was interspersed with performances featuring lyrics such as “this is what would I do for the dick” and anecdotes insinuating that men are expected to buy women dinner, but women are obviously not expected to return the favor with sex. If womxn want to be treated as equals by men, we need to acknowledge the inherent biases of even the cultural norms that work in our favor, i.e. the guy picking up the check, or commodifying our bodies to score free drinks or entrance to a club.
The event can be summarized in short by predominately young girls twerking and wearing bralettes or pasties taking pictures to reclaim their identity as “sluts.” This alone is not problematic, but the lack of a greater understanding of the politics of our bodies and the global and societal construction of the gender binary almost invalidates Amber Rose’s SlutWalk. There was little discussion about the state of our nation or what action we as a unified front can take against sexism, sexual assault, victim rights, and gender inequality, and what was said lacked profound thought and seemed more of an effort to get the crowd going. Lastly, while the event was demographically diverse, it was far from intersectional, and seemed more focused on the fashion and free-spirit of feminism rather than any action or progress to further a movement that is becoming increasingly popularized by pop culture, and therefore more of a stylistic choice than a reform effort.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast, had the best $6 lemonade of my life, took a picture to Instagram on the “Wall of No Shame,” got a grab bag of condoms and a paddle, freed the nipple, and twerked my tush off. And I loved it. But I wanted more, I wanted to make a considerable difference, and I wanted to feel like I left the rally with more than an unabashed claim to being a “slut.” As a dear friend of mine said, in reference to this “pop-feminism” as I call it, I “would rather sit down with a damn Bell Hooks book,” or an Audre Lorde, or a Gloria Steinem, who would probably cringe if they saw the feminism, which so many womxn have fought so hard for, and sacrificed so much for, turn into a fashion trend rather than a political lobby.
But I am not shaken. I am not fazed. I am still here. And I am ready to educate, and even more ready to learn, as there is OH SO MUCH I have yet to know. A poster from REDEFINE MINE is hung above my bed at home, and it states, “Revolution is not a one time event.” And I could not hold this mantra to be more true. Though I have founded a campaign, now in its fourth year, though I have walked, though I have come to terms with my sexuality, my identity as a womxn, as a feminist, as a leader, and a survivor, my work is far from done. I will continue to learn and think and grow and fight, so long as I and my sisters have something worth fighting for.
