Senior English major

When people hear that I am annually a proud SlutWalk participant, I typically get some strange looks and pointed questions. They ask how I can handle calling myself a “slut”; they wonder what message I’m sending by walking around in skimpy clothes when feminism’s core message is that people have to respect women.

But that’s what the entire point hinges on: respect. And that’s what people just can’t seem to understand.

SlutWalk started in 2011 in Canada, and the movement was established to “take back the word ‘slut.’” The marches signify the belief that all women should be respected, no matter what they are wearing. It reinforces the fact that a woman’s body is not made up of separate objects existing solely for a man’s pleasure. The high-heeled march across this university’s campus — as well as many other cities and towns across the world — exemplifies the fact that women are whole human beings whose bodies demand respect, regardless of the extent or simplicity of their coverings.

Now, a good friend of mine — who is also a feminist, incidentally — asked how I could stand to be called a slut, especially when the aspect of respect comes into play and we want to be treated as “women,” not any other insulting term.

I had to think about that, and I realized I still don’t like it when others call me a slut. It’s still derogatory and hurtful to have someone call you a pejorative name. But when I call myself a proud slut, denoting that I should be able to wear what I want without fear of being sexually assaulted, it’s empowering.

And that’s not hypocritical — others consider “sluts” as wanton women, promiscuous, looking for sex. The meaning of the word is different for those at the bar sneering at you, calling you a slut, and those walking across the campus in support of women’s rights.

For those of us who participate in SlutWalk, calling ourselves “sluts” encapsulates the point that women cannot be degraded simply for deciding to wear something that shows more of our bodies. Women’s bodies are beautiful and natural; it’s only social pressure that decides women must be covered up. Nobody looks twice at a topless man, but a topless woman is considered simply unacceptable.

And we uphold that standard because it is a part of our culture. We don’t walk around topless because it is simply not allowed.

However, wearing clothing that shows off different assets and reveals different parts of our bodies does not mean we are asking for sex. To assume a woman dressed like a so-called “slut” always wants sex is to assume men have sexual desires that can’t be controlled. And this argument supports rape apologists’ claims that a man can’t help but remedy the situation when he’s aroused by having sex with a woman. The way women dress does not justify the follow-through on men’s sexual desire. If a particularly fit, alluring man is shirtless, no woman has the right to force herself on him. It works the other way too; men and women’s anatomical differences don’t change the ability to control yourself.

I have had to explain to tons of people the reasoning behind my participation in SlutWalk — and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. But I’m always glad when people take the time to learn why I am a part of something I believe in, rather than simply dismissing me as “just a crazy feminist” or, worse yet, someone who doesn’t respect herself.

I’m trying my best to be a part of the movement that brings about equality for women and demolishes the fear of being sexually assaulted that women are forced to have in today’s world. The first step is to get everyone to recognize that respecting a woman is respecting all parts of her — how she dresses, how she talks, how she thinks and everything else. You just can’t pick and choose. When that changes, we will be one step closer to shutting down rape culture.

Maria Romas is a senior English major. She can be reached at mromasdbk@gmail.com.