They marched around the campus in fishnets, tiny shorts and bras.
“Whatever we wear, wherever we go — yes means yes, no means no!”
It was the message a group of about 50 students hoped would resonate throughout the university and across the nation. They marched for women’s rights. They marched to do away with rape culture. And they marched to one day end victim blaming altogether.
It was all a part of the second annual SlutWalk, a one-day event. But for supporters of women’s rights, it’s been a year of contentious political debates both on Capitol Hill and on the campus.
In February, Congress renewed the Violence Against Women Act after it stalled in the House over conservative concerns about the bill’s inclusion of homosexual people, Native Americans and undocumented immigrants under its protections. Its passing was a small victory for feminists but nowhere near the end of the fight.
“I think the biggest thing is that there’s still so many things that happen every day in terms of rape culture. Every day, girls are victims of sexual assault,” said sophomore criminology and criminal justice and psychology major Jill Santos, vice president of UMD Feminists for Sexual Health. “I think just the fact that that still continues today, in the year 2013, is big in itself.”
On the campus, many students are still anxiously waiting for university officials to vote on a proposal that would mandate sexual assault awareness education for all incoming freshmen — a course that some see as essential at any university, where rape and sexual assault is not uncommon.
“The fact that so many people have gone through something traumatic — it’s one in five for college women, one in ten for college-aged men — and they never see justice,” Santos said. “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she dressed like a slut, she drank too much, it’s her fault.’ It takes the blame away from the person who should be suffering for it and puts it on the victim.”
Students and survivors of sexual assault stood on a chair outside Stamp Student Union and spoke about their experiences, frustrations and hopes for the future.
“Let’s stop blaming victims, let’s start blaming rapists!” said senior English and sociology major Rebecca Krevat, president of JFem, a campus feminist group catering to the Jewish community. “Enough sexual assault, enough blaming victims. We are over it; it is time to be done.”
Turnout was small compared to the first SlutWalk, with about 50 participants, compared to last year’s 300, but the energy was high and the mood was positive. The marchers provoked honks and cheers from bystanders as they walked past McKeldin Library, through the North Campus community and back to Stamp.
But the SlutWalk is meant to do more than just turn heads.
“If we got one person to actually think about the issue, then I’d say it’s a success,” said Richard Hall, a junior classical languages and literatures and theatre major.
Though there were many male participants at the walk, about one for every four women, Hall said there is still a lot of negative stigma toward male feminists, which makes it even more important for them to show their support.
Juan Pastor, a senior international business and marketing major, said the word “feminism” may have driven people, both women and men, away from the march.
There are still negative connotations around the word and misconceptions about the movement’s supporters that some people may not want to associate with, even if they support the cause, he said.
Part of the mission of the SlutWalk is to create a general culture of respect about women’s issues, giving voice to victims and making sure that they are taken seriously.
“Unwanted touching we’ve experienced a lot, especially going out to parties,” said Nikki Varney, a communication and history major. “I know I don’t feel safe unless I’m with a group of guys because I know that there’s a lot of guys who just don’t respect my consent or care at all.”
During the 2011-12 academic year, the university’s Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program saw more than 40 new cases of sexual assault or rape, according to a 2013 article in The Diamondback.
Worldwide, one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, according to One Billion Rising, an international campaign to raise awareness about violence against women.
“Basically, SlutWalk says that if you are a survivor of sexual assault, it’s not your fault, you’re not alone and we believe you,” Santos said. “We believe that the shame belongs to the rapist and not the other way around.”
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