How We Dress Does Not Mean Yes

An article in Rookie Magazine documents the author’s experience at the New York City Slutwalk:

All of a sudden, I felt a rush of gratitude to the SlutWalk founders and organizers for creating such a moment for me. It was like the antithesis of my high school hallway and one of the few times in my life that I recognized how traumatizing it had been to walk the halls feeling policed, judged, and disrespected—to walk the halls feeling like my social and physical safety were dependent on other people’s impressions of how “good” and unassuming I was being.

It felt exhilarating to be part of something so big, and to know that I was becoming part of an international movement to support victims of violence and assault, of which slut-shaming is a part… It helped grant me the explicit permission to exist simultaneously as a sexual being and as a full member of society, worthy of safety and love.