On Saturday, August 10, Washington, D.C. will hold its third annual SlutWalk. The now global protest was originally started in Canada after Toronto Police Officer Michael Sanguinetti was quoted saying, “…Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” This year, organizers and protesters will once again take to the streets to empower women everywhere and change the way our society views and treats women. The movement also heavily focuses on survivors of sexual assault by combatting rape culture, among many other demands.
“Within a march like this, you have so many different kinds of opinions from different people. Some are marching to reclaim the word and some are looking past it. I, myself, am not really trying to reclaim the word and redefine it. I’m more about the meaning,” says SlutWalk D.C. organizer Danielle Simms. “A ‘slut’ is a promiscuous woman and a promiscuous woman is someone who has multiple partners. It’s about showing that a woman can have multiple partners and not be considered this dirty thing, and should still be respected.”
Simms, along with last year’s organizer Samantha Wright, took on SlutWalk D.C. this year in an effort to advance multiple facets of the march and reach the heart of the D.C. community.
“I wanted to see more people of color, more immigrants, more soldiers, more queer people,” says Wright. “I want it to be a more diverse outreach and turn-out. Being a queer woman of color from D.C., that was really important to me.”
Another aspect Simms looked to change was the location. Instead of being held on the National Mall as it has been for the last two years, this year’s SlutWalk will begin at the African American Civil War Memorial/U Street Metro and end at Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park.
“I know it’s SlutWalk D.C. and we’re known for being our nation’s capital, but it wasn’t really an accessible location in terms of touching the community. It just wasn’t effective,” says Simms. “As we’re marching this year, we’ll be able to not just be seen by more people, but also have more people join in.”
This year’s SlutWalk is also happy to have HIPS, an organization that assists sex workers in D.C. in leading healthy lives. HIPS will be involved to give information and include that specific aspect of our community. However, the organizers’ main goal is to create a safe space and get people to listen.
“I really believe that change happens through open dialogue. Even if people don’t agree, I think there should be a space for it to be talked about,” says Simms. “I also want to create a safe space for all the survivors. SlutWalk isn’t just a march for an end result. It’s about creating a current space for this discussion.”
Along with many guest speakers during the rally, there will also be an after-party at Chief Ike’s in Adams Morgan. It will feature The Mighty Paradocs and the D.C. all-girl queer band, The Coolots. Bands start at 7 p.m. with dance tracks from DJ Alpha Betts directly after.
“I felt like it could be more enhanced if there was an after-party to celebrate the day. A lot of things go on in this city and they happen and they’re forgotten,” says Simms. “I think it’s important to keep the energy going. Plus, a lot of people are coming from out-of-town that want to make the most of their experience.”
Simms is not just looking to make waves this year but also to enhance the SlutWalk experience globally. The individual communities organize their own marches, so there is no central location for the organizers to get together. Simms hopes to create a space where the meaning and demands can be agreed upon and a mission statement can be created. She is also creating a Facebook volunteer page, so those interested can get involved for next year’s event.
The SlutWalk D.C. team is grateful for all of their sponsors and supporters. One notable volunteer the organizers continue to rave about is volunteer and donor, Broderick Isom. He understands it’s not just a women’s issue. These individuals and organizations come in different forms for one cause.
SlutWalk D.C. starts Saturday, August 10 at 11 a.m. by the African Civil War Memorial/U Street Metro and ends at 3 p.m.
