FORCE hosts annual SlutWalk – The Daily Wildcat

“Hey whores! How are we doing tonight?”

The feminist organization for Resistance, Creation and Empowerment held their annual SlutWalk on October 30, where they came together with other student organizations to take a stand against slut shaming and create a safe environment for students to learn more about the resources offered to them.

According to Instagram FORCE, the dress code this year was Halloween costumes, with “sexy and empowering” being highly encouraged.

As you approach the place, you will see a row of tables arranged in a square shape so that people can gather in the center to talk and dance to the DJ’s music.

After checking in, you can stroll around the plaza and get more information about the different resources for all student groups, as well as some fun goodies, candy, and activities.

FORCE was the first booth students saw after registering.

“This is necessary to understand the broader aspect of feminism (…). It’s not just being a woman, it’s for everyone. It is the understanding of empowering each other and resisting what oppresses all other groups. That in itself is like intersectionality,” said Jade Price, head of communications at FORCE.

SlutWalk started in 2011 in Toronto, Canada, as a response to offensive comments towards women by a police officer. FORCE brought this to UA and created a feminist festival rather than a march to remain accessible to a wide range of demographics.

“SlutWalk is meant to counteract the typical Halloween aspect of, ‘Oh, if you dress like a slut, you deserve to be attacked,’ because that’s not the case. It is not how we dress or how we look that determines how we are treated. That shouldn’t define it and shouldn’t dictate that we feel safe to express ourselves differently on any night, not just Halloween night,” Price said.

Further along the area of ​​tables was the LGBTQ+2C Resource Center. According to their website, their mission on campus is to create a safe and inclusive space for gay students.

“Obviously, we’re here to support women and also to help people understand that they, especially gay men, understand that they have a place in the resource center and just let other people know that we have a place for them.” said Blaise Carrozzina, an intern at the LGBTQ+2C Resource Center.

Another stand was Valid USA. They partnered with the El Rio Reproductive Health Access Project to provide free gender-affirming wardrobes to youth under the age of 24 in Arizona.

“Our overall mission is to make gender-affirming grooming and wardrobe products more accessible, with items like SlutWalks that focus on promoting bodily autonomy,” said spokesman Grayson Agrella.

There were many other information booths including Campus Health, Campus Pantry, For African American Students and others.

According to various participants, the energy at the festival was amazing, with loud music and loud chatter from people meeting friends to walk around and look at the resources provided.

“I think it’s amazing. If I had this when I was younger, it would have been a lot easier for me if I had had that kind of support. So I think it’s a wonderful thing to talk about and just be part of the community,” said Bella Walker, a festival attendee.

Knox Lucas, another participant, said they saw a lot of difference coming to Arizona from Colorado.

“I come from a state where it’s completely legal for women representing women to be completely topless. So, coming to Arizona and seeing that it’s not something that’s talked about here, I think it’s really important to talk about bodily autonomy and how your body isn’t sexy or weird or something to be ashamed of or hide.” Lucas said.

The festival took place from 6 to 8 pm with music and video presentation with content from thisishowilook on Instagram.

For more information about SlutWalk or any of the other events and resources provided by FORCE, visit their Instagram.