The first SlutWalk drew in thousands of sluts and non-sluts alike, ending the march on the steps of the Toronto Police headquarters. The second annual Toronto SlutWalk, on Friday (May 25), passed without an invite to the police.
Organizer Colleen Westendorf says SlutWalk wanted to engage police last year to send a clear message of solidarity and support for sexual assault victims.
“We extended invitations to the Chief of Police [to march],” she says, but that invite was met with silence. “We don’t feel entitled to any specific organizations support, but for the police not to show said something,” says Westendorf of the 2011 SlutWalk.
The origin of the march, of course, is a comment by a Toronto Police constable, who told an audience of York University students not to dress like “sluts” to avoid sexual violence. Toronto Police issued an apology for the constable’s statements.
So there was no space in this year’s SlutWalk for police. Instead this year was focused on the issues around slut-shaming. The movement has gone way beyond Toronto, turning into a worldwide phenomenon.
After turning down the invite last year, it’s unlikely Police Cheif Bill Blair will be making any surprise visits at this year’s march, according to Constable Wendy Drummond.
“They wanted Bill Blair in the crowd [last year], but that isn’t the place for dialogue,” says Drummond, a Media Relations Officer with the Toronto Police.
Drummond admits that the slut remarks were a serious blow to the police, but says that the force has taken serious measures to ease tension with the public.
“Last year’s protests seemed like it was against the police. We’ve offered organizers to come in and have a discussion, but they didn’t want that,” says Drummond.
“We all have had to work extremely hard to gain public trust two-fold. It was very damning for us.”
But Sarah Kristensen, making the trek from Peterborough to Queen’s Park for SlutWalk, thinks it wasn’t just dialogue but a chance for police to learn from their mistakes.
“SlutWalk screams to the world that someone’s body is not anyone’s property but their own, revealing clothing is not an open invitation for sex,” says Kristensen.
“Police in the march would show that they understand that what their co-worker said. I learned so much from last year’s speakers and I’m sure anyone would, police officers too.”
