Hundreds of supporters gathered in L.A.’s Pershing Square this weekend for a SlutWalk hosted by an unlikely (at least to some) gender equality activist: model and author Amber Rose.
SlutWalks have been around since 2011, when a group of women in Toronto took to the streets in protest after a police officer told a group of female college students: “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” (The officer later apologized.) Since then, rallies have been held globally as an outlet to express “outrage toward issues of sexual violence, gender inequality, derogatory labeling, and victim blaming.”
Rose took up the cause earlier this year, deciding to host her own event after ex-boyfriend Kanye West made disparaging comments about her to the press and after dealing with criticism online.
SlutWalks generally involve a march of people dressed in revealing clothing, holding up signs with messages like “My Clothes Are Not My Consent” and “The Way I Dress Does Not Mean Yes.” And the walkers this weekend didn’t disappoint with their signs.
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The goal is to raise awareness for the need to shut down slut-shaming and victim-blaming that create a hostile environment and may even keep people from reporting sexual violence. In other words, the rallies try to remind the world that no matter what someone is wearing, they are never “asking for” anything, sexual or otherwise, nor should they be blamed for any acts of sexual violence they experience. This may seem silly if you’ve never experienced it before, but it’s important because slut-shaming can really take a toll on women’s mental health.
The walk also raised more than $55,000 through a GoFundMe account for her non-profit, The Amber Rose Foundation. According to the site, the money will “support our foundation and groups and organizations of women who have been subject to slut shaming, a lack of implication of double standards, sexual assault, and even rape.”
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The L.A. SlutWalk ended up a major success, but Rose’s advocacy efforts aren’t limited to her demonstration this weekend. Over the past year, she’s been a major proponent of gender equality, especially in regards to sexuality.
At the MTV Video Music Awards this year, Rose and her best friend Blac Chyna (who’s also a model and entrepreneur) boldly wore outfits printed with common derogatory words used against women.
Even more recently, she starred in a Funny or Die’s sketch “Walk of No Shame” which promotes a woman’s right to be completely in charge of her own body and choices about sexuality.
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The countless times she used social media as a platform to call out folks on these issues.
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from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1GuQ2tp
