'A dress is not a yes'

"I was 12."

That is all the small, neon pink sign said, grasped tightly in the hands of a middle-age man. Among the swarms of people gathered in Minneapolis last Saturday for SlutWalk, the message of his sign became quickly, and painfully, apparent.

Others boasted signs with more playful slogans, like, "Think our granny panties keep us safe?" or "The right to bear arms, legs, tummy and breasts without fear of rape," but the resounding message of all these signs, playful or not, was clear: no-one deserves to be raped.

Plain clothed to topless, dressed in outfits ranging from corsets to robot suits, over 600 people marched in SlutWalk Minneapolis, according to event organizers. Minneapolis is the latest city to host this international phenomenon, which has also made its way to Berlin, Cape Town, Delhi, and Mexico City, as well as across the United States. SlutWalk originated in Toronto as a reaction to a police officer's suggestion to a group of students that they should "avoid dressing like sluts" to prevent rape.

Beth Johnson, communications coordinator for SlutWalk Minneapolis, said that moving this blame from the victim to the rapist was one of the principle objectives of SlutWalk.

"The main [goal] is to end victim blaming and place the blame on the only person who can truly prevent the rape, and that is the rapist," Johnson said.

With its controversial flare and lively atmosphere, SlutWalk provided a stark contrast to other sexual assault protests, such as the candle-light vigils of Take Back the Night rallies. While organizers say they don't want to alienate the many opposed to reclaiming the word slut, the controversy and sex appeal have increased both media attention and participation.

Twenty-five Mac students were among the throng at Hennepin Bluffs Park, located along the riverfront in downtown Minneapolis. The group included all manner of people, with many men, children and older people mixed in with the young women.

Johnson said that SlutWalk Minneapolis organizers tried to reach out to groups of people who have historically been excluded by other movements.

"We looked at the criticism given to previous walks, and made a decision to really connect with disenfranchised individuals in our community and make sure they knew they were welcomed and valued," Johnson said.

While the setting was beautiful and the crowd diverse, the group encountered little more than joggers and passing cars due to the isolated route. Jon Cole '12 expressed skepticism about its effectiveness as a tool for social change.

"I do find it a little frustrating that we're not really walking into the city, and delivering the message to people. I can see how the event is good for actual survivors, but it just feels that with this route we're not really being seen," Cole said.

Reclaiming ‘slut'

The movement's use of the word "slut" has been a point of criticism. The Huffington Post recently posted "An Open Letter from Black Women to SlutWalk Organizers," in which hundreds articulated their problems with the use of the word "slut." They urge organizers to re-label SlutWalk to make the movement more inclusive to a diversity of peoples.

"We don't have the privilege to walk through the streets of New York City, Detroit, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, L.A. etc., either half-naked or fully clothed self-identifying as ‘sluts' and think that this will make women safer in our communities an hour later, a month later, or a year later," the letter stated.

In spite of these criticisms, Wright insists that sexual assault requires language that reflects its gravity.

"The language around sexual assault isn't sugar-coated. It's real and it's gross and horrible," Wright said.

"I believe that when we as a society say, ‘Oh that's a horrible word; I don't want to be called that,' we're letting abusers know which button they can push to hurt us. I refuse to give them that power," Johnson added.

Mollie Beebe '13, co-chair of FIA-STARSA, Mac's feminist organization, said she personally struggled with whether or not to support the movement. But Beebe emphasized that while she struggles with the issue of reclaiming the word, she said she believes strongly in SlutWalk's overall goal: "that sexual violence is never acceptable. "

Publicity through controversy

International SlutWalks have been surrounded by media hype since their onset in April 2011.

Although Wright and Johnson — organizers of the D.C. and Minneapolis SlutWalks respectively — both agree that the language of the movement has regrettably deterred some people from participating, they argue that "slut" has been an effective way to propel the movement into the spotlight.

"It was a great marketing tool," Wright said. "It's the reason SlutWalk has become such a huge phenomenon."