Seattle Slut Walk – Kitsap Action, Kitsap Resource
As I was on the Bremerton Ferry heading to Seattle for the Slut Walk last weekend, amongst all the Seattle Mariners fans, I found a few other Kitsap County folks heading to the Slut Walk. It was great to see other Kitsap County folks making the trek over to Seattle to help get the message out – rape is caused by rapists, not by what the victims wear.
Some of the other Slut Walkers were from a Kitsap County support
group for women who are survivors of child abuse – Adult Survivors
of Child Abuse (ASAC) Kitsap. ASCA is
a community based peer support group that provides a safe place for
survivors to be themselves, and be there for each other. The
group started up in January and attendance at the weekly meetings
ranges from 7 to 15. This is an important resource here in
Kitsap County and I will include their contact and other
information at the end.
The Seattle Slut Walk was part of an international movement sparked by comments made by a Toronto police officer who offered advice to women to “avoid dressing like sluts” to prevent them from being assaulted – the old blame the victim school of thought that apparently is not as old as I thought it was. Needless to say, and rightfully so, the advice has not been well received.
The Slut Walkers were a diverse group including many men, some dressed pretty sluttty in their own way. There were even some dogs dressing the part.
At the end of the Slut Walk, there was a rally near Westlake Center. As part of the speeches we were treated to some slam style poetry by Tara Hardy of the Bent Institute. She really tells it like it is, in her unique creative way.
Some of the signs were fun, and some of the outfits were whimsical. However, at the rally as some women bravely told all of us their stories of being assaulted, we were reminded of what we were all really there for.
~ Marcie
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) Kitsap meets Wednesday
evenings from 6:00-7:30pm at the Lincoln Ave Bible Church in
Bremerton.
“The effects of child abuse are life-long, they do not have to be a
life-sentence!”
For more information, email them at: ascakitsap@yahoo.com
