This evening the annual Take Back the Night walk will wend its way along the main street of Bowmanville as a visible reminder that women should be able to walk the streets of any community at any time without fear. My wife Ruth will be involved because she is an outreach counsellor for Bethesda House, the shelter for women and children at risk situated in Bowmnanville. Take Back the Night walks are now venerable institutions in many communites having started 32 years ago. There are speakers on issues such as domestic violence and human trafficking and men are now invited to participate.
One of the Toronto walks happened Saturday evening and among the speakers were founders of the Slut Walk march which began in Toronto after a police officer advised a group of women that if they wanted to remain safe they should refrain from dressing like sluts. The outrage prompted the first Slut Walk and the theme has been picked up in cities around the world.
Ruth and I have talked several times about Slut Walks and as you can imagine she supports the premise that women don't "ask for it" by their dress. At the same time the language and the sexualized, in-your-face demonstrations make us both uncomfortable. They seem to be parodies based on sexual stereotypes, at least to me. I won't speak for Ruth, but as I have written before, I struggle with the notion that freedom for either gender is associated with sexual expression without what we used to quaintly call modesty. I cringe when I see small children (girls) strutting in make-up for beauty pageants or hear of pole dancing classes for tweens (girls.) Is this what we all hoped for with equality for the sexes?
I am convinced that Jesus believed it equality which was based on dignity, mutual respect, the ability to recognize gifts in others. Stories such as the Woman at the Well and the Woman Accused of Adultery challenged the prejudices and oppression of his time.
Have I missed something here? What are your thoughts? Have you ever walked in a Take Back the Night evening?
4 comments:
After talking with Ruth on Sunday I plan to attend with our 3 girls...
Yes, I struggle with the tension between the entitled/defiant? freedom
of expression in clothing and behavior and the self respect that God asks of us which is sometimes/often interpreted as prudish....
Wished I'd read your blog yesterday, would have taken part. We were not aware of it happening on this date. Have known about the walk in the past. Thanks, interested in hearing your experience Laura with your girls.
Ruth tells me it went well. Unfortunately Presbytery has coincided with TBTN the past few years, so I haven't participated. I hear you made it Laura, with your three young women.
Olivia is still chanting "5-6-7-8..no more violence, no more hate." It was a great event to open our eyes and discussion to the realities of life for women in what we tend to believe to be a "safe" country... I do worry at the thought of young girls and all women really out on their own at night.....yet still feel perplexed at how we can change that....
Post a Comment