Amber Rose, former wife of Wiz Khalifa and notorious hip-hop sex icon, hosted the Amber Rose Slut Walk in Los Angeles this weekend. Now, the name sounds pretty scandalous at first, but that is exactly the point!
This walk was hosted to allow women to challenge the problem of slut shaming and the idea that clothing does not mean consent. After seeing all the posting on Instagram and Twitter, I began to wonder: why don’t we do this more often?
See More: Amber Rose's Slut Walk was a publicity scheme
Slut-shaming is something that is embedded in our society, and not just when it comes to consent. Both men and women do it, constantly judging women by the way that they dress and how they carry themselves, as though expressing sexuality is something to be ashamed of.
The idea of a slut walk began in Toronto in 2011, and it is slow in gaining visibility and is even slower in the U.S. There are now Slut Walks in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. These walks include speakers, performances and seek to empower women against the tide of slut-shaming.
The best way to contest the idea of sexualizing the female form and subsequently shaming women is to put it out there in a way that people can’t ignore. We can't get over the fear of the female nipple when we continue to hide it.
It’s no surprise that Amber Rose was one to host to an event like this, since she is often a victim of slut-shaming. But that doesn’t stop her. She continues to challenge notions of sexuality by wearing whatever she wants and creating short videos about the walk of shame, what she calls the "walk of no shame."
Respect the pu$$ @slutwalk_la #amberroseslutwalk pic.twitter.com/Msfp35G7ez
— Kingston to LA (@KingstontoLA) October 3, 2015
Slut Walks are not just for “sluts” either. Slut walks are for all women who decide to cover up or not cover up when going to a beach. Slut walks are for any woman who, at any point in her life, wants to claim her sexuality without being looked down upon. Even though Slut Walks are spreading, they should be spreading faster.
Even college campuses, like ASU, could benefit from the raw acknowledgement that clothing is not consent, and that even the word "slut" is something that is too gendered. You go Amber Rose for taking ahold of your sexuality and encouraging women to walk the streets and do the same.
Related Links:
Let's put the word 'whore' to bed
Reach the columnist at ybrewste@asu.edu or follow @jbrewzki on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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