Survival > Feminism

The Slut Walk was mentioned in today’s class in regards to Dubois’ article about Jane Doe and I got to wondering about what the difference is between inhabiting risky space because you want to and because you have no other choice. Slut Walk is definitely a space fraught with risk especially because of its as-public-as-possible nature and I think I’m starting to understand why Slut Walk and Take Back the Night protests have so many issues with high volumes of white university-age women and very low attendance of minorities like Women of Colour, trans women, and non-binary folks.

I have never been to a Slut Walk or mass public feminist protest, but I know that even if I chose to do that, I would be more or less safe. Controversy and scant clothing aside, upon being done with the protest I would be able to return safely home to my house in my safe, middle-class neighborhood. The worst that could happen would probably be heckling and catcalling, and that happens anyway. I deal with that on a daily basis regardless of what I’m wearing.

But I think the women who don’t show up to these protests don’t show up not just because they would be surrounded by a bunch of privileged, middle-class, cis white women who don’t really understand feminism beyond white feminism. It’s because of that risk management. It’s because they know that if something happens to them in these protests, it will be seen as their fault, without a doubt. Beyond some feminists not accepting Women of Colour, trans women, and non-binary people, those people have to walk home after the protest, too. They have to walk back to their communities where it isn’t safe make feminist political statements. They have to walk back through their neighborhoods where their safety isn’t as sure as mine is.

Honestly, if both myself and an Indigenous woman got assaulted on our ways home from a Slut Walk, I would be worried about the police believing me if I were to get raped, but she might be worried about being killed before she even reached her doorstep.

This probably isn’t a revelation or anything for anybody, but Gotell’s article really made it clear to me why some women can’t choose feminism. Some women have to choose survival because it's the only choice they have.