Nicholas Maronese
Editor-in-Chief
A Toronto police officer’s comments set off a storm of controversy two weeks ago, but despite the fact he has apologized and apparently been reprimanded, members of the York University community are not happy.
Numerous students and student groups are organizing protests, putting up provocative posters in response and looking to change what they call a “culture of violence.”
At a Jan. 24 safety information session at York, Constable Michael Sanguinetti recommended that women not dress like “sluts” in order to avoid sexual assault, a comment that inspired an Osgoode Hall Law School faculty member to file a complaint. After an Excalibur article that reported on the situation received international attention, Sanguinetti apologized for the remark Feb. 17.
However, the apology has apparently failed to satisfy many York students. Groups such as Feminist Action @ YU are organizing protests and hoping to engage York administration and Toronto police in open student forums. They have labeled the comment an “act of violence,” and feel that accepting the apology would excuse such acts.
Another group, SlutWalkToronto, is scheduling a protest march for early April; they already have over 250 Facebook followers, and support is growing rapidly. The group’s coordinator, York alumna Sonya Barnett, does not consider herself a feminist or activist, but was inspired to protest by the comment.
“I was so angered by the comment that I said, ‘Fuck! Something’s got to be done,’” explained Barnett. “Women who have to live with the threat of sexual assault in the back of their head want to say ‘Fuck off!’ It’s got to be more aggressive. “
Barnett wants police to retrain, and for them to install more community outreach programs to dispel victim-blaming attitudes.
Several posters were also put up around campus in the weeks following the comment, including a large list of York University “don’ts” in the Student Centre. The lists included items like “Don’t sleep in Vanier residence” and “Don’t go to pub night.” It concluded, in capitals, “And definitely don’t organize!”
“Basically, a lot of us are pissed!” says an anonymous student posterer. “The media is notoriously bad at representing women or survivors as complex people, and especially as political people. If all they are going to use is sound bites, maybe the ones on the posters are at least forceful enough to make a dent in the constant stereotyping and victim-blaming.”
Constable Wendy Drummond, a Toronto police spokesperson, said she was unaware of the planned marches, and that protestors are entitled to express themselves in a peaceful way.
Related articles:
Don’t dress like a slut: Toronto cop
SlutWalk Toronto: April 3, 2011
Cop’s ‘slut’ comment draws backlash from guerilla activists
About the Author
If I walk around in “shadier” parts of Toronto, flashing a huge wad of cash, and I later get mugged, I might think that I should have been a little more discreet. I have every right to act the way i did, and this gives no right to the mugger who robbed me, but I need to use common sense to maximize my own personal safety.
Just sayin…..
A woman’s right not to get raped is not the same as your right to have a wad of cash…
AND wearing an outfit deemed “sexy” is not irresponsibly making a woman’s body visible!
Your comment is indicative of exactly the kind of victim-blaming that the Slut Walk opposes…
Wow. Talk about missing the point, Enraged Yorkie.
He has a right to not be mugged, doesn’t he? To not be assaulted? To not be murdered? Yes, he does.
On the other hand, muggers and other criminals really don’t give a sh*t about his rights; that’s what makes them criminals. Fortunately, there are a bunch of things he can do to reduce his chances of being a crime victim. When someone says “don’t go to this part of town or you might get mugged,” he says: “thanks for the advice.”
It never occurs to him to say: “STOP BLAMING THE VICTIM WAAAAAAAAAH!”
On the other hand, when a police officer comes to a campus safety information session for the express purpose of giving women information to help them stay safe, and he tells them (based on his experiences in law enforcement, presumably) that by dressing more modestly, they can reduce their chances of being sexually assaulted (which is obviously true, because “slutty” attire is designed to turn men on), what happens?
Mass hysteria.
These activists should be ashamed of themselves. Every time they lash out against someone for pointing out that rape is about sex, they are making the world a little more dangerous for women.
Thanks very much Yorkie – Waving around a wad of cash and getting mugged is about getting RIPPED OFF – Having a monetary possession taken away from you and no I would not say you deserved it! Being raped is to have your personal well being threatened – violated – assaulted – as the Boys Club says “Puttin’ the Bitch in her place” – some powerless weasel trying to gain power through the taking of a woman’s right to feel safe – Oh Yorkie – the next time you see a lil over weight kid being picked on go tell he should lose some weight then he wouldn’t get picked on Right? Brilliant – Future Rocket Scientist?
my body is not comparable to a flashy wad of cash, asshole
no one has any right to take what is mine.
a woman’s appearance is not the cause of rape.
Analogies: learn to understand them.
His point was that in the case of a crime (mugging vs. rape), it is possible to do things that increase your chance of being a victim (walking around a bad part of town with a wad of cash vs., say, walking home alone at night in “slutty” clothes).
I mean, did you really not get that? He wasn’t saying robbery is comparable to rape. That’s the wrong analogy. He wasn’t saying your body is the same as his material possessions. Also the wrong analogy. He was talking about how your behavior can affect your chances of being a victim of a crime.
So if a woman has natural beauty, long legs, thick thighs, a firm round perfect ass, a tight tummy and a stunning chest, does that make her rape able? What if she does not press provocative? and she still gets raped. Either way Yorkie, no matter what scenario it’s not right. it could be your girlfriend, mother, sister, hell rape can even happen to men (Yes it can happen)…It could even happen to you. If you were violated, stripped and forced emotionally physically would you really still think a few bills is worth it? Hey even children..do they deserve it? can an 8 year old girl dressed like her mother be a slut? It is sadly that kind of thought process that empowers people to think, they based on appearance someone can dominate another…Not cool Yorkie not cool, but maybe one day you’ll see things on the other side of the glass….This is to me, less about women getting raped, and more about basic rights, everyone should have the right to feel safe, and no would should be made to feel shame when they are violated.
Regardless of whether or not you are showing off your wad of cash, you stil have a good chance of being mugged. Women get raped and sexually assaulted regardless of what they wear.
Yorkie: By your logic then it stands to reason that if an over-weight child\youngster – is being picked on by the “Beautifuls” – that child is inviting the bullying as they are over-weight – ergo – their own fault – Lose weight problem solved! Flashing a WAD of Cash around then getting ripped off is just that – You are been stripped of a material possession. And thats not right either
You are NOT having your mind body soul or emotional health and mental stability threatened – intimidated – violate – beaten – raped – ridiculed -terrorized or as the Boys club would say “Puttin a BITCH in her place” and your first thought would be “What was she wearing?” you have more then proven the need for a Slutwalk – Pls rethink your statement – Hey I know Imagine that its your sis\cousin\mom\niece?
you’re an idiot. maybe you shouldn’t ‘just say’…and do the walk.
its unfortunate that woman’s rights are not common sense.
Women do have the right to common sense. It’s just too bad they don’t use it more.
Haha, nice
It’s really not relevant, what a woman is wearing. Elderly women are raped, little girls are raped, men are raped, women in burqas are raped. If throwing a sheet over your head doesn’t stop it from happening, then why is it the woman’s fault when she shows a little bit of cleavage? The implication that a man just can’t stop himself from violently assaulting a woman at the sight of some skin is just as insulting to men as it is to the woman.
Your comment is so wrong, it’s hard to know where to begin.
Elderly women are raped less often than college-aged women. So are little girls. So are men. So are women in burkas. You need to stop speaking in absolutes, and consider the RATE. That will tell you the PROBABILITY of someone’s behavior resulting in their sexual assault. For example, you are more likely to be raped if you are alone. OH NO I’m blaming the victim! You are also more likely to be raped if you are alone, drunk, and in a bad part of town. OH NO more victim blaming! You may have noticed that rapists tend to be straight men, and that they prefer attractive young women as victims. This is because rape is about sex, not power. Obviously.
No one in this ridiculous debate has ever said that it is “the woman’s fault when she shows a little bit of cleavage.” That is a straw man argument. However, sadly, the more cleavage a woman shows, the more likely it is that someone is going to take notice who cares more about that cleavage than he does about her rights.
There is no implication that “a man just can’t stop himself.” There is simply an acknowledgment that men often want to have sex with women who don’t want to have sex with them. Men will do a lot of things to achieve their goal of sex: buy her gifts, buy her dinner, seduce her, lie to her, have their friends lie to her, pout, beg, pay…
Add to this the fact that some men (like muggers, for instance) are willing to use violence to get what they want. Put those two together, and what do you get? A small minority of men who are willing to use violence to obtain sex. Not your absurd generalization about “a man” not being able to resist violent assault “at the sight of some skin.”
I just hope that you are not so irrational and willfully ignorant when you make decisions about your own safety. I hope you don’t really believe an elderly woman is as much at risk as you are. You may not like reality, but you have to live in it.
This has nothing to do with preventing rape. No one is for that.
This is just a bunch of the usual suspects, marxist, lesbians, and assorted disaffected losers trying to blow some innocuous comment out of proportion.
He was right, and you are all stupid.
by the way, I love it how the Champions of Chaos (my term for you losers) all love to play both the victim card and simultaneously act tough (“we need to get in their face!”)
The reality here is that the only way you can act tough is with the protection of that officer you are trying to trash.
Sad but true.
Ken
http://www.LaserGuidedLoogie.com
Guess what, dipshit? Rape victims aren’t playing the victim – THEY ARE VICTIMS.
Ken: Preventing rape and protecting women IS actually what we’re here for and the comment has certainly not been blown out of proportion. A comment as ignorant as that deserves the reaction it is getting. No one here is ‘acting tough’ they are simply standing up for basic human rights. The way a woman dresses does not allow a man the right to take her dignity and disrespect her in unmentionable ways. Don’t even try and say that the only way we can act tough is under the protection of that officer because I can guarantee no woman is going to trust his to protect her if she needs it.
The sad truth is that in life, women are going to be sexually assaulted. Not saying there is ever a situation where a women deserves it, but will it happen? Yes, it will. If you can agree on that, then can you not agree that women should take precautions to protect themselves. Re; the comment made comparing theft of a wallet in a shady neighbourhood vs rape: of course this is not an equal meausre of loss, however, I think i see his point which is that both are an infringement on the person’s rights. I will 100% agree with all you women out there who say the cause of the problem is the men who engage in this criminal behaviour. Therefore, how do we go about fixing this? Crack down on the offenders? Increase punishment to try and deter future sex offenders? Sure, sounds like a plan. Whatever your solution, for the time being, are you going to A) taunt the hungry lion with a piece of meat? Or B) discretely wait until his training (for lack of a better word) is complete? I like analogies, so perhaps another: you have to treat the symptoms until the cause is identified and cured. Otherwise the symptoms could end up killing the patient. Yes, women have every right to dress sexy (even dress like a slut if thats what you please), but life isn’t fair- so regarding the offenders out there who do exist, who do you think they will target first? You need to look at the cold, hard facts regarding human behaviour, and act accordingly in response. Not fair? No. But necessary? Probably. Its one of those “sad but true” scenarios. You can either act on principle or react to maximize a favourable outcome for yourself.
I completely agree that no victim should be blamed for being sexually assaulted. Especially because as a few of you have pointed out, it happens to more than just the “slut demographic.” I am, however, speaking to the sample of females who insist on dressing like sluts for the purpose of establishing their right to do so, and all the while hoping that the problem will vanish, or at least the number of occurrences will be reduced.
Ken, I really believe it’s unfortunate that you think the only way on can ‘act tough’ is under the protection of a police officer. I really think you need ask yourself why the culture of violence is apparent in the first place.
And those ‘suspects’ that you mentioned wanting to blow the comment out of proportion? If you did your research on the team organizing the event, you’d see that persons from every walks of life/faith/disposition were involved had a hand in shaping the protest.
There is a crucial difference between acknowledging a cause and blaming the victim.
The officer was acknowledging a cause: women whose outfits are designed to turn men on, are at a higher risk of attracting a rapist.
People like you are the reason that Slutwalk exists.
I expect our law enforcement personnel to intervene in the structures that violate women and maintain their expressions as dependent. His comment serves to perpetuate the stucture of women’s violation by holding them partly responsible for their rape. His comment serves to perpetuate women’s expression as dependent by recommending women maintain their expression as dependent, i.e. not dressing in ways that men assault.
To Yorkie,
You are not ‘just saying’ as your comment is said to other people within a context. This is a fight to end both rape and women’s dependence and your comment is not merely a statement of the facts of the world but a recommendation to women. This is shown by how you use a seemingly reasonable behaviour as an analogy for how women should be. You end your comment there and do not recommend strategies for the purpose of autonomy for women. Thus, your comment serves to justify the status quo instead of intervening in it. You are a force of perpetuating women’s dependence and violation when you ought to be a force of change. I call on you to intervene in your life with other people in a way that changes the situation and not perpetuating it.
In other words, don’t be so lazy in your recommendations. If you want to be part of change then recommend something that involves you. Don’t further burden those you want to help.
Yours,
A former Yorkie