To take a stand against sexual assault and rape culture that women and trans-women face in Detroit, the nonprofit Metro Detroit Political Action Network started The Detroit Slutwalk organization in 2017. Slutwalks started gaining popularity in 2011 and have since taken place around the world as a means for women to reclaim the word “slut” and bring awareness to sexual violence and slut-shaming.
In the spirit of this movement, each year, the Detroit organization hosts a march. Like previous years, The Detroit Slutwalk 2020 march will kick off at Palmer Park. Taking place from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 12, participants will march from Six Mile and Woodward to Eight Mile and Woodward and then back to Palmer Park. Attendees bring signs and generally dress eccentric, says Chantel Watkins, chairwoman of The Detroit Slutwalk. “You’ll see a lot of vibrant colors and some even wear cosplay-type outfits. It’s a great time to be yourself.”
New to this year is a focus on legislation that, if passed, would give all violent sexual offenders the maximum sentencing for their actions. Current laws vary in the amount of time a sexual offender is required to serve. There will be a petition at the event for people to sign if they want to support the legislation. The organization will take the petition to Lansing, Watkins says, and the group is looking to gather 20,000 signatures in total.
The keynote speaker for this year’s march is Nicole Denson, co-founder of the Mute R. Kelly Movement. The march will be hosted by comedian Delo Brown and the poet laureate Kai Mills. This event is sponsored by pop-up catering company Exchange Detroit, taco pop-up La Taco Bae, and twerking exercise instructor Twerk Fit with Slick Vick.
The march will follow social distancing guidelines, and masks are mandatory. The Detroit Slutwalk will provide extra masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves for participants. Watkins says that they will not have business booths set up along the walk, but medical staff, healing circles, and Planned Parenthood will be on site.
In addition to organizing the walk, The Detroit Slutwalk hosts Slut Talk on Instagram Live. The social media program features performances as well as discussions on rape culture, healing from sexual assault, victim-blaming, and slut-shaming, and what to do if you are sexually assaulted, among other topics. The Detroit Slutwalk is also involved in community outreach and cleanups. “We have different plans for different [cleanups] and rallies in the upcoming months in order to introduce people to what the Detroit Slutwalk actually is,” Watkins says.
The Detroit Slutwalk organizers aim to make people feel more comfortable with the term “slut” and the Slutwalk itself by involving themself in the community and educating people about their organization. “Once we tell people that we’re an organization against sexual assault, we’re met with open arms,” Watkins says.
For more information, follow @detroitslutwalk on Instagram.
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