NEW PALTZ – College and young adult society in general across the
country have been plagued by what is being called “rape culture,”
a term mainly regarding young women’s fears of being raped, sexually
assaulted, harassed, or “slut shamed” due their appearance
as well as the way they dress.
However, young men have also been victims of the growing social construct
that began in the university and made its way outside, according to activists.
SUNY New Paltz students, alumni, young men and young women alike fought
back, hosting the first ever Slut Walk Against Rape Culture over the weekend.
Hundreds of people, mainly young women, paraded for hours through the Village of New Paltz, some holding picket signs and some dressed in a way they may have felt afraid to in a bar, for instance, in fear of being groped, harassed, or possibly assaulted.
“The protest happened under the idea that our bodies, no matter
what you wear or how you present yourself, it doesn’t matter,”
said Slut Walk organizer Ariel Ponder. “It doesn’t allow someone
else to take your consent because there’s no consent unless you
say yes, and you cannot sexualize someone’s body just from what
they’re wearing. It doesn’t matter.”
Juliann Castelbuono, a writer and anti- rape culture activist, said this is the problem rape culture poses in society and why it can sometimes cause those not in “the know” confusion.
“From my perspective, it’s about rape culture; so, it’s not about men being disrespectful to women; it’s about the culturally mentality of that,” Castelbuono said. “Think about the perspective of just an awkward, but nice, guy who will go up to a woman and say, ‘Hey, how are you?’ That woman is already expecting ‘you’re trying to sleep with me’ and that’s not conducive to anybody communicating, to anybody getting along and to a healthy society.”
After the march, many demonstrators gathered to celebrate the human body, women, men and solidarity against rape culture in the form of art demonstrations, poetry readings and music.
Anti-rape culture activists said the fight is just beginning.
As Castelbuono said, “Nobody wins in a Rape Culture. The men don’t win and the women don’t win, and when you’re pitted against each other, no one’s having a real conversation with each other.”
