Guest post by SlutWalk Vancouver 2013

SlutWalk Vancouver is a march to end rape culture. Our march this year is on June 2nd, at 12pm starting at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Our focus is to end victim-blaming and slut-shaming of sexual assault victims. Recently the national media has focused on bullying as a pervasive issue in our educational system, due to the recent suicides of Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd. Both of these girls were raped and ignored by police who were sworn to protect them.These girls were sexually assaulted and then shamed by their peers. The Harper government is now implementing a policy to criminalize cyber bullying. Where this policy falls short is in addressing the cause of rape mentality and holding perpetrators accountable. Rape culture is fueled by hate speak that marginalizes and shames sexual assault victims. Bullying and hate speak are a product of rape culture. Rape is a product of a systemic patriarchal structure. While bullying workshops and awareness are a useful tool, it falls short in educating people on how not to sexually assault others. SlutWalk aims to shine light on the issue of victim-blaming. Responsibility for assault is never on the victim. We believe words like bullying and rape are not synonymous. To be a part of the solution we welcome all supporters to join us this Sunday, June 2nd at 12 noon at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Thank you.