http://www.opendemocracy.net/adam-klimkiewicz/slutwalk-not-so-easy-issue?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=201210&utm_campaign=Nightly_2011-06-05%2005%3a30 

Adam Klimkiewicz, 4 June 2011

The SlutWalk protests may be inspired by commendable principles to prevent sexual violence. But the misreading of the Toronto police’s statements stop us asking harder questions about sexuality and gender relations

My guess is I’ll lose a friend or two over this article, and I’m worried they may be female. In the process, I’ll be exposing a lot of what I think are core vulnerabilities in men, and this could make some guys wince at me.

In any case, here goes. I make no apologies.

I’ve just read about the recent SlutWalk in Melbourne. SlutWalk is a global phenomenon that’s just arrived in Australia. It began in Toronto in protest to a local police officer telling women they should cover up a little to stop being victimised by sexual offenders. In any case, women rallied in the streets of Melbourne in fishnets and short skirts earlier this week as a celebration of their sexuality, bearing signs such as “Don’t tell us how to dress, tell men not to rape!”

On face value this seems fair enough. And clearly, rape is a deplorable, despicable act.  But let’s take a step back for a bit.

What do we mean by sexuality? And more importantly, what do women mean by saying they wish to express their sexuality? My answer to this may seem pretty superficial, but I think it’s credible. What women really do when they go out in short skirts and fishnets is vie for male attention. It’s a way for them to feel significant, but their sexuality is also a way for them to gain a sense of power against the physically and historically fiscally stronger male version of gender. Let’s not delude ourselves with postmodern political correctness. Heterosexual women who enjoy going out on a Saturday night who were suddenly faced with a city that had no male inhabitants, wouldn’t bother donning anything revealing or low cut for all their girlfriends to marvel over. There’s a certain process at work here, which I think we all too often deny, particularly since the sixties came and went. Women are the selectors in the reproductive race, and their power stems from their sexuality. This has been the case throughout history, is the case in most species, particularly mammals, and is still the case in contemporary human culture.