Consent culture and the celebration of choice
This October 1st marked the kickoff year of ConsentFest Olympia, a movement against sexual violence, advocating the importance and value of consent. The event had two components: the SlutWalk rally, which attracted about 100 supporters who marched from Sylvester Park through 12 blocks of downtown Olympia, and educational workshops, which offered tools to address issues of sexual violence. Naomi Tajchman-Kaplan, one of the co-coordinators of ConsentFest, commented that “the rally was more for the purpose of visibility and outreach [whereas] the workshop component is to provide education about the issues of sexual violence and consent”.
The objectives of the SlutWalk was to show solidarity with the Toronto SlutWalk movement, provide visibility of the issues of sexual violence in Olympia, and to provide the option for community members to be involved with ConsentFest in a less vulnerable environment than the workshops. Participants chanted slogans such as “My body my choice, my power my voice”, and “Hey hey ho ho, survivor blaming’s got to go”.
Mary Katherine Plas, a Support Space volunteer at ConsentFest and an attorney with Rainbow Family Law, stated, “I want my daughter to live in a world where it doesn’t matter if she wears a bikini down the street. That is not permission to attack someone.” A concept that many participants of the rally emphasized by intentionally dressing provocatively to demonstrate everyone’s right to self-expression.
Following the march, featured speakers and musicians played on the gazebo at Sylvester Park, where volunteers handed out schedules of the workshop events.
The remainder of the day was dedicated to these workshops, which included a variety of consent-based activities, ranging from accountability and survivorship workshops to guided meditation and burlesque workshops. All of the exercises were facilitated by trained individuals in sexual violence issues, many of which were members of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP), Partners in Prevention Education (PiPE), and Safeplace.
All of the workshops ensured that there were safe spaces, which were separate rooms where individuals could go and practice self care if the workshop environment triggered participants. There were also licensed counselors available for support.
Emotions ran high throughout each exercise as many survivors came forward with their experiences, sharing them with a group of complete strangers and venting their thoughts and opinions on these issues.
In particular, a large concern brought up by many participants of ConsentFest and elsewhere, is a discontent with calling the protest against sexual violence 'SlutWalk.' Though some people may feel comfortable identifying with the term 'slut', many others do not. In addition, Tajchman-Kaplan pointed out that the “SlutWalk movement tends to perpetuate the concept that sexual violence is only something that happens to women and that it is something that’s only perpetrated by men, but sexual violence happens to all people in all identity groups with all bodies and is perpetrated by all people in all identity groups with all bodies."
Coordinators and participants are discussing the possibility of calling the march the Walk of No Shame for next year, to represent a more inclusive environment.
Tajchman-Kaplan felt the event was a success. “The fact that people were willing to be in those spaces is something that I commend and really appreciate”.
Safety resources are available to anyone at anytime who needs help or information about sexual assault.
Contact: CASV at (360) 867-6749
Office of Sexual Assault Prevention at (360) 867-5221
Safeplace 24 hr crisis/advocay line at (360) 754-6300