StopSlut Movement
Created and developed by The Arts Effect, Jennifer Baumgardner, and The Feminist Press
Mission
To end slut shaming and transform rape culture into CARE culture (Communication, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy) through youth-led activism.
History
StopSlut was a movement that grew out of an intense response to SLUT the play. The goal was to ignite social change by providing a space for young people (the real experts on slut shaming) to create small, strategic changes in their communities that lead to a cultural shift.
StopSlut provided concrete tools to help communities and individuals change perspectives and practices when it comes to girls and sexuality. Through the use of SLUT the play, creating school-based Girls’ Coalitions, and providing spaces to discuss—openly and honestly—personal experiences with sexuality, bullying and sexual aggression/assault, StopSlut aimed to provide a crucial antidote to slut culture.
The movement also addressed the inaction of bystanders and emphasized the responsibility we all share in perpetuating misogyny through our language, actions and inactions.
StopSlut grew into a nationwide coalition of students who developed unique activism projects for their communities.
Stop Slut Global Coalition
The StopSlut Global Coalition was comprised of thousands of young people throughout the country who fought for the rights of all girls to healthfully own their sexuality free of shame and aggression. By participating in the coalition, students were provided with support, language, strategies, and a sense of sisterhood – all tools that empowered them create change.
The first StopSlut Global Coalition meeting was held on September 28, 2013. Young activists (108 to be exact) spent their Saturday debating and discussing the topics, listening to and sharing stories, speaking with mentors, and participating in a reflective writing workshops focused on their experiences with all things “slut." They left the meeting with plans of action - tangible projects they could develop as a way of confronting and addressing the epidemic of slut-shaming, sexual violence, and sexual aggression with hopes of creating healthier attitudes toward female sexuality.
The members of this NY flagship coalition brought these plans of action back to their schools and, over the course of several months, were guided and supported by a team of mentors from organizations and institutions such as: Cornell University, Lean In, Equality Now, The Feminist Press, New York Magazine, The BBC, and Nickelodeon.
We then worked to expand our coalition beyond NYC and took our team on the road to host StopSlut workshops throughout the country. Throughout workshops and performances of SLUT the play, we offered communities a safe space to come together and share experiences. Through the workshops, participants were able to identify the WHAT, HOW, and NOW of slut culture, and then, with the support of mentors, developed plans of action. The plans of action came in all shapes, sizes, and mediums – and were designed to best serve the needs of their specific communities.
It’s also worth noting, we found it critical for members of the coalition to contemplate the intersectionality of sexual degradation and violence, and owning own's sexuality – how do class, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. shift the experience?
Since then, tens of thousands of young women and men throughout the country have created thoughtful, energized, creative projects – igniting change from the ground up.
Youth leaders of the coalition also contributed writings to SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence.
StopSlut: A Conference on Bullying, Sexuality, and Rape
On October 18th and 19th, 2013 we partnered with Jennifer Baumgardner and The Feminist Press to host this two-day conference at The New School in NYC.
Throughout the conference, participants explored the complexity of slut-shaming, the prevalence of sexual violence and aggression, and the challenge of healthfully owning one's sexuality in today's culture. The conference focused particularly on the reality faced by teen girls in the US and steps they/we can take to StopSlut!
As organizers of The StopSlut conference we were committed to understanding and critiquing the historical and current ways the word "slut" has been used to dehumanize women and to cover for injustices against them. The ways "slutting" affects individual women is inextricably linked to their class, race, and other key elements of community and identity.
WHAT WE KNOW:
The ability to express oneself sexually is a human right
Rape is isolating, devastating – and incredibly common
Sexual exploitation is an epidemic
THE GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE:
To face the prevalence of sexual violence
To end the slut-shaming and victim-blaming of girls
To support the healthy ownership of one's sexuality
To develop a STOP SLUT Girl Coalition here in NYC
To empower participants with information and strategies for addressing bullying, rape, and sexuality in their communities
SCHEDULE:
Friday, October 18, 2013:
8:00pm: Welcome!
8:15pm: Screening of IT WAS RAPE , a film by Jennifer Baumgardner
9:15-10:00pm: Panel Discussion: Facing Rape and Survivor POV
Saturday, October 19, 2013:
9:30am: Check-In & Welcome!
9:45am: Panel Discussion: "Slut."
11:00am: StopSlut Stories
11:10am: Panel Discussion: "Role of the Bystander"
12:20pm: StopSlut Stories
12:30pm – 1:30pm: LUNCH
1:35pm: StopSlut Stories
1:40pm: Panel Discussion: "What Can I Do?"
2:50pm: StopSlut Stories
2:55 – 3:05: BREAK
3:05pm: Performance of SLUT, a play by The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company
4:45pm: Talkback with the cast of SLUT and closing remarks