Short skirt, low cut top, and sky high hooker heels: a perfect recipe for being raped… according to some. During a personal safety class at York University a Toronto Police officer recommended that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” Outrage over the famous “blame the victim” statement prompted hundreds of scantily dressed men and women to take to the streets last spring in the city’s first ever “Slutwalk”. But is the officer on to something?

Originally defined as “a sexually promiscuous woman” the definition of slut has widened to include “one who has sex with almost anything that moves.” Spin offs such as Slutadactyl (a slut the size of a dinosaur) and Slutachoirmosis (a girl who joins the choir and becomes a slut) as well as many others detailing specific attributes can be found. Not a positive term, slut is bandied about carelessly; from friends calling each other sluts as nicknames to a serious judgement of a person’s character.

No one deserves the label of a slut as it is defined by most people. However the truth is that a woman wearing next to nothing and flirting with all the guys is the more likely target than the woman sitting in the corner with her friends. As sad as it is true you are judged for what you wear and how you act. The “sluts” taking part in the slut walk showed up wearing see-through shirts, fishnet tights, and, in some cases, no pants. What they wore wasn’t “proper” but they should be able to wear whatever the hell they want. However, until society’s definition of “slut” has changed, they can’t.