...are fantastic if you haven't seen them. And they beautifully capture the weird mood of the event.

Photo by Kelly O
  • Photo by Kelly O
I met up with the 500 or so marching men, women, and children as they headed downtown on Sunday. The crowd was festive: people were laughing, smiling, waving at befuddled onlookers like any other parade—like Saturday's Solstice Parade in Fremont, for example. And like the Solstice Parade, outfits ranged from body-painted-next-to-nothing to comfortable jeans and sweaters.


But unlike Solstice, which simply celebrates creative exhibitionism (at least the naked part), the vibe at SlutWalk was festively grim. It wasn't so much a SlutWalk as a Rape-Survivor-Walk. Many of the women I talked to were victims of rape or assault who freely shared their stories with me and each other. Many of the men I spoke with knew women who were victims of rape or abuse. Collectively, they chanted "No means no" and waved signs that read things like, "A Dress is Not a Yes."

When I asked marchers to tell me why they were participating in the walk, or what they most wanted to convey to men—or to their attackers—they were at a loss for words. One woman, who was holding a sign that read, "Rape is Never Justified," told me, "I don't know. I mean... What else can I possibly say?"

I get that. What can you possibly say if 'no' is not enough?