They wore ripped fishnet stockings, hooker heels, corsets, nipple pasties and shorts so short they might as well have been underwear.
Participants in Seattle's SlutWalk marched from Bobby Morris Playfield on Capitol Hill to Westlake Center Sunday afternoon dressed to protest.
It was Father's Day. Down with the patriarchy. Up with "sluts."
The original SlutWalk took place April 3 in Toronto, in response to a comment made by a Toronto police officer, who told a class of college students that in order to avoid being a victim of assault and rape, women shouldn't dress like "sluts."
This struck a chord with many Canadians, who felt the statement amounted to blaming victims of rape and sexual assault.
The irreverent, media-friendly campaign caught on and SlutWalks have since been held all over the Land of the Free; Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., Savannah, Ga., among others.
What do they want? The right to dress like a slut. When do they want it? Now.
Initially, the SlutWalk had my stamp of approval. The name is catchy and how could I go wrong with an event that combined a fight for women's rights with an opportunity to finally wear that $5 vintage corset?
After a few heated conversations, some online research and interviews with scantily-clad participants, however, I realized I'm not really digging the SlutWalk.
I'm just going to put it out there, as SlutWalkers encourage us to do: I, like every other person with half a brain, recognize that under no circumstance is rape OK.
But.
There are awful people in this world, and as long as they co-exist with people who do not want to be raped, safety measures are necessary.
We already have the right to dress however we want. What we need now is the commonsense to exercise that right wisely.
This distinction appeared to be lost, along with the clothing, on Sunday. Many protestors seemed less concerned with stopping violence and more preoccupied with preserving the right to wear underwear as outerwear.
Porter Daniels, who was carrying a sign that said "survivor," said women shouldn't have to consider how their clothes might be perceived.
Being the at-home-nudist that I am, I would be thrilled if I could parade my naked self around town without being subjected to rape, assault and unwanted attention, not to mention arrest. However, I know that to keep myself out of harm's way, my dream of constant nudity should not become a reality. In the same way that it is not smart to walk around town flashing a large wad of cash, it is not wise to go for a late night stroll in a bikini. In either scenario, no one is asking to be a victim, but the likelihood of being robbed or raped is probably higher than if they'd opted to exercise modesty.
Clothes may not have an actual voice of their own, but they can nonetheless send a message. SlutWalk protestors may refuse to hear it, but a world free of rape and assault does not yet exist.
Until further notice, button up.