It is officially Halloweekend! I hope you all have great costumes and safe plans for the weekend! I don't want to flood today's blog with too much information, so I'm just going to talk about Halloween and the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
I know for the ladies out there that finding classy, yet sexy, costumes can be quite a difficult task. No one wants to cross the line from sexy to slutty. There are so many costumes that are hardly considered scary and very accentuating in the chest area. If you'd like some examples, go to any Halloween online shop and you will most likely find a category named "Sexy Costumes". So if you choose to wear a "sexy" costume, how do you avoid the slutty commentary?
The word "slut" itself calls for much controversy. There are a lot of problems with this word and its connotations and suggestions. A lot of the costumes suggest male dominance and female subordination. A lot of costumes suggest sexual innuendos and inappropriate gestures. How do we maintain our sexiness without suggesting sex? Just because you are a woman, does not mean you have to wear sexual, degrading, and demeaning costumes. And if you choose to wear a sexy costume, you reserve the right to wear it and not be judged/ridiculed/groped/sexually assaulted/catcalled...the list goes on. Wear what you want!
I read a yahoo! answers question asking for any tips on how to make a matching domestic violence costume with her boyfriend including bruises and black eyes.......I can't even begin to comprehend why this couple thinks this is appropriate, and thankfully the commenter agrees with me. Not only is this extremely inappropriate, but it's undoubtedly inconsiderate and ignorant. This girl needs to realize that condoning that domestic violence is accepted in our society is allowing it to prosper. Domestic violence is no joke and should never be treated as such. Another commenter said they are wearing a costume to represent a victim to raise awareness..creative, I guess? It's an interesting idea, but I'm still a little hesitant; people may not catch on that she is raising awareness, but rather assume she is poking fun at the violence. I would hope that you're all wearing violent-free costumes this year and every year!
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to an end, some really cool events are occurring incorporating this fun holiday.
In Cincinnati, there is a fundraiser for Familes for Families that helps women experiencing domestic abuse: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/eyeontheeastside/2011/10/03/halloween-event-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/
In St. Louis, there is a 5k race where all proceeds go to a Women's Safe Shelter: http://www.connectwithstlouis.com/event/hermann-london-halloween-5k-for-domestic-violence-charities/
In Washington D.C., there is a Violence Is Scary annual fundraiser for the NNEDV (National Network to End Domestic Violence): http://www.violenceisscary.com/
At the University of West Florida, they are hosting a fundraiser for domestic violence at their school: https://uwf.collegiatelink.net/organization/wheat18/calendar/details/96670
In Massachusetts, there is a fundraiser to raise awareness about gay men experiencing domestic violence: http://www.edgeptown.com/?126109
And, this past week I organized a mini fundraiser with a drawing for candy corn and all proceeds/donations went directly to URI's Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services!
As you can see, people all over the country are working to bring domestic violence to an end. So let's have a great halloweekend and end Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a BOO! :)
Be safe everyone, and don't forget to do your part and stop the hurt.
Copyright © 2011 Cara Mackler
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