Slut Walk Rotterdam was amazing. I took my two small children with me. They are five and two. In their short lives they have been taught gender roles at school, movies, and really any media they consume. The are forming their take on masculinity and femininity. I work everyday to unpack my own issues of sexism, and I teach my own children that people are people. Some identify as women some identify as men others prefer they/them pronouns. It’s 2019 and the fact is kids need to know and understand these things. Because maybe one day my small child will identify differently and they need to know that IT’S OKAY. Gender is fluid.

As we were walking to the slut walk I was answering all my kids questions about why we have to go, to show up and support queer, trans, black, disabled, sex workers. Because I am white cis woman, I show up to support all women, to fight for them, to fight against slut shaming and rape culture. I refuse to let Disney movies be what my children think is the only way to go though life. I refuse to let my boys to continue the work of the patriarchy. I refuse to be a quite, modest, tidy women. It’s just not who I am, but it is what the patriarchy’s ideal woman looks like. My kids will know that shaming ends now. They are the future. Start a dialogue with your own children. The time is now.

“A slut is someone, usually a woman, who’s stepped outside of the very narrow lane that good girls are supposed to stay within. Sluts are loud. We’re messy. We don’t behave. In fact, the original definition of “slut” meant “untidy woman.” But since we live in a world that relies on women to be tidy in all ways, to be quiet and obedient and agreeable and available (but never aggressive), those of us who color outside of the lines get called sluts. And that word is meant to keep us in line.” 
― Jaclyn Friedman