Parade Route

America loves parades, and so does Ms Gingham. Growing up in Pasadena meant looking forward to The Rose Parade every year. I distinctly remember watching the Royal Court float by with my seven year old eyes as I dreamt of donning the Rose Queen's regalia- gown, long white gloves and sky-high tiara. By the time I reached my senior year of high school I opted for a camping trip over princess try-outs, but I'll always have a fondness for parades.

A fan of having ones cake and eating it too, I do my best to achieve my princess-parade status in a slightly different way. Summer is parade/protest season, and I'm am brimming with giddiness over the upcoming Slutwalk LA and LA Pride Parade. I wrote about Slutwalk  back in March, but here's a brief recap: Slutwalk began in response to some pretty horrific comments by a representative of the Toronto Police Department that basically boil down to this sweet advice: women can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like "sluts." This comment is bull-scheisse and served as a catalyst for a protest/parade movement that has since gone global.

On June 4th, West Hollywood streets will explode with Slutwalkers, many of which (hopefully) will be men. Hugo Schweizer lays down a gauntlet of reasons why men should march in Slutwalk, none of which have to do with the state of (un)dress the female participants may be in.

He points out that the comment made by the Toronto Police representative reveals just as much about societies perception of men as it does about societies perception of women. He writes, "I’ve come to believe that there’s one lie that’s bigger than any other we tell about men: we cannot reconcile our arousal and our compassion. In other words, the lie says we can’t truly respect what we also desire." 


It's pretty sad to think that men can't reconcile their dicks with their ethics. Like Schweizer, I'm a believer that men have the capacity to be aroused by a woman's body while honoring her humanity. Is this such a stretch? I don't think so. I urge you- men, women, and everyone inbetween- to get your slut on. Not just in support of women, but in support of humanity. 

I look forward to channeling my inner slut-princess with gold lamé, tiaras, and a whole lotta body glitter at Slutwalk LA. My ensemble will look something like this:

Probably not what my parents had in mind when they asked me if I wanted to be a parade princess, but this is a special parade and I am a very special princess.