Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Moxley, Kathy" <>]

This link is to an article outlining some of the concerns raised by this event.  In addition to the problems around gender stereotypes, some in the trans* community and allies have found it to be offensive.

http://gas.sagepub.com/content/24/1/5

Kathy Fahl Moxley, ACSW, LCSW

Director, Women's Outreach Center

Coordinator, Sexual Assault Response Team

University of Oklahoma

900 Asp Ave., Room 247

Norman, OK 73019

405-325-5352

405-325-7493

From: Mandy Mount <>
Date: Monday, February 10, 2014 11:21 AM
To: "Pleasants, Robert" <>, "" <>
Subject: RE: Alternatives to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

Good morning,

Our Greek organizations were committed to putting on the program, although we had some of the same concerns. We worked with them to create some language for the event, and some “talking points” for anyone affiliated with its planning.

Below are some of the talking points the group developed. I hope you find them to be helpful.

 

 

WHAT: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

HOST: Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Program, CARE’s Greek Leadership Program

HISTORY: Each year, an ever-increasing number of individuals participate in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes which is The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence. This event is an opportunity to raise awareness about the serious epidemic of sexual violence and highlight the importance of men being a part of the solution.

This event also provides the opportunity to consider the role of gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes are part of the social fabric and take the form of seldom-questioned, socially shared beliefs and images. Heels are an example of the way our society has constructed gender. For many people of varying gender identities and expressions, these labels are incredibly harmful and prevent them from being themselves. Instead, many people are forced into categories that are not representative of the beautiful variation that human bodies actually come in.

PURPOSE:

• To create a powerful public experience that educates individuals and communities about the epidemic of sexual violence and the role they can play in prevention.

• To consider how the role of gender stereotypes impacts rape culture.

• To challenge sexism and heteronormativity through dialogue and action.

• To understand that anyone can be a survivor regardless of race, class, age, appearance, gender, or sexual orientation.

• To build a community of allies and advocates.

• To provide a safe and open space where anyone who has experienced sexual violence knows that they are not alone and there are resources to support them.

 

A piece on gender constructions:

Gender is a very personal topic, since we all experience the social pressure to conform to specific cultural conventions (Kilmartin, 2009).

Gender signs and signals are so ubiquitous that we usually fail to note them- unless they are missing or ambiguous. This typically means that we may feel uncomfortable until we have successfully placed an individual in a gender status or box; otherwise, we feel socially dislocated (Lorber, 1994). Gender roles also include norms, which are prescriptive and proscriptive. These are beliefs about how individuals should be (prescriptive) and about how they should not be (proscriptive).

Connection to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes:

The stereotype of the high heel serves to highlight the oppression under which women have suffered. Women's feet are not constructed in a way that makes women's heels more comfortable. They are the same as men's and yet we accept these as indicating femininity. We expect women to wear them and we put pressure on men not to. This is an example of the way we keep people in gendered boxes. The VIP Greek Leadership Program rejects these constructions.

People may laugh at the sight of men in heels. In fact, people who are perceived as male put on heels, and there is an assumption made that they are queer/gay/transgender. And as a culture we still devalue these identities and see them as less adequate than men who don't wear heels. They are seen as weak somehow, or feminine. The use of gender norms to police appearance, clothing, hair length, and even use of voice to control what is perceived artificially as maleness or femaleness, is misogynistic, and often homophobic and transphobic. It is important to recognize how this actually reinforces stereotypes. In no way are these men walking in women's shoes and understanding what it is like to be a woman. We actually hurt women by expecting them to wear heels, as they can be harmful to them. We should not be doing this to people just to keep them in gender boxes. We ask you to consider how gender conformity is unequal in cost, comfort, or how it objectifies a person and renders them as a sexual being. Further, these assumptions and cultural norms harm our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, transgender, intersex, friends and family when we link sexual orientation and gender _expression_ to a limited view of gender normativity such as who wears what kind of shoes. Bottom line: gender norms hurt us all.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a serious program working to end the very serious epidemic of rape and sexual assault on campus. The goal of this program is to embrace the idea that heels should not simply be assigned to women, but they are fluid.

The VIP Program has the goal of providing a safe space to inspire and take action on campus. UCI students don high heels and walk to the University Town Center and back to the UCI Student Center. They take a public stand against violence that occurs every day. We hope that you support their efforts. We invite you to come and walk along side of them and demonstrate your solidarity.

 

 

Very best,

Mandy

Mandy K. Mount, Ph.D., Director
UCI Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE)
Chair, UCI Women’s Empowerment Initiative
G320 Student Center
Irvine, CA 92697-2220 

Phone: (949) 824-7273
www.care.uci.edu

Please Note: Communication on the Internet is not secure.   Third parties may view and store your confidential communication. For this reason, no personal counseling may take place via e-mail, and I ask that you do not send, by email, information which you consider confidential. Furthermore, I cannot ensure that your message on the internet will be received or responded to promptly.   Should you experience an emergency or have an urgent need that requires prompt response, please call me at the number above.  If I am unavailable, you may contact Community Service Program's 24 hour helpline at (949) 931-9110 or call the UCI campus police at (949) 824-5223. Thank you.

 

From: Pleasants, Robert []
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2014 8:14 AM
To:
Subject: Alternatives to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

 

Hi all,

 

We’ve had student organizations who want us to partner in “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” events on campus in the past, and while the events tend to raise good publicity, they have the potential to do so at the expense of promoting gender stereotypes—and in the worst case scenario, even making fun of women.

 

Does anyone have experience with alternatives and/or modifications to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes that they would be willing to share?

Many thanks,

-bob

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Pleasants, Ph.D.

Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator, Student Wellness

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

(919) 962-9355

 

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