We learned today that a series of permits that needed to be filed for SlutWalk Los Angeles were not filed. The kind cooperation of the City of West Hollywood means that they have now been filed. But due to the size of our march (now exceeding 3500 people) we will need off-duty sheriff’s deputies to provide security. After negotiating with the sheriff’s department, we’ve gotten a great deal — but still need to come up with $2000 by (gulp) tomorrow. We’ve already had several nice donations, for which I’m grateful.

Due to the lateness of the hour, the way to give is via PayPal to our email account: slutwalkla@gmail.com Even $5 helps!

Any monies received in excess of our costs will be donated to our affiliated charities.

With the end of the semester fast approaching and several other irons in the fire, I haven’t had the time for blogging I’d hoped to have. And this week, I’m focused on organizing for SlutWalk LA, which goes off this Saturday at noon in West Hollywood Park. (Our press release is here). As of this morning, we have 3400 confirmed RSVPs via Facebook, and are still hoping for far more to join us.

The controversy over SlutWalk (both about the possibility of reclaiming the word “slut” and the larger message of the march itself) has grown exponentially.

My colleague on the SlutWalk LA organizing team, Katie Landers, will debate the F-Word’s Meghan Murphy tonight on KPFK’s Feminist Magazine program (at 7:00PDT). I’m pleased that most of my fellow organizers have gotten radio and press time as well as we promote this event that has become something of a cultural lightning rod.

I’ve taken the expected flak for my role as an organizer. At this point, I’m used to it; as the kids say, the “haters be hatin’.” Though the ad hominem attacks are as familiar as they are both tiresome and ineffective, they did raise one particular issue worth touching on: the role of sex workers and their allies in SlutWalk. Continue reading →