Event organizers used large red umbrellas to attempt to cover and hide the Zioness signs. Zioness Movement. On Saturday afternoon, approximately progressive activists attended the annual SlutWalk Chicago. Controversy surrounding SlutWalk Chicago began long before the first speaker grabbed the megaphone.
Organizers declared Dyke March an anti-Zionist event and removed the Jewish activists even though they did not display anything advocating for Israel. Bring symbols of resistance, but leave symbols of nationalism and oppression at home. According to attorney Amanda Berman, Jews and supporters of Israel have found themselves unwelcome in the progressive movement. Meanwhile, we are excluded based on our innate characteristics.
As the noon event got underway, the presence of the Zioness progressives could be felt throughout the event. They, like us, were true progressives, there to fight oppression, rape culture, slut-shaming and victim blaming, and they were not interested in playing politics with so many important issues on the line. Event organizers used large red umbrellas in an attempt to cover and hide the Zioness signs that featured a woman wearing a Star of David necklace.
The Zioness attendees at times found themselves the target of vulgarities. While the Zioness progressives stood firm, they and the rest of the attendees were subjected to numerous speeches that prioritized bashing Israel over condemning slut-shaming. Gay Liberation Network co-founder Andy Thayer used his time to criticize the United States, Christians and especially the Jewish state, with the liberal use of fallacies:. We have a particular responsibility in this country not only to speak against militarism in general but also the oppression of Palestinians on their own land.
During his seven-minute falsehood-laden rant, Thayer failed to address the issues of rape culture and sexual violence that SlutWalk Chicago was founded on in To her credit, Scout did manage to at least mention freedom in the context of gender identity and sexuality.
