Walk the Talk: SlutWalk’s Heather Jarvis & Sonya JF Barnett on TEDTalks
By now, you might be wondering what a couple of sluts are doing talking about viruses…
Watch this powerful TedTalk by Heather Jarvis and Sonya JF Barnett.
“People think calling someone a “slut” lasts a moment. It can last a lifetime, and change an entire life course. We have to be accountable to what we say, because before slut walk we knew that there were thousands of people wanting to fight this, and now we know that there are thousands more. We can stop the spread of this virus. So the next time you hear someone being called a word meant to dehumanize them, think about what you just witnessed. You just witnessed the transmission of a damaging idea that is NOT worth spreading.”
– Heather Jarvis
From TedTalk:
Heather Jarvis is a queer, sex- and body-positive feminist. With experience in gender studies, social work and community activism she has spent several years supporting and initiating projects around gender equality, sexual education, supporting marginalized communities and safer spaces for support. She co-founded SlutWalk in early 2011, a small idea that began in Toronto to fight sexual violence and has since spread across the world. Described as an eternal optimist by some who know her, Heather refuses to believe things cannot change.
Over the years, Sonya JF Barnett has been championing women’s sexual rights in a variety of ways. In 2009, she founded The Keyhole Sessions as a safe and welcoming community for artists to experience the marriage between sex and art. In early 2011, she coined the term SlutWalk and became Co-founder of SlutWalk Toronto as a way to combat victim-blaming, slut-shaming and sexual profiling. An activist and advocate for sex positivity, she’s got a clean conscience, but a filthy mind.
The fourth annual TEDxToronto conference took place on October 26, 2012 at The Sony Centre for Performing Arts. Celebrating the theme of Alchemy, this year’s speakers demonstrated that “intellectual chemistry” can be the catalyst for exceptional ideas and profound change. Learn more about the event and it’s speakers at TEDxToronto.com.
