Just this past Saturday, Thomas Paine Plaza was flooded with over 1,000 feminist activists and supporters for Philly’s March to End Rape Culture. Many walked around topless, some wore tight-fitting, short dresses which are the garments that rape is often blamed on, and others wore the clothes that they were wearing when they were sexually assaulted. What did I wear this weekend amongst the sea of half-naked, beautiful, powerful activists? You guessed it! A Thor costume.

It’s strange to think that cosplaying Thor is a multifaceted and complex decision or functions as anything more significant than simply demonstrating an admiration for a fictional character. Thor is the god of thunder, child of Oden, heir to the throne of Asgard, and owner of a powerful hammer called Mjolnir that can both create force fields and destroy anything in its path. It’s simple — Thor is kickass, who wouldn’t want to dress up as this demigod? But being Thor this past weekend was as symbolic and as substantial for me as the march itself.

The March to End Rape Culture is an annual march through center city raising awareness about rape culture and how it affects everyone in society today. This event will be a monumental occasion for Philadelphian’s to learn about the widespread issues related to rape culture and what can be done to put an end to it. It is also a supportive and empowering place for survivors of rape and abuse to speak out and discover local resources that are ready and willing to help everyone overcome the obstacles that society has placed in front of them. Lastly, the march is the perfect opportunity for allies to join with survivors in taking a stand against rape culture and say ENOUGH!

“Sluts are like unicorns: They are both imaginary concepts.”

“My clothes are not my consent.”

“Only yes means yes.”

The participants of Saturday’s March to End Rape Culture carried signs speaking out against sexual violence and objectification. More than 500 Philadelphians, 50 Penn students among them, gathered at Love Park to protest rape culture. The Philadelphia march, formerly known as the SlutWalk, started in Toronto in 2011 as a response to police comment that women should avoid dressing like “sluts” to avoid unwanted sexual attention. It has since spread to cities around the U.S. and the world.

As I enter the Thomas Paine Plaza at City Hall, I immediately see a swarm of people. According to CBS, about 1,000 people showed up to The March to End Rape Culture protest, formerly known as the Slutwalk, on September 27th.

I’d heard of The March to End Rape Culture before, but this was the first time I attended one of their events. It was an event I’ll never forget. Despite the seriousness of the protest, the atmosphere was so welcoming; everyone was happy to share a common goal to stop victim blaming and raise awareness of rape culture in our society. For those that do not know, rape culture is defined as when rape and other acts of sexual violence is considered the norm in a society.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A week after the Obama administration launches a new effort to combat sexual assault on college campuses, Philadelphia organizers are gearing up for the annual March Against Rape Culture.

Participants say attention to the issue is long overdue and organizer Christie Eastburn agrees:

“We’ve been aware of this problem for a long time and it’s just now getting media attention.”

Originally called “The Slut Walk,” it began four years ago after police at a Toronto university told coeds to “stop dressing like sluts” to avoid rape.

“Those words really ignited fire in a lot of people,” says Eastburn.

This year’s March to End Rape Culture (formerly known as SlutWalk Philadelphia) on September 27 will be the most collaborative march in the event’s history. The march this year has the most co-sponsors, speakers, and volunteers than any other year, according to lead organizer Christie Eastburn.

“The Philadelphia SlutWalk chapter rebranded as the ‘March to End Rape Culture’ last year in an effort to be more inclusive and to diversify its participants, sponsorship, and volunteers,” said Eastburn in an email.

“In addition to being a less polarizing name for the event, the rebranding of the SlutWalk into The March to End Rape Culture also helps in broadening the scope of issues that are addressed in relation to rape culture beyond just focusing on victim blaming and slut shaming.”

Queer 2 The T sits with organizers of "The March To End Rape Culture" (formerly SlutWalk) to chat about stigmas and hope for humanity!

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – About 1,000 people turned out for the annual “March to End Rape Culture” in Center City Saturday at Thomas Paine Plaza.

The event started in 2011 as the “slut walk,” which was a march to reclaim that word and spread awareness about rape culture.

Co-organizer Sarah Muhl says the name of the event was changed — the goal being to bring awareness about why so many feel oppressed or unsafe:

“We here in Philly found that name wasn’t very inclusive of all races and genders, so we changed it last year to ‘March to End Rape Culture’ and in doing that, we have gained a lot of following.”

Yesterday afternoon, residents, workers and tourists alike stood witness to a barrage of at least 600 people, some in just bras and stocking, passionately marching through the street of Center City in the March to End Rape Culture.

Dianne Graeser, a 28-year-old mother-to-be, said she drove two and a half hours with her sister and daughter to participate in the march.

“We make this our yearly trip to Philadelphia and you know, it’s just really something I believe in,” she said, donning a sparkly, purple bra. “Some of the bystanders watching us hoothaw and catcall at us and it’s totally inappropriate.”