ConsentFest Saskatoon was started in 2011 by a group of community volunteers. Following in the steps of Toronto’s SlutWalk movement, we wanted to address issues of sexual assault and victim blaming. At our first planning session, the subject of the controversial nature of SlutWalk was discussed at length. Our team decided that, while SW is a valuable movement for many reasons, it also has its weaknesses-chief among them being how it fails to address the ways in which race and class intersect with gender and sex-negativity to contribute to sexual violence.
We wanted to find a way to combine the radical and exciting nature of SlutWalk with a more accessible event that targeted the specific needs of our community and made space to expand upon the conversations started by the SlutWalk movement. Thus, ConsentFest was born.
ConsentFest 2011 was planned as a day-long event, combining a SlutWalk with a day in the park where entertainers and speakers could make their messages heard. While the walk itself was a resounding success, we had not created a weather contingency plan, which was kind of silly considering that we are in Saskatchewan. ConsentFest was rained out early in the day. However, we received a lot of positive feedback and it became clear to us that this type of event was something Saskatoon wanted to see.
Planning for ConsentFest 2012 is underway, with an expanded event spanning three days and safeguards in place to make sure we are not at the whims of nature. Join us on May 24, 25, and 26 to contribute to the discussion and participate in the fun!