The London Abused Women’s Centre has announced it is withdrawing its support of this year’s Take Back The Night march after organizers asked for feedback on the possible inclusion of a pole-fitness demonstration.
The request for feedback was on the Facebook page of the Women’s Events Committee, which organizes the Take Back The Night march and rally.
In the Facebook post that went online Sunday night, the WEC asks for “respectful and thoughtful input” on a proposal to allow The Pole House to do a pole-fitness demonstration before Thursday’s march.
“The reason WEC would like to invite this alternative form of fitness to be present is that it is body-positive, sex-positive, active, fun, and carries the benefits of any form of exercise, which is a great way for women to reclaim their bodies and stay healthy and fit,” the Facebook post says.
But the London Abused Women’s Centre is objecting to both the possible inclusion of a pole-fitness demonstration and the way the consultation was done. In a statement released Monday morning, it says the request for input was too late and set up in a way that did not welcome dissent.
“This does not allow proper time for community feedback,” the statement says. “Moreover, the consultation was framed in a way where pole-fitness was stated to be ‘body-positive’ and ’empowering.’ No alternative viewpoint was provided.”
Heather Wharram, program manager at LAWC, says including a pole-fitness demonstration at an event that is meant to empower women just doesn’t fit.
“If you look at the context of Take Back the Night, it’s supposed to be for safety and the promotion of equality for women”, she says. “In that context, having pole fitness is antithetical to what it stands for and its purpose. Pole fitness came from pole dancing in strip clubs and strip clubs are places where women’s bodies are on display for men. They’re there to be leered at and groped and they are presented as objects for men’s sexual gratification. You cannot separate pole fitness from the context of pole dancing.”
While a decision has not been made by the Women’s Events Committee on whether The Pole House will be allowed to do a demonstration on Thursday, Wharram isn’t sure LAWC will change its stance.
“I think we would have to discuss that because it is absolutely also about how the consultation went about. It was last-minute, it was dismissive of the alternative viewpoint, and it was framed in a way that didn’t really allow for people who are uncomfortable with this and disagreed with this to come forward,” she says.
Annalise Trudell, Manager of Education and Outreach with Sexual Assault Centre London, says it's unfortunate LAWC has decided to pull out of Take Back The Night.
"There is a sense of disappointment that the issue has become about the politics that we all hold rather than coming together in solidarity to support women reclaiming the night," Trudell says. "It's become divisive rather than uniting, which is the original intent of Take Back The Night."
There is a real concern, she says, that the message of the march and rally may be diminished by the disagreements over whether a pole fitness demonstration is appropriate.
"It's important to call attention to the issue that one of three women will experience sexual violence in her life time," Trudell says. "There are spaces and times that it is still very unsafe to be female identified in Canada and that we all agree upon that and we all need to call attention to that. For me there is a danger in some of the rhetoric around this political issue and actually doing harm to some women. Some women find empowerment through pole dancing, some women don't and find it oppressive. There is a history around pole dancing and there is a reclamation around pole dancing for some women. Both of those are truths and we need to hold safety and space for all women to come under the umbrella."
Despite the disagreement, Trudell doesn't expect relationships between LAWC and other agencies to suffer.
"We worked amazingly together up until this point. We offer services to the same women, to the same folks in different ways," Trudell says. "We cross-referral to each other. That will continue. I don't want this to reflect upon the partnerships that we have. We do represent different sides of issues at different points and those are important advocacy moments. But, at the end of the day, both of our agencies centre the experiences of women. We are both there to support women."
The Take Back The Night march and rally will be held Thursday. It begins at 5:30pm at Victoria Park with a gathering. A rally will follow at 6:45pm, while the march is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm.
