What, you thought the Ford family crazy was reserved for Rob and Doug Ford? Nope! Turns out there’s more of them waiting in the wings. Krista Ford, who’s Rob Ford’s niece, took to Twitter recently to tell women how to stay safe. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best advice.
“Stay alert, walk tall, carry mace, take self-defence classes & don’t dress like a whore,” Ford wrote Wednesday evening, adding hashtags “#DontBeAVictim” and “#StreetSmart.”
She’s since removed the tweet and posted this apology:
“I didn’t mean to cause such an alarm and I apologize if I did. I just want women to be safe.”
You know, the sad thing is she probably had some good intentions, but unfortunately . . . Well, I kind of get the feeling the message we should be sending isn’t “women need to dress a certain way” so much as “DON’T RAPE PEOPLE.” Or at the very least, “No means no.”
In response to the tweet, comedian Alice Moran wrote an open letter to Krista and slut-shamers in general, and if you have a minute, give it a read because it’s absolutely fantastic:
Dear a lot of people, but specifically Ms Krista Ford,
In advance I’d like to say I am sorry.
This is not the ideal situation to first acquaint oneself with someone and I am mortified. Sorry! However, under the circumstance, I feel like you owe me a moment of your time, even though we’ve never met.
The circumstance being you called me a whore.
I should clarify: I’m one of the victims of the recent string of sexual assaults in the Annex. ‘Sup? It’s nice to make your acquaintance.
So, you’ve called me a whore. Here we are. This is awkward now, isn’t it? You’re probably wondering if I’m going to challenge you on having been a member of Lingerie League. I’m not, because I’d never slut-shame another woman. I believe you have a right to your body and regardless of how you do or don’t dress it I believe you have a right to respect and personal security. I guess that’s the key difference in our thinking. You could wear a t-shirt that says “I’m literally asking for it” and I’d still advocate for your security.
That’s what I’m asking for this brief moment of your day, for your edification. You’re a woman and you should know that your body is yours and yours alone. No matter how you dress it, you have a right — an actual Charter of Rights and Freedom right — to not be sexually assaulted. You are entitled to life, liberty and the security of person. Welcome to Canada — you live here! If you weren’t aware of your Charter rights, other Canadian things you may have missed out on are double-doubles, good maple syrup, and Beachcombers*, so check that s— out.
For the record, I was sexually assaulted while wearing a knee-length polka-dot dress. The last time I wore that dress, it was to Easter dinner at my Gran’s, where I’m fairly certain I could make little to no money whoring.
With due respect / sorry,
Alice Moran
Canadian / Comedian / Beachcombers Enthusiast
*I love Beachcombers.
(H/T The Star)
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