Men Walk Main Street in a Painful Fashion

Real men wear stilettos.

At least, that was the case this past Saturday on the streets of Westminster. The third annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event was held to benefit Rape Crisis Intervention Services (RCIS) of Carroll County. Male participants took a mile-long walk down Main Street wearing women’s high-heeled shoes.

“I was blown away as I watched the male faculty members and students of McDaniel College walking. I did not expect to react emotionally to the walk, but I did. A sense of gratitude, of vindication and validation overwhelmed me,” said McDaniel College senior Olivia Sykes.

Sykes, a social work major, is a member of the Social Work Action Team (SWAT) at the college and promoted the event around campus and throughout the community.

Sykes was one of hundreds who volunteer to make this event a success.

“RCIS provides free counseling and support services to victims of sexual violence and their families,” said Sarah Hund-Brown, community educator for the RCIS. “We offer prevention education programs and professional training in order to eliminate sexual violence through education and advocacy.”

Groups of men from many different local organizations participated in the painful walk to show their support for affirmative action against rape. Timeout Sports Grille, Buffalo Wild Wings and McDaniel sports teams, among others, all strapped on ladies' shoes and stampeded the streets, carrying signs that read “Real Men Don’t Rape” and “Rape Hurts Us All.”

“Having men walk in women’s shoes is great,” said McDaniel sophomore Diego Weiner, a 6’2", 240-pound linebacker for the football team. “It gives guys perspective of how painful it is!”

Weiner understood that all the pain was worth the gain in the end. “It’s a great cause, knowing someone who has gone through it, I really know how important help can be,” said Weiner.

“For me, I think it's about being understood,” Sykes said. “Rape and sexual violence are not just a women's issues. Women are your sisters, your mothers and aunts, your friends and girlfriends, and your wives and your daughters. Walking is a physical and symbolic way for men to say, ‘I am a witness to this violence, and instead of walking away, I will meet you there.’”

“This is an event to show the community that men have a voice when it comes to speaking up against sexual violence,” said Hund-Brown. “This event gives them an opportunity to use that voice to let the community know that there are good men out there who care about women and are here to support them.”

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