Hundreds of men don high heels to protest against rape

Hundreds of men — and even a 2-year-old boy — struggled to stay upright as they walked a mile in high-heeled women's shoes Saturday morning in downtown Lubbock.

The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes men's march to stop rape, sexual assault and violence, benefiting Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, had more than 250 men and women strutting around the Lubbock County Courthouse.

Father and son Gary and Jake Garcia walked hand-in-hand as they balanced in their platform shoes.

Gary Garcia, wearing a pair of maroon heels with homemade lace-adorned socks, was an old pro.

Saturday's walk was his third time to participate in the fourth annual event.

But 25-month-old Jake seemed to struggle as he toddled along in his silver heels covered in sparkles.

His parents said he initially seemed eager to join his dad.

"But I worry this might traumatize him when he sees pictures later when he's older," his mother, Angela Garcia, said with a smile.

The toddler was being pushed on a red tricycle by his father during the last half of the one-mile walk around the court house.

Gary Garcia said he's supported the walk for three years because the center provides an important service to Lubbock's victims of sexual assault.

"I think there's a lot of rape going on in this city and the center helps men and women come forward," he said.

The event serves as the only fundraiser of the year for the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, said Leslie Timmons, community educator and volunteer coordinator for the center.

Even though seeing men struggle in heels can be a humorous sight, she said the event aims to raise awareness of a problem that affected more than 300 people in Lubbock last year alone.

"It's a light-hearted event — we don't want to bum anybody out — to bring attention to the serious topic of sexual assault," Timmons said.

She said the event features men because it's important men are seen in a positive light.

"We want to get men involved to change the perception from men who are perpetrators to men who are those who prevent sexual assaults," Timmons said.

Walter "Red" Paschal, also a three-year-participant in the walk, said he slipped into a pair of shiny red heels on Saturday as a show of solidarity against rape.

"There are some sick men in the world that abuse women," he said, "and I enjoy what this benefits by helping those women and the Rape Crisis Center."

But as a regular tennis-shoe wearer, making the walk in heels has been no easy task, he said.

Asked how the heels compared with his normal shoes, Paschal said the difference was simple.

"High heels hurt and tennis shoes don't," he said with a chuckle.

Pashcal said he fancied the heels nonetheless.

"They look great," he said, "and they call me ‘Red' and they're red."

Before the walk began, Lubbock City Councilman Todd Klein read a proclamation recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

He praised the Rape Crisis Center's efforts in supporting victims of sexual assault.

And he rooted-on the more than 200 men waiting to walk a mile in heels.

Klein recalled his high-heeled walk in the event last year and "how horribly painful that was" for his feet.

"I would suggest you elevate them in ice like you ran a marathon," he told the crowd.

Last year's walk raised approximately $26,000.

Though a tally from the 2011 fundraiser wasn't available Saturday afternoon, Timmons said more people and teams participated in this year's event than in the 2010 walk.