Teh One Who Knocks
10-13-2015, 10:59 AM
By L.L. Brasier, Detroit Free Press
http://i.imgur.com/uQfVJYO.jpg
Some teetered and staggered, others stumbled and tripped, but more than forty men — all wearing high heels — raced, well, limped their way through a southwest Detroit neighborhood, part of a "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" rally to show their support in the fight against domestic violence.
Rico Razo, the winner of the short race around the Community Health and Social Services Center, crawled the last few yards on his knees, rolled over on his back at the finish line, and said "Oh man, call a doctor."
"I felt like I ran a marathon even before it began," said Razo, who was there to represent his boss, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and had been walking around in his high heels greeting people before the race.
"The mayor understands this is an important cause," Razo said.
Duggan, he said, sent him since "the mayor doesn't look good in heels."
Neither did the other forty men participating.
Some wore dress suits with the heels, lending an incongruous GQ meets Vogue look, others wore shorts and black men's socks.
Another had purple socks pulled up over his hairy legs to match his purple pumps.
One wore fishnet stockings.
Detroit Police officer Alfonso Ruiz, assigned to the event, decided at the last minute to participate and ended up in a size-12 red pump.
"It makes me appreciate how hard it is to wear these things," he said. "But please make sure everybody knows I've never worn pumps before."
There were hundreds of people there to cheer the men on, and several group sponsors at the community health center, on West Fort Street, which helps provide health care and other services in southwest Detroit.
The walk was organized by LA VIDA, a program at the center that helps counsel domestic violence victims, along with the Women's Association of Verizon Employees. Participants had to raise a minimum $100, which also covered the cost of their shoes. A final tally was not available Saturday.
The shoes were purchased by LA VIDA from online shoe supplier Le Dame, which specializes in "serving the fashionable feminine market," by providing transgender men and others with high heels, boots and platform shoes in men's sizes.
LA VIDA executive director Dolores Hernandez said the men and their willingness to don the high heels — and endure some discomfort — send an important message to the community.
"These men help make this very powerful," she said. "It tells us that they, too, are here to help. Some of the men hope to pass the message down."
Francisco Espino of Royal Oak brought his 6-year-old son, Javier. "I'm here because I want to teach my son how important it is to respect women," he said.
"He has a mother, a little sister and he needs to know these things."
Javier, in a Spiderman hat, declined to talk about his father's red shoes.
http://i.imgur.com/uQfVJYO.jpg
Some teetered and staggered, others stumbled and tripped, but more than forty men — all wearing high heels — raced, well, limped their way through a southwest Detroit neighborhood, part of a "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" rally to show their support in the fight against domestic violence.
Rico Razo, the winner of the short race around the Community Health and Social Services Center, crawled the last few yards on his knees, rolled over on his back at the finish line, and said "Oh man, call a doctor."
"I felt like I ran a marathon even before it began," said Razo, who was there to represent his boss, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and had been walking around in his high heels greeting people before the race.
"The mayor understands this is an important cause," Razo said.
Duggan, he said, sent him since "the mayor doesn't look good in heels."
Neither did the other forty men participating.
Some wore dress suits with the heels, lending an incongruous GQ meets Vogue look, others wore shorts and black men's socks.
Another had purple socks pulled up over his hairy legs to match his purple pumps.
One wore fishnet stockings.
Detroit Police officer Alfonso Ruiz, assigned to the event, decided at the last minute to participate and ended up in a size-12 red pump.
"It makes me appreciate how hard it is to wear these things," he said. "But please make sure everybody knows I've never worn pumps before."
There were hundreds of people there to cheer the men on, and several group sponsors at the community health center, on West Fort Street, which helps provide health care and other services in southwest Detroit.
The walk was organized by LA VIDA, a program at the center that helps counsel domestic violence victims, along with the Women's Association of Verizon Employees. Participants had to raise a minimum $100, which also covered the cost of their shoes. A final tally was not available Saturday.
The shoes were purchased by LA VIDA from online shoe supplier Le Dame, which specializes in "serving the fashionable feminine market," by providing transgender men and others with high heels, boots and platform shoes in men's sizes.
LA VIDA executive director Dolores Hernandez said the men and their willingness to don the high heels — and endure some discomfort — send an important message to the community.
"These men help make this very powerful," she said. "It tells us that they, too, are here to help. Some of the men hope to pass the message down."
Francisco Espino of Royal Oak brought his 6-year-old son, Javier. "I'm here because I want to teach my son how important it is to respect women," he said.
"He has a mother, a little sister and he needs to know these things."
Javier, in a Spiderman hat, declined to talk about his father's red shoes.