A Peaceful Yoga Pants Parade recently marched through Barrington, RI, to protest sexism and body shaming perpetrated by men. Inspired by a letter to the editor published in the local newspaper, The Barrington Times, parade organizer Jamie Patrice explained on the event's Facebook page that "while yoga pants seem to be a silly thing to fight for, they are representative of something much bigger — misogyny and the history of men policing womens [sic] bodies."
On Wednesday, the newspaper published a letter from Barrington resident Alan Sorrentino in which he declares, "Not since the miniskirt has there been something worn by so many women who should never have it on in the first place." Paging that slut-shaming all-male Fox News panel who drew similar conclusions about leggings in 2015.
Armchair fashion critic Sorrentino continued, urging "mature, adult women" to stop wearing yoga pants in public, because "the unforgiving perspective they provide, inappropriate for general consumption, TMI, or the spector [sic] of someone coping poorly with their weight or advancing age."
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Telling Yahoo! Style she was "shocked" the paper published the blatantly sexist letter, Patrice, who lives in Providence, RI, decided to organize the parade in response.
“I want women of all ages shapes and sizes to know that it is okay to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable,” Patrice told the site. “And I thought a peaceful walk down Alan’s street was a great way to gather in comfort and draw attention to a body-positive movement.”
The event page also encouraged participants to bring menstrual products to donate to a local domestic violence agency, Sojourner House.
Meanwhile, letter-writer Sorrentino asked for the parade to be called off and told local news outlet WPRO he's received death threats since the backlash began.
"It’s vicious and intimidating,” Sorrentino told WPRO. “The fact that this is seen as an appropriate reaction to something I wrote in the paper is really disgusting.”
Nonetheless, the Peaceful Yoga Parade commenced on Sunday as planned.