Graz Walking Month: Feminism for Boys & Girls tour

On this Tuesday tour, we explore how women and men, girls and boys use public space differently, and what this tells us about gender justice and Graz.

The origins of the walk are useful to understand. In 2019, Eugene was asked by Amira Ben Saoud of feminist seminar, Rrriot Conference, to make a tour for their meeting in Vienna. We first made it, Persy Bulayumi and me, for Vienna Walking Week, as a liberation experiment, showing men how exciting and important feminism is for us.

Since then, we have made it for many school groups, and now adapt the approach to Graz, as part of the city's colourful programme for Walking Month. We will cross the river, and look at mixed neighbourhoods, to show the contrasts.

Eugene grew up as a feminist boy and man, and recognises that we need city-planning and budget decisions which are inclusive and involve just as many women and men. Most cities are built by men for men, and we need to fight against this. New street names in Graz will focus on important women in history, who are too often neglected when history is told. Are the streets safe for single women and girls, is free childcare available, or is the city turbo-capitalist? Architecture here is mostly built on a human scale, with fewer phallic glass and steel towers.

We want to show the potential for boys - and men - to embrace their full personality, including the freedom to explore less binary roles and responsibilities. In this sense, the tour is a humorous and joyful experience, full of storytelling. Girls and women are of course welcome on the walk, but our focus is on opening up feminist ideas for the other half of the population, who may be less familiar with the subject. The future is female, and women's issues do not just affect women. We want to teach our boys that sensitivity is a super power, and empathy makes them powerful. Toxic masculinity leads to violence, disrespect, suicide and poor friendships. Modern workplaces require respect and curiosity, and there are few jobs available for violent men. A subtext for this tour is how to find a girlfriend, if you want one, since few women like macho behaviour, and a majority want respect, love, dialogue and support.

Graz is of course a city led by several female politicians. We will visit a park, public transport, residential streets, a market, betting shop, bar and gym. Whoosh made a tour about Hedy Lamarr in 2022, Johanna Dohnal in 2023, Toni Spira in 2024, and in 2025 showed the exciting and revolutionary role Eva Kail has played in changing the look and feel of Vienna. In 2026, our focus is on Wilde Wanda, who gave her name to the band. Whoosh celebrates a modern city, and tells new (often feminist) stories.