TeePublic responds - but we're not buying it!

*Content warning*

Last Friday we launched a new campaign against online apparel company TeePublic for selling harmful and degrading clothing, including onesies for infants, with slogans glorifying violence against women and exploitation of children. We found countless onesies depicting women being choked, bound, handcuffed, on a leash and chained up.

"Choke me - it's the only way I learn." On a baby onesie - and plenty more like it. @TeePublic is using babies as a vehicle for promoting the sexualised abuse of women. @Martin_Hosking any response?@collectiveshout https://t.co/48FqCHWgTB pic.twitter.com/VV0wWJv1Ok

— Caitlin Roper (@caitlin_roper) February 23, 2024

Supporters swiftly took to social media to call out TeePublic for turning a blind eye to the sexualisation of children and profiting off the degradation and abuse of women.

We recently shared to Facebook the latest Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission, Sadism, and Masochism (BDSM) style posters hanging in Honey Birdette's shop windows for school holidays. We intentionally added blurred sections across the chest and genital region before posting. As a campaigning movement it is important to our strategy that we alert supporters when there is an ad that needs calling out. 

The post read: 

Westfield partners with p*rn giant for back to school child grooming - take action!

Content warning - *we have censored the ad

Our Engagement Coordinator Coralie Alison spotted this graphic p*rn themed Honey Birdette ad at a Westfield shopping centre while back-to-school shopping with young children.

The Playboy-owned s*x shop window ad - labelled ‘Stephanie Black’ - features near naked women in cut-out bondage wear that exposes their genital region. One is topless, wearing nipple pasties.

The shopping centre is currently running kids’ school holiday activities and other promos enticing parents to come purchase children’s school supplies.

Last year Ad Standards upheld community complaints against a similar shop window ad for the ‘Stephanie’ bondage range.

*Take action: Tell Westfield to pull Honey Birdette’s BDSM-p*rn themed ad

Contact Westfield ANZ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestfieldANZ?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westfieldanz

X: https://x.com/scentregroup?s=21&t=RcbohD8QJxBvbAh0SLE1VA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scentre-group/

Let us know if you get a response.

We then got alerted by Facebook that our post had violated their Community Standards on adult sexual solicitation. We were even warned that our account may be restricted or disabled. 

Yet Honey Birdette's post (without blurring) was still able to be up on Facebook for anyone 13 and older to see. 

We disagreed with Facebook's decision and asked for an appeal. 

Our appeal was reviewed and our original post was found to not be in violation of Facebook's Community Standards and was reinstated. 

We (a small charity challenging sexual exploitation) were targeted by Meta (a trillion dollar company) whilst Playboy owned sex shop Honey Birdette wasn't.   

We have also lodged a complaint with Ad Standards and will update our supporters as soon as the Panel makes a determination. We encourage all community members concerned about the pornification of shop front window displays to write to their Shopping Centre management and to lodge their own complaint with Ad Standards. You can lodge a complaint here.

Originally published in the Daily Telegraph

A “kink and BDSM-inspired” mural in the Sydney CBD of a “furry” leather-bondage man with a teddy bear head has been slammed for being “inappropriate” and “creepy” in a public space.

The painting, created on a Wynyard street wall by “YCK Laneways”, a consortium promoting local shops in nearby streets, is part of the WorldPride festival, but has been likened to the recent Balenciaga fashion house scandal linking adult sex themes to children.

Online reaction to the image, depicting an overweight man with bondage straps laying on a rainbow flag on a couch with a bear and the logo “YC Gay” was scathing, with some calling for it to be removed.

Grassroots campaigners Collective Shout spokeswoman Caitlin Roper said children should not be exposed to sexual fetishes, but that the mural would attract their attention because of the use of “appealing” teddy bear images.

“The widespread condemnation of Balenciaga for their BDSM-themed ads involving children demonstrates that many people strongly object to involving or exposing kids to this kind of content,” Ms Roper said.

“Kink and BDSM-themed imagery is not appropriate for the public space which includes children.

“The global research is clear – sexualising children by exposing them to adult, sexualised or pornographic imagery harms their physical and mental health, beliefs, attitudes and sexuality in a range of ways.”

“There are other ways to promote diversity and inclusivity that don’t involve adults imposing their sexual fetishes on an audience that includes children.”

Read more in the Daily Telegraph. 

UPDATE: Caitlin Roper quoted in Daily Tele piece on Oz Kink Fest

Caitlin Roper from grassroots Australian organisation Collective Shout, who campaign against the infiltration of pornography and harmful objectification into the mainstream, sees deep problems with the message that sexualised abuse is sexy and women should enjoy it.

“We're seeing the legitimisation of male violence against women under the guise of ‘kink’ and BDSM,” she says.

“I think it is being fuelled by the mainstreaming of violent porn… all of which paint degradation and sexualised violence against women as 'hot' and something women should want.”

She says LGB was previously about same sex attraction but has grown to the point where sexual preferences and fetishes have been added to that.

From 'Being a little kinky has gone a bit too far', Clarissa Bye, 2 March - only in the print newspaper

See also:

Balenciaga exploits children in BDSM-fetish themed ads

Objections to BDSM-themed kids show 'Battle Kitty': MTR in NY Post

LOL dolls in BDSM + fetish wear are more examples of 'corporate paedophilia'

Corporate Paedophilia: Clothing brand Caroline Bosmans sexualises kids for profit

MTR quoted in the New York Post alongside other commentators concerned about pornified themes in Netflix’s animated interactive children’s series ‘Battle Kitty’ – for children 7+

Honey Birdette rolls out new porny window displays just in time for XMAS holidays 

The presence of Santa in public places like shopping malls naturally attracts the interest of children. This fact seems to have no bearing at all on sex store Honey Birdette, which has a long history of appropriating the popular figure of Christmas cheer in its full length window displays.

Ad Standards still failing to grasp the concept of sexual objectification

According to the Courier Mail, Honey Birdette founder Eloise Monaghan is “incensed” that Ad Standards is investigating a complaint against an image on the sex shop's Instagram page.