Spotlight fails to pull pimp costumes from stores - it's time to #BoycottSpotlight

More than a month ago, we called out crafts and fabric store Spotlight for selling pimp costumes.

Pimps control women and girls in commercial sexual exploitation, often through physical violence and abuse. They sell vulnerable women and girls to other men for paid sexual abuse and take a cut (or all) of their earnings.

While the company quietly removed the costumes from its online store, they continue sell them in stores - even during their Book Week promotion, alongside Harry Potter, Disney and Spiderman costumes. 

TeePublic responds - but we're not buying it!

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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.

After just 5 days of campaigning by our supporters, online shopping giant SHEIN has removed a range of g-strings for girls and a miniature penis shaped ‘squishy’ toy.

SHEIN clothing, toys sexualise kids

US-based investment firm Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has quietly sold off over one million dollars in shares in strip club company RCI Hospitality Holdings (RCIHH) after Collective Shout called on them to divest. 

We were surprised when we discovered Thrivent - a company with particular appeal to faith-based and ethically motivated investors - was propping up and profiting from the sale of women’s bodies as men’s sexual entertainment.

Over the weekend it was reported that Thrivent divested in all remaining shares for RCIHH. This is a massive victory for our movement!

25 accounts down in 48 hours after our reports

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“Imagine my shock when I discovered my own ten-year-old daughter was unknowingly profiting from the sexual degradation of other women”

By Sarah St. Onge

Read our open letter to the CEO of French certification company Bureau Veritas, Didier Michaud-Daniel, below.

In its latest failure to protect community members from exposure to harmful, porn themed ads which objectify women, Ad Standards has ruled against its own panel members in defence of Playboy owned sex shop Honey Birdette’s shop window ad.