UPDATE: The mural has been tagged over, and following over 1500 emails to the council, the business responsible has been issued a fine for displaying it without a permit. 

A new public mural in Fitzroy, Melbourne depicts a woman in BDSM fetish gear gagged and bound with ropes.

Last week, we called out Goda Perfume for their strangulation-themed perfume ads. Multiple promotional videos for the perfume brand depict a man with his hands around a woman’s neck, apparently in response to her alluring perfume - and the women love it. (Because who doesn't love the risk of neurological damage, stroke or death?)

*We have intentionally used the word ‘strangulation’ rather than the commonly used but inaccurate term ‘choking’. Choking occurs internally when there is an airway obstruction, whereas strangulation refers to the restriction of air from external pressure to the neck. 

A staple ‘sex’ act in pornography, non-fatal strangulation has now become a common act outside of porn, with a growing number of women reporting being strangled by male partners during sex. Sexual strangulation has become so normalised it is referenced (and promoted) in advertising, TV, social media, fashion magazines, popular songs, baked goods and clothing – even on baby onesies.

While we continue to expose the harms of normalising strangulation as 'sexy', some defend the practice. We’ve responded to some of the more common claims below.

AI, "deepfakes" and sex dolls highlighted in our evidence to UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls

Warning: Graphic content

Over the last few months, we’ve been alarmed to witness the spread of significant misinformation online in defence of misogynist influencer, accused rapist and sex trafficker Andrew Tate and his co-pimp brother Tristan.  

We could respond to these Tate defenders ourselves. But, we thought it would be even more effective to share Tate's own words - the most damning evidence that can be offered against him. 

Grassroots campaigning movement Collective Shout: for a world free of sexploitation has released its annual ‘Crossed Off’ list.

First launched 15 years ago, the blacklist is a curated line-up of company offenders who have objectified women and sexualised girls to sell products and services through the year.
 
This list serves as a guide for consumers who wish to spend their Christmas shopping dollar ethically. 

Guest post by Professor Cordelia Fine

Originally published on LinkedIn.

What are your views on women? Apparently, according to some, they should be:

bound, gagged, naked, treated as animals, degraded, humiliated and subordinate. Women exist to be used then thrown out with the rubbish.

That's a neat summary, from a petition by Collective Shout, of the images on t-shirts being sold by TeePublic, owned by Melbourne based parent company Articore.

"Men can dress up as the men who beat, rape, abuse and murder vulnerable women and girls in the sex trade as though it is just a bit of fun or a laugh – enabled by you."

Back in July, we exposed craft and fabrics store Spotlight selling pimp costumes that trivialise male violence against women and girls in the sex trade.

The retailer has failed to respond – even after we contacted Head Office by phone and email multiple times, and even after we published the account of a sex trafficking survivor who outlined how these products normalise the sexual exploitation of women.

It appears Spotlight has made a conscious decision to continue to sell misogynistic pimp costumes in their stores.

We’ve called on our thousands of supporters around the country to boycott Spotlight until they stop selling these products.

Collective Shout supporter Alice alerted us to crafts and fabric store Spotlight 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.