A blow to free speech as Women’s Rights campaign censored – Speak Up for Women
Today, campaign group Speak Up for Women has received notification from Phantom Billstickers that their poster campaign calling for public consultation on the controversial Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill will be removed from over 60 sites from Auckland to Invercargill, in a move that is being described as reactionary and anti-free speech.
The media company allegedly received ‘four or five’ complaints from members of the public over the weekend, in response to the posters.
Jamey Holloway, Managing Partner of Phantom Billstickers said “[your] campaign has been accepted in error and will be withdrawn as soon as logistically possible.”
Wellington: Before and after.
Ani O’Brien, Speak Up For Women spokesperson, says: “Jamey’s email came out of the blue this morning, so I called him to discuss his concerns and clarify our position. To Jamey’s credit, he heard us out, but still worried that the campaign was a ‘dog whistle’ for anti-transgender sentiment, as this is what he had been told by the small number of people who contacted him. It is exactly this type of mischaracterisation that we reject in the strongest terms. We are pro women’s rights and are calling for reasonable public consultation on a Bill, currently before parliament, that will impact these rights.”
Speak Up For Women’s posters simply state ‘Fairness. Consultation. Women’s rights to safety, dignity and privacy’ and there has been confusion around what exactly is transphobic about them.
Overseas, similar silencing tactics have been used by trans activists seeking to shut down the voices of women they disagree with. It is part of a concerning culture of no-platforming and bullying private companies with threats of lost business and media attacks.
“It is deeply concerning that a few phone calls from individual agitators intent on smearing our legitimate campaign is enough for a private company to take such drastic action,” says Ms O’Brien.
“It is crucial that when legislation is contentious like this we have robust discussions and democracy is allowed to work. Silencing tactics are underhanded and unacceptable. We call on those who wish to silence us to instead join us in discussion. We also call on our elected MPs to take control and facilitate these discussions.
This is such an injustice against women. I cant believe how much New Zealand deeply hates women. Like I already knew but its like it just finds new levels again and again
Phantom bought up much of the public space we used to paste posters up.
Public space is now privatised, the story never ends….. but this time we see liberal feminists celebrating a man, Jamey, using his economic power to prevent women sharing their political views.
Abuse of power comes as no surprise
Sex self-ID is a bigger issue than cannabis reform and deserves the same level (or higher) of care, consideration, caution and consultation with the public. Instead it’s being slid in under the radar.
Calls for consultation have been ignored and shut down. People calling for analysis and consultation are silenced and called bigots or worse.
There’s a media blackout, MPs won’t engage, corporates are now censoring.
What has happened to our democracy?
Like the inevitability of climate change, it feels pretty hopeless a lot of the time, political homelessness seems imminent.
Speak Up For Women NZ and other campaigners and activists are like a ray of sunshine and these two mentions on TDB a tiny breath of hope today.
To all the courageous women and activists Speaking Up on this, everywhere, thank you.
This delightful animation of dancing stone goddesses is for you xx
https://vimeo.com/253135841
“Speak Up For Women’s posters simply state ‘Fairness. Consultation. Women’s rights to safety, dignity and privacy’ and there has been confusion around what exactly is transphobic about them” There is nothing whatsoever transphobic about Speak Up For Women. Look up their site and you can see that. Phantom has caved in to pressure from closed minded zealots. A cowardly back down that erodes free speech.
What you think your “gender” is this week is infinitely pathetic compared to helping terminal patients suffer less by allowing marijuana access.
Grow up
What you think your “gender” is this week is infinitely pathetic compared to helping terminal patients suffer less by allowing marijuana access.
Grow up
What you think your “gender” is this week is infinitely pathetic compared to helping terminal patients suffer less by allowing marijuana access.
Grow up