Student concerned about sexual violence poster at bus shelter
LONDON – Kennedy Ryan returned
to school for the winter semester
to find an unpleasant surprise
waiting for her at the bus stop:
a sexual assault awareness poster
that she says is victim blaming.
The poster tells the story of a girl who was taken advantage of at a kegger and finishes by saying, “alcohol is the most common date rape drug. Respect your friends — respect yourself.” It also displays a black and white image of a male hand pinning down a female body.
Ryan, a fourth-year media, information and technoculture student, snapped a picture of the offending poster and tweeted it, saying, “This is a terrible way to spread awareness about sexual assault prevention.”
Her tweet blew up, signalling agreement from the Western community.
The poster appears at the Northbound bus stop at Western Rd. and Essex Rd. — a stop frequented by Western students taking the 2 Dundas to campus.
Ryan has a problem, specifically, with how the poster places some blame on the victim when it says, “respect yourself.”
“They could have just stopped at ‘respect your friends,’ ” she said. “I think it plays into that old narrative that you, as a potential victim, can prevent sexual assault — not the perpetrators.”
“I don’t want to be told, when I go out and when I’m drinking, to ‘watch myself,’ ” Ryan continued.
She doesn’t know who’s behind the poster, but she wants an apology.
The poster reads, “I know someone” in a similar font used by the I Know Someone campaign at Western.
The campaign was started four years ago to shift the responsibility for prevention of sexual assault from individual women to the collective body, according to the campaign’s website.
Although the University Students’ Council logo appears on the I Know Someone campaign’s website, Emily Addison, vice-president internal, says the USC has not been active with the campaign for quite some time.
“We’re not actively participating in the campaign anymore,” Addison said.
She maintained the USC had nothing to do with the poster in the bus shelter.
The London-Middlesex Health Unit, who Ryan initially thought might be responsible for the sexual assault awareness poster, has also denied involvement.
The Sexual Assault Centre London, Changing Ways and the Ontario Trillium foundation are also listed as founding members on the I Know Someone campaign’s website.
None of the three organizations returned requests for comment before press time.
The London Transit Commission contracts out its advertising to various media firms but does have policies regarding advertising copy.
Advertisements must comply with the Advertising Standard Council of Canada. As such, they must not present demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups, or even “undermine the safe and welcoming character of London’s public transit system.”
These conditions, however, are tempered with the protection of freedom of expression guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Citizens, including bus riders, are expected to put up with some controversy in a free and democratic society,” a copy of the LTC’s policies obtained from the LTC’s general manager, Kelly Paleczny, read.
The poster tells the story of a girl who was taken advantage of at a kegger and finishes by saying, “alcohol is the most common date rape drug. Respect your friends — respect yourself.” It also displays a black and white image of a male hand pinning down a female body.
Ryan, a fourth-year media, information and technoculture student, snapped a picture of the offending poster and tweeted it, saying, “This is a terrible way to spread awareness about sexual assault prevention.”
Her tweet blew up, signalling agreement from the Western community.
The poster appears at the Northbound bus stop at Western Rd. and Essex Rd. — a stop frequented by Western students taking the 2 Dundas to campus.
Ryan has a problem, specifically, with how the poster places some blame on the victim when it says, “respect yourself.”
“They could have just stopped at ‘respect your friends,’ ” she said. “I think it plays into that old narrative that you, as a potential victim, can prevent sexual assault — not the perpetrators.”
“I don’t want to be told, when I go out and when I’m drinking, to ‘watch myself,’ ” Ryan continued.
She doesn’t know who’s behind the poster, but she wants an apology.
The poster reads, “I know someone” in a similar font used by the I Know Someone campaign at Western.
The campaign was started four years ago to shift the responsibility for prevention of sexual assault from individual women to the collective body, according to the campaign’s website.
Although the University Students’ Council logo appears on the I Know Someone campaign’s website, Emily Addison, vice-president internal, says the USC has not been active with the campaign for quite some time.
“We’re not actively participating in the campaign anymore,” Addison said.
She maintained the USC had nothing to do with the poster in the bus shelter.
The London-Middlesex Health Unit, who Ryan initially thought might be responsible for the sexual assault awareness poster, has also denied involvement.
The Sexual Assault Centre London, Changing Ways and the Ontario Trillium foundation are also listed as founding members on the I Know Someone campaign’s website.
None of the three organizations returned requests for comment before press time.
The London Transit Commission contracts out its advertising to various media firms but does have policies regarding advertising copy.
Advertisements must comply with the Advertising Standard Council of Canada. As such, they must not present demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups, or even “undermine the safe and welcoming character of London’s public transit system.”
These conditions, however, are tempered with the protection of freedom of expression guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Citizens, including bus riders, are expected to put up with some controversy in a free and democratic society,” a copy of the LTC’s policies obtained from the LTC’s general manager, Kelly Paleczny, read.
