“You’re not going to have good, considerate, emotionally-literate boys when you present them with an idea that girls exist for their gratification and pleasure”

I was very pleased to be invited to discuss my work addressing sexualisation, objectification and harms of pornography and porn culture with former deputy PM John Anderson, for his ‘Conversations’ podcast. We explored how girls are impacted by porn-conditioned boys and how pornography undermines our desire to grow empathetic, emotionally literate young men. We also talked about how Collective Shout is working to address a pornified landscape and bring women and men together to fight for social change.

I first came to know John when I worked as an advisor in Federal Parliament. Our relationship became more personal when he and his wife Julia shared their experience as parents of baby Andrew, born with Down syndrome, in the chapter ‘Finding joy in the weak among us’ for my book Defiant Birth: Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics (Spinifex Press, 2006, re-released this year with a new preface). They spoke at the launch. Most in attendance in the Parliament House courtyard were in tears with the Andersons.

In the same week the podcast was released, I also spoke as part of a panel at an event exploring ‘toxic masculinity’ hosted by Christ Church Inner West Anglican in Sydney. The community forum was covered by Eternity News in a piece titled ‘We need to talk about toxic masculinity’. It is a source of encouragement to me that more of these conversations are taking place around the country.

While acknowledging the terrible outcomes of harmful ideas about being a ‘man’, I also shared signs of hope I’ve seen in the increasing numbers of young men I engage with, who express a desire to break out of dangerous cultural norms and aspire to something better – like Josh, 16, Shawn, 16, and Jack, 16, who shared their thoughts after hearing me speak at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College Alice Springs recently.  It is these young men who are forging a new way and who need all our support.

See also:

‘Taking a razor to toxic masculinity’  – MTR – ABC Religion and Ethics

‘CSR begins with men growing a conscience’ – Lyn Swanson Kennedy writes for Mumbrella

Earlier this month at Mumbrella360, Scentre Group’s customer experience director, Phil McAveety, spoke about Westfield malls as “living centres”. Lyn Swanson Kennedy was angry. Collective Shout has been petitioning Scentre’s CEO to stop Honey Birdette’s “porn-themed window displays” for 18 months. Here, she tells CEOs like him that actions speak louder than corporate social responsibility value statements.

June 21, 2019

by LYN SWANSON KENNEDY

Earlier this month, Swati Bhattacharya took to the stage at Mumbrella360 with a very clear message to men: “Women have grown tired of waiting for them to grow a conscience”.

Within a few hours, at the same event, on a different stage, Scentre Group’s customer experience director, Phil McAveety, spoke on the transformation of Westfield malls into “living centres”. It was difficult for us at Collective Shout to ignore the irony. For 18 months, we have been petitioning Scentre Group’s CEO, Peter Allen, to put a stop to sex-shop Honey Birdette’s porn-themed window displays in its shopping malls – beg your pardon, “living centres” – to no avail. The petition has 72,000 signatures. Westfield certainly hasn’t taken cues from customers imploring it to grow a conscience.

Allen is not the only male CEO we have called upon to address this rampant sexism. We have also lobbied Lendlease, AMP Capital, Vicinity Centres, The GPT Group, Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), Stockland, JLL and ISPT. We have asked how they can identify as “Male Champions of Change” – pledging to address sexism in their workplace – while facilitating sexism in their own properties as Honey Birdette’s landlords.

Read full article here.

Sign the Petition – and join Bree and Penelope and 72,000 others calling on shopping centre CEOs to act!