Help me to address this misguided poster campaign

[CuttedUpPear]

In short, I admin a FB page for a company I work for.
One of the friends of the company is running a campaign against some apparently thoughtless redevelopment in Newport.

They have asked to post the photo below on our page. If the link isn't working for you, it basically ridicules Newport Head of Planning by editing their publicity to read that she has her 'legs open for business'.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=449615741816395&set=o.349931335121273&type=1&theater

I am drafting a message to the person who wants to put this up on the internet. I need to explain our sympathy to their cause while pointing out the error of their ways in denigrating a woman like this.

Your literate help would be appreciated - I want to get the message across well.

Well I've had a few exchanges with this person and am still getting nowhere.

He says that the post has been seen by a thousand people and needed explaining to half a dozen. I feel it's facetious but possibly necessary to point out that those half dozen may not be the only ones offended by it; they are just the ones he has heard about.

He says that they may look at it again once the campaign has had a chance to run

Am I over reacting to think that this is on the verge on rape culture?

I think that the woman involved, in having her identifiable face put on public display in such an offensive way, as well as having her name referenced in the Facebook campaign by the campaigners, has a strong legal case on a number of grounds; especially as she is being criticised in such a hateful way in her capacity as a council employee. I imagine the council will be providing her with legal advice.

If the campaigners had gone for the responsible elected councillors it would have been different.

But they're not women, are they?

I wouldn't touch this campaign with a barge pole.

Cutteduppear Prostitution (and references to it) are a massive part of rape culture, yes.

would it help if we all commented on the FB picture?

I despair. I think this shows that often the threshold for what people consider sexist is very low. Educating and changing hearts and minds is such an uphill battle. Good for you, OP.

I've just found their page with another woman's face (the original model) on the poster. Other people are complaining to no avail.

If you would like to chip in, please do.

[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=480147892099616&set=a.350338921747181.83203.349931335121273&type=1&theater]]

I'm not on FB (I know, radical....) so if someone does comment would you like to link to this thread? Thanks.

His defence in the comments is full of the same language. 'Spread Newport's legs'. Yuck.

He sounds very much like a sexist person to me.

He/she sounds full of venom about this senior woman and women, actually.

It's very offensive as it implies that sexual activity in a woman is debasing and degrading. How he imagines using a metaphor for the town being allegedly degraded by poor planning decisions of a woman having sex is not a deeply misogynistic point of view I find it hard to imagine. It's pure objectification and vilification of female sexuality.

Do you have to continue to exchange emails with this person? He is clearly not going to be convinced by anything you say.

Do you have the authority to just say no to the request?

And I agree it is all part of rape culture.

Unfortunately the more responses he gets the more effective he will believe his campaign to be

www.facebook.com/SaveOurMural He seems to think this is an improvement. I was a supporter of the original campaign to save the mural but hadn't seen this so thanks for starting the thread.

MrsSquirrel I've put my point of view, explained that in this circumstance we can't support his campaign, and banned him from our group.

I've now turned my attention to their public page.

It might be worth complaining to these guys:

www.asa.org.uk/

They take a dim view of gratuitous sexist messaging.

What happened with this in the end.

How the 'if you knew me you would know I am not sexist' defense. It is right up there with 'but I love women'.

Wild take it whatever was there has now been removed? (based on recent comment)

I've just checked on their FB page 'Save Our Chartist Mural' and found this message:

Hi folks, this is Pete, chair of Save Our Chartist Mural
I was on holiday and returned last night to find that without my knowledge or agreement information had been placed upon the campaign page that does not represent the views/ethos of the group.
I apologise on behalf of the group and the situation is now resolved.
Let us refocus and move forward to ensure the voices of the people of Newport are heard. our questions answered and those culpable brought to task. Together we have the ability to revitalise Newport.

I feel this is a good thing and thanks to all of those who went on the page and complained. The twat who posted the offending images is nowhere to be seen, nor are the images - I've had a good look through their pictures and they appear to be gone.

Vindication is ours.

That's great news.

Yeah, well done guys.

Yay!