The Keg

Choose Change Campaign Welcomes Action by “The Keg” in Campaign to End Harm of Sexually Violent Images

In News by Defend Dignity9 Comments

Toronto, Canada – September 26, 2017 One of Canada’s leading restaurant chains and a popular dining option for steak-lovers is taking action to reduce the ease of access to violent and sexually explicit images in response to Choose Change a campaign by Defend Dignity.

Defend Dignity exists to end sexual exploitation in Canada. Pornography is a form of sexual exploitation. The goal of the Choose Change campaign is to reduce the ease of access to violent, sexually explicit images. Launched in April 2017, the campaign is aimed at Canadian organizations and companies, who through their practices and policies, are facilitating sexual exploitation.

Like many public venues, The Keg offers free Wi-Fi in its restaurants, a convenient feature for patrons. Choose Change requested that The Keg safeguard public WiFi, creating a pornography-free environment in its restaurants. Online e-mails sent through the Choose Change website had an impact.

“It was when we received emails from people [through the Choose Change campaign] that we decided to enable the filters,” confirmed Doug Smith, VP of Operation & Chief Operating Officer for The Keg.

Through the campaign website, Canadians can not only challenge but also celebrate and thank organizations and companies like The Keg who are taking steps and action in response to the call. Canadians can send The Keg a thank you note at choosechangecanada.org.

“We welcome and applaud these steps taken by The Keg in response to the Choose Change campaign,” said Glendyne Gerrard, Director of Defend Dignity. “It sets an example for other companies to follow and affirms that we can all play a positive and important role in reducing the harm of sexually violent images in our culture.”

Defend Dignity exists to end sexual exploitation in Canada. We believe that ending sexual exploitation means addressing the root causes. A major root cause is the demand that exists for purchasing sex. Pornography fuels this demand for sexual exploitation and is a form of sexual exploitation itself. The goal of the Choose Change campaign is to reduce the ease of access to violent, sexually explicit images – pornography – which is accessible and available everywhere.

Media Contact(s):

Glendyne Gerrard
Director of Defend Dignity
defenddignity.ca 
[email protected] 
647-462-1858

Arlene Stinson
Coordinator of Research & Strategic Development, Defend Dignity
defenddignity.ca
[email protected]
306-533-0529

Comments

  1. Well done, Keg Restsurants. Thank you for respecting your patrons and Chosing Change!

  2. Any Keg or Keg Manor I’ve been to all had young female hostesses wearing low-cut, tight and/or short dresses. It’s obviously a mandated “uniform”. The Keg needs to walk their talk.

    1. Hi Judy,
      Thanks for your comment. The issue you raise might be a good one to speak to your local manager about.
      CC

  3. And while you’re focussed on censorship of small devices, the Keg servers are walking around in stereotypically sexist outfits. Maybe you’d like to buy them choir gowns!

    The general public are not going to buy this propaganda of conflating “pornography” with “violent exploitive pornography.” There’s absolutely no evidence that all sexually explicit representations are harmful. Why you undermine the argument by falsely claiming all sexual depictions are violent misogynistic depictions is beyond me.

    As well, no research shows that internet filters are effective. All of the research shows just the opposite, with extreme built-in biases against minority information and websites.

    Frankly, what people do in the privacy of their hotel room or computer terminal is none of your business. Self-identified do-gooders do more harm than good. They are a helluva lot more critical social problems in the world than this nonsense.

    1. Hi Alvin,
      Thank you for your comments.

      We are particularly drawing attention to the violence that is prevalent in online pornography. There are numerous studies that address the link between viewing violent pornography and harms, including increased aggression. (Meta analysis, Paul J. Wright, 2015).

      In terms of internet filters, it is interesting to note that the new Librarian of Congress in the United States, in her confirmation hearings, indicated that filtering technology had improved, and that the Pratt Library, which she was leaving, had installed filters.

  4. Pingback: Back to School | Choose Change

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