Not for the first time, a city in rural Australia is attempting to go ‘porn free’.
Toowoomba, in southern Queensland, will hold its third annual rally on October 16 which will see men from all over the city pledge not to watch pornography.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Letitia Shelton from the city’s anti-porn campaign City Women said that there is an ‘avalanche’ of information proving the dangers pornography poses for communities.
Letitia Shelton (pictured) from the city’s anti-porn campaign City Women said that there is an ‘avalanche’ of information proving the dangers pornography poses for communities
Toowoomba (pictured, Toowoomba City Hall) will hold its third annual rally on October 16 which will see men from all over the city pledge not to watch pornography
‘There’s so much research out there now that porn fuels domestic violence, child-on-child sexual assault, grooms paedophiles and even links to human trafficking,’ she said.
The City Women campaign began two years ago, when the first rally was held in Toowoomba, and Ms Shelton said that support for the campaign is now ‘in the thousands’.
Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio (pictured) is the rally host and Ms Shelton said he was ‘very passionate’ on the issue
Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio is the rally host and Ms Shelton said he was ‘very passionate’ on the issue, noting that it is not just women backing the campaign.
City Women is also attempting to tackle pornography for the younger generation, who Ms Shelton said are ‘at greater risk’.
‘We’re working with school principals, talking to them about how we can bring better education into schools locally, and also how we can help parents,’ she said.
The Toowoomba rally has prompted similar events up and down the country including those in the Gold Coast, Kingaroy, Illawarra and even Melbourne expressing an interest.
Ms Shelton said that she had received a huge number of messages in support of the campaign from all sorts of different groups, ‘from feminists to Muslims’.
‘There’s so much research out there now that porn fuels domestic violence, child-on-child sexual assault, grooms paedophiles and even links to human trafficking,’ Ms Shelton said
The City Women campaign began two years ago, when the first rally was held in Toowoomba (pictured), and Ms Shelton said that support for the campaign is now ‘in the thousands’
And, according to the Catholic Leader, even former French president Francois Hollande had been in touch with City Women to find out more.
‘I think the president was just fed up with the destruction that porn is doing, and saw there was a mayor in another city doing something,’ Ms Shelton told reporters.
City Women has been working closely with the local council and churches who are also expected to discuss dangers of pornography during next month’s rally.
‘We’re not out to ban porn – that’s the impossible task,’ Ms Shelton concluded.
‘It’s more about raising awareness and creating a conversation.’