Apology for some aspects of the Chris Brown campaign
GetUp takes responsibility and apologises unreservedly for the problems of this campaign. We've heard and learnt from the feedback we've received from members of the community.
If you'd like, read more below the fold.
The intention of the campaign against Chris Brown was to use a celebrity with a well-known history of violence against women to ignite a discussion about attitudes towards gendered violence. Aspects of this succeeded but we now understand the campaign also supported a racist narrative that sees men of colour unfairly targeted, and stereotyped as more violent than their white counterparts. We all should stand up to any man who commits violence against women, but Australia has a history of arbitrary executive decisions and disproportionate exclusion of non-white people at its borders and upon reflection our approach contributed to this.
GetUp is a community of nearly one million people who take action to create a more progressive society. Sometimes we make mistakes in our approach, and this campaign reflects that. One of the things we love about being part of this community, however, is that when we make a mistake, our members and peers will call us out on it. We are open to criticism, and open to change. It's imperative that as an organisation we listen to critical voices who call out behaviour that's racist, sexist, or works against building a diverse and welcoming community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to raise this issue with us.
We'll continue to work on our ongoing campaign for the full funding of frontline family violence services and use opportunities to highlight the many men of power and influence who have abused women but continue to enjoy celebrated careers in the public eye. In the meantime, GetUp apologises unreservedly for the way in which this campaign played into a harmful, racist narrative. We're grateful for the feedback from our peers, our members and our community.
If you'd like to get in touch with further feedback, reach us at info@getup.org.au
GetUp is a community of nearly one million people who take action to create a more progressive society. Sometimes we make mistakes in our approach, and this campaign reflects that. One of the things we love about being part of this community, however, is that when we make a mistake, our members and peers will call us out on it. We are open to criticism, and open to change. It's imperative that as an organisation we listen to critical voices who call out behaviour that's racist, sexist, or works against building a diverse and welcoming community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to raise this issue with us.
We'll continue to work on our ongoing campaign for the full funding of frontline family violence services and use opportunities to highlight the many men of power and influence who have abused women but continue to enjoy celebrated careers in the public eye. In the meantime, GetUp apologises unreservedly for the way in which this campaign played into a harmful, racist narrative. We're grateful for the feedback from our peers, our members and our community.
If you'd like to get in touch with further feedback, reach us at info@getup.org.au