Homepage Honey Birdette newsroom

Honey Birdette Calls Out “Gender-Biased” & “Unjust” Lingerie Regulation Guidelines From Ad Standards Australia

Announcement posted by Honey Birdette 04 Jul 2019

MEN & WOMEN ARE NO LONGER EQUAL ACCORDING TO NEW STANDARDS IN LINGERIE ADVERTISING.

HONEY BIRDETTE HAVE RECEIVED AN EXCLUSIVE COPY OF THE NEW LINGERIE REGULATION GUIDELINES FROM AD STANDARDS.

THESE SPECIFICALLY TARGET WOMEN.

Global lingerie retailer, Honey Birdette have received an exclusive copy of the new lingerie regulation guidelines from Ad Standards Australia. The new standards, which will further limit lingerie advertising in all public spaces specifically and unfairly targets women, women’s sexuality and the gay female community.

Honey Birdette Founder, Eloise Monaghan said the rampant double standards towards women and their sexuality are clearly reflected throughout the guide in which they utilize multiple advertisements from Honey Birdette alongside other brands in order to provide context for the new rules.

In one example Ad Standards compare an ad featuring a heterosexual couple and a lesbian couple alongside one another. The image which depicts a same-sex female couple embracing is called out for being inappropriate, while the image of Bras and Things ‘husband and wife’ kissing is considered appropriate.

Models standing to the side with their bottoms or torso pushed forward, their back arched with their eyes closed or sitting down with their legs apart are shown in the guide as unacceptable. Ad Standards now considers these poses to be highly sexualized stating that the models appear to be ‘PRESENTING’.

Ad standards have previously imposed guidelines regarding the censorship of nipples, however under the new stricter regulations even fully covered nipples adorned with pasties will be deemed unacceptable and highly sexualized as they draw attention to the breasts and therefore are not suitable in a public space.

High-cut bodysuits and G-strings are also considered to have high levels of nudity and would be in breach of the new regulations. Women in lingerie can also no longer appear in advertising alongside men in clothes.

In response to the new guidelines Managing Director of Honey Birdette Eloise Monaghan stated -

“This has to stop! Why are men allowed and women not allowed to show their bodies? Why are we teaching young girls and women to be ashamed of their bodies? The female form not a matter of vulgarity or indecency.”

“The changes to these guidelines are a frightening development for the modern woman and Ad Standards should be ashamed of themselves. These standards are highly archaic and repugnant to all women not just across Australia, but globally.”

“I won’t be silenced and let this go. We are here to empower women and we are going to continue to do that.”

What’s next?

Two weeks ago, Honey Birdette revealed their latest campaign, Red Alert. Featuring censorship banners across the front of every image, the campaign responded to claims that the Australian and Victorian Government were giving in to the radical views of a conservative Christian group who want to enforce stricter guidelines in advertising specifically targeting women.

Managing Director of Honey Birdette, Eloise Monaghan said the brand decided to launch a campaign to highlight the discrimination that women face for being exactly what they are; women.

“I certainly won’t let conservative fringe groups, (male politicians and female hating woman) blame women’s bodies for domestic violence and we are gearing up to create a movement with contemporary women and men around the world. Our bodies are not up for discussion, how “appropriate” our breasts are for display in lingerie advertising. Nor does lace underwear consent rape.”

Alongside this campaign, Honey Birdette launched a petition calling for customers to help protect women against double standards in advertising. The petition reached 52,000 signatures in just two weeks, while the conservative group lobbying against Honey Birdette have taken two years to collect 70,000 signatures.

“If Collective Shout think they have a voice, mine will be a viral speaker phone to every person out there. I have avoided this action, but they are now threatening what we stand for.”

Now that the new Ad Standard guidelines have been revealed, Honey Birdette will share the gender-biased and unjust regulations in a bid to highlight the gender disparity in current advertising censorship and reveal how they aim to strip away women’s rights and representation with regressive policies.

“Women should have the right to set their own boundaries and identities around sexuality. We need a revolution which allows women reclaim sexual independence and the gay female community freedom to express themselves as they wish, where they are not objects of gender-bias rules, ridicule, shame or the patriarchy.”

Help us reach 100,000 signatures and protect women from outrageous double standards in advertising.

Sign the petition at https://www.honeybirdette.com

Disclaimer: All signatures captured by this petition remain separate from the commercial operation of the Honey Birdette brand. They will not be used for marketing or commercial gain in any form or format. This petition has the sole purpose of bringing attention to and creating a counter movement to resist the regression of women's rights in Australia and around the world.

STILL #NOTASKINGFORIT