“No means yes and yes means a***”.
These words stood illuminated, bright and shiny for all to see this weekend at Locals Only, a bar located on King West in Toronto. The sign in question has since been removed but is still receiving some major backlash (obviously) after it began circulating on social media. It didn’t take long for people to feel a sense of outrage (obviously).
We can’t say we’re fans of the sign ourselves… next time use less letters and just write RAPE? A lot of people had similar feelings as they shared their concerns towards the degrading sign in a popular Facebook group called the Food and Wine Industry Career Navigator.
In a public response on Instagram, Locals Only stated that the whole situation also caught them by surprise. Upper management was apparently “on vacation” and is “disgusted” by the sign, stating that they were “appalled that a trusting member of their staff would do such a thing” and has fired the questionable employee upon seeing/hearing about the incident. However, some members of the Facebook group pointed out some suspicious looking evidence… This isn’t a first-time offense.
A lot of vacations indeed…
While we understand the messages aren’t serious and were posted with a humorous nature, they still promote a very destructive and potentially harmful message. Education on consent is paramount as we enter a specially sensitive time (Trump, Jian Gomeshi, The Women’s March etc.) and women hold a stronger, condensed voice against assault. Since many counts of assault and sexual assault happen at bars and after alcohol consumption, Toronto establishments should be more careful about what messages they promote.
Locals Only should think twice before they post their next sign.
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What do you think about Locals Only’s recent signage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet us at @ViewtheVibe.