TO: GO TRANSIT AUSTRALIA
Emily’s Choice, not Emily’s Voice
Go Transit Australia, which manages the advertising for several public transport companies – including Metro Tasmania- has approved an advertising campaign that supports the organisation ‘Emily’s Voice’. After contacting Metro Tasmania, we became aware that there have been several complaints but ‘there is nothing that [Metro] can do’. We therefore contacted the advertising contracting company, Go Transit, and were told that ‘As a legitimate provider of media Go Transit is obligated to provide fair and equal access to its advertising services’. However, we believe that this campaign goes beyond providing ‘fair and equal access’ and promotes an organisation that does more harm to society than good. We therefore call on Go Transit to cease the campaign and to remove all Emily’s Voice advertisements from its public transport.
Why is this important?
This campaign promotes a derogatory view on abortion. Both the campaign and Go Transit Australia are incredibly biased to promote these sentiments especially as the major demographic that is most dependant on public transport are students or those who may not a flexible budget to afford to drive everywhere. These individuals may be the members in society who choose to have abortions due to lack of appropriate situations to raise children in; this campaign has the potential to be extremely harmful to these individuals. There are many instances in which it is for the best interest of both the woman and the child that an abortion takes place. If a mother is unable to care for a child, if she has been a victim of rape or simply is not at a stage in her life where she is ready to have a child, she should have that choice and, we as a society, should not be preventing her from doing so. We believe in Emily’s choice.
Read more here
Oliver Hovenden
