Gillette, the company behind popular shaving and personal care products, recently changed its tagline to "The Best Men Can Be." But more than just a tagline, the statement represents the brand's commitment to promoting healthy representations of what masculinity means — a decision made in response to the #MeToo movement and news story after news story showing men not behaving their best.
It's nice to see a brand use their influence for good, but now it's time to see if they will actually back up their words with action.
That's why we're asking Gillette to stop sponsoring Gillette Stadium, the home stadium for the New England Patriots — owned by Robert Kraft, who was just arrested during a human trafficking sting operation.Robert Kraft was caught after police filmed him having sex with workers at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Florida on two separate occasions. The sting operation exposed that the workers, mostly from China, were lured to America with the promise of regular massage therapy work. However, when they got here, they were
forced into performing sex work with few breaks, no days off, and in unhygienic conditions. Essentially, they were forced into sex slavery. Their typical clientele included powerful businessmen, clergy members, and at least one other billionaire besides Kraft — all of whom knew their status in society could protect them as they abused these women without their ability to consent. But if there's one thing we've learned from the fallout of the #MeToo movement, it's that
time is up for protecting powerful men from accountability.To be clear, the problem is not that Kraft sought out the services of a sex worker. The problem is that the
women involved were clearly victims of human trafficking, a fact that Kraft likely was aware of due to the conditions of the massage parlor and the language barrier between clients and workers. This is a far cry from consensual sex work. This is especially upsetting considering the fact that Kraft, a billionaire, could have easily sought higher priced consensual sex work.
Robert Kraft believed his power would protect him from being held accountable for exploiting vulnerable women forced into sex slavery. This is exactly the kind of behavior Gillette said it will stand against.
Please sign this petition demanding that Gillette stand by its words and remove its name from Gillette Stadium now.
