A gay pride mural in Sydney‘s CBD of a teddy bear wearing a bondage outfit has outraged locals, with people demanding the ‘creepy and sexualised’ image is removed.
The mural on Wynyard St, located right opposite one of the city’s busiest train stations, was commissioned by YCK Laneways, a collective of local shops in the area.
The painting shows a hairy, overweight man wearing a teddy bear head and bondage gear while lying on a pride flag draped over a dilapidated lounge.
YCK Laneways says the mural was created to celebrate World Pride, a global event celebrating the queer community currently being hosted in Sydney.
But Many Aussies have called for the ‘inappropriate’ mural to be removed, noting that using a teddy bear would catch the attention of children who shouldn’t be exposed to sexual fetishes.
A new mural in Sydney’s CBD depicts a man wearing bondage and a teddybear head (above)
Catlin Roper, a spokesperson for Collective Shout, an organistation that campaigns against the increasing pornification of culture, said it was creepy.
‘Whose idea was it to pair a teddy bear with BDSM for a public audience? This is creepy,’ she said.
A second person wrote: ‘Why is a teddy bear in bondage meant to represent pride?!
‘The gay community worked hard for years to distance themselves from this sort of representation. Small children will be walking past this.’
Another angry commenter said: ‘How did YCK Laneways arrive at the conclusion that a furry/BDSM clad male would be suitable for kids to walk by in their own community? This mural need to be removed as soon as possible.’
A fourth person wrote: ‘Why would you think this is appropriate to display in public?!
‘A fat, hairy, alcohol drinking, bondage wearing teddy bear man on display where people walk past to go to work, and in full view of children.’
Others compared the disturbing correlation between childhood toys and sexual fantasies to the Balenciaga scandal that saw the company ‘cancelled’ for picturing children with teddybears dressed in bondage.
One Sydneysider shared his thoughts about the explicit painting on TikTok.
‘At what point does inclusiveness pass too far,’ user Moeyreacts said.
‘You’ve got a fat man who’s naked in a gimp costume with a cute teddybear hat, right in Wynyard.
‘Now tell me this, when you’re walking down the street with your kid and the kid looks at a cute teddybear hat and relates it to a man in a gimp suit – at what point does it get too dangerous?
‘I think this is disgusting, this is Balenciaga vibes.’
More than 1,000 viewers commented under the video with most, again, calling for the mural to be scrapped.
‘It’s beyond my comprehension how this can ever be allowed to happen,’ one commenter said.
‘I saw that on the way to work, was considering getting bucket of black paint and covering it,’ a second person wrote.
‘I’m sorry but I couldn’t explain that to my kids. That’s way too far!,’ another said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted YCK Laneways for comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
