A Toronto bar has apologized for a “disgusting, derogatory” sign that critics say makes light of sexual assault.
The apology came after a patron of Locals Only, on King St. W. near Bathurst St., posted a photo on social media of the sign inside the bar over the weekend, which included the words, “No means yes.”
“They’re trying to be edgy, but in doing so they are just straight up promoting rape,” said Katii Capern, a 24-year-old Ryerson University student whose social media posts ignited the backlash.
Capern said she was at Locals Only with friends on Saturday evening when she noticed a sign that read, “No means yes & yes means a***?”
She said she tried to contact the bar the next day to complain. When her phone calls and emails went unanswered, she posted a photo of the sign to Facebook and the online sharing and trading platform Bunz.
That post prompted other patrons to post photos of the sign that they claimed were also taken at Locals Only, which included such slogans as, “Dry slump? Do the Trump” and “Too naughty to say no.”
Calls from the Star to Locals Only were not immediately returned Monday.
However, the bar posted a statement to its Facebook and Instagram pages on Sunday night, which seemed to address the “No means yes” sign.
“It has come to our attention that while unsupervised, a staff member of Locals Only Toronto made a sign within our establishment that is disgusting, derogatory, and insensitive towards a serious issue that we in no shape or form condone,” read the statement.
“We are deeply saddened, shocked, and appalled that a trusting member of our staff would do such a thing, and we are taking the appropriate measures to immediately terminate this staff member’s employment.”
The statement went on to apologize to anyone who was offended by the sign, adding that bar staff would be trained on appropriate “practice and policy in the work place.”
Capern said Monday that she found the apology inadequate.
“I think they’re scrambling. I think they know that they’re in hot water. And (the apology) is a start, I’ll give them that, but there’s clear pattern here,” she said.
“Rape jokes are, in no universe, okay but in a bar it’s especially troublesome, because of the prevalence of date rape in those environments,” Capern said. “Bars should be using their platform to actively promote consent culture and not rape culture.”
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