The statement “I think you’re a lesbian,” which appears on T-shirts in numerous Benidorm gift shops, is both discriminatory and disrespectful. The Benidorm City Council’s Retail Inspectorate is currently pursuing these items. The campaign informs stores that failing to remove certain products would result in a punishment ranging from €1,000 to €3,000.
The Department of Commerce is governed by two laws: one governing advertising and minors’ protection, as well as a local ordinance addressing the irregularity of these sales.
For some time now, the placement of these things in several stores in plain sight of youngsters has prompted frequent reports to the Local Police.
Derogatory messages
The outlets sell T-shirts and other merchandise with insulting themes or sexual, homophobic, sexist, or racial material aimed primarily at visitors.
The increased product exposure has spurred the Department of Commerce to take action, conducting inspections and asking recalls. Failure to comply with these procedures might result in fines of €1,000 to €3,000, depending on the severity.
The goal would be to comply with Municipal Ordinance No. 2 on the Use of Public Use Areas, Article 3 of which “expressly prohibits the display of products that could offend people’s moral sensibilities, as would be the case with most of these items,” noted Commerce Councillor Javier Jordá.
Children’s Rights
These products also contravene the General Advertising Law and the Minors’ Protection Regulations because they contain advertising that is inappropriate for the intended audience’s level of knowledge and maturity.
Local police, who will be actively participating in this campaign, have expressed their views through the Professional Union of Local Police and Firefighters (SPPLB). Its secretary, Francisco González, stated that while the aforementioned legislation governs the sale of these products, the Child Protection Law also covers all areas of public highways.
On the street, “children and adolescents have the right not to be victims of obscene displays and explicit sexual representations.”
González mentions “innocent” instances, such as a water jug with testicles close to the drinking spout. He further claims that this is not a censorship effort against sexual displays, but rather that they should be restricted to specialised outlets such as sex shops.
The union published a statement in response to the ad, claiming that “the exposure of testicles, vaginas, or glans in the street can be considered an offence to modesty or decorum,” according to the Law for the Protection of Minors or municipal ordinances.
Author: Derek Appleton
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