An Australian feminist group has launched a campaign to end Tyler, The Creator‘s tour of the country and have him deported.
The controversial rapper kicked off his joint tour of Australia with fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt in Perth on Tuesday (June 4), but two days beforehand the Collective Shout group called on Brendan O’Connor, the nation’s Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, to revoke the rapper’s visa.
“Tyler, The Creator promotes hate speech against women, perpetuating male entitlement to use women’s bodies, to regard women as ‘bitches’, ‘sluts’ and ‘hoes’ for their sexual use. Tyler, The Creator’s glorification of rape and violence against women could be considered inciting his fans to commit violent crimes against them,” Collective Shout write on their website.
“It is our hope that you would consider the best interests of Australia, including the safety of our female citizens. We ask you to act urgently to revoke Tyler, The Creator’s visa so that he cannot promote his misogynistic attitudes to Australian audiences.”
Collective Shout bills itself as “a grassroots campaigning movement against the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture”. The group’s anti-Tyler campaign is being backed by Australian MP Alex Hawke, who told the Herald Sun: “Allowing this man a visa to promote his misogyny to audiences, including children, is a complete disgrace and an absolute insult to all of us and to women in particular.”
However, the rapper has remained bullish on Twitter, sharing the following reaction to the campaign:
SO SAD KANGAROOS ARE GETTING KILLED BUT THESE FEMALES ARE TRYING TO GET ME KICKED OUT OF THIS COUNTRY CAUSE I PROMOTE VIOLENCE OH MAN
— Tyler, The Creator (@tylerthecreator) June 6, 2013
Tyler’s short stint in Australia continues with a gig in Sydney tonight (June 6), before hitting Melbourne tomorrow and wrapping up in Brisbane on Saturday. He’s due in the UK on June 30 for a set on the John Peel Stage on the final day of this year’s Glastonbury Festival.