Australia- Cr Antonio was one of more than 200 civic leaders, students and workers who gathered to hear stories of the personal impacts of pornography, and to read a pledge promising not to engage with porn.
“I dare say there will be some negative comments about it,” Cr Antonio said.
“But we must begin a journey with one step. I think what we’ve focused on today is the real value of proper relationships. Pornography has no place in that.”
A city of more than 100,000 residents, Toowoomba is known as the garden city, and a family-friendly community.
It is also home to several adult shops, a brothel and a strip club.
The Mayor said the ‘city free from porn’ push was not aimed at those businesses.
“We’re not talking about the people who are visiting the brothel or going along to the strip club,” he said.
“We’re talking about the people who are impacted by pornography, and its impact on relationships.
Last year, the National Boy’s Health Forum heard boys aged 12-17 were the fastest growing users of pornography, and 88 per cent of porn sites contained aggressive acts that were almost always directed at women.
The city leaders are concerned for the next generation.
“Domestic violence is a social cancer,” said John Minz, chairman of Toowoomba Together, an organisation committed to awareness and education on domestic violence issues.
“Most quality research points to stereotypical gender-specific belief systems that reinforce a dominance and power over a female member of a relationship.
“These belief systems begin when children are very young.
“Politicians and police are doing what they can in relation to drugs and alcohol, but who is taking responsibility in relation to pornography? The answer is no one.”
Like the Mayor, Mr Minz believes pornography has no place in healthy relationships.
“We are promoting values of respect, tolerance and understanding. Against this constructive social change platform, we have pornography,” he saidMr Minz said parents should discuss the issue with their children.
“Explain that it exists, because they will hear about it anyway,” he said.
Mr Minz was clear the campaign was not only driven by the city’s religious leaders.
“It’s the mayor, it’s Toowoomba Together, it’s concerned parents. I think we need to see it beyond religious faith,” he said.
“If the very explicit and humiliating and aggressive pornography is there at the click of a button, logic says it is a big problem.
“Our future is our young people, and the choices they make. How do we nurture that?
“As parents, and as a community, we try and give them the best of the world. Exposure to pornography is not good, it shapes wrong attitudes that will affect their future lives.”In a connected world, where pornography is only a button click away, how realistic is a ‘porn-free’ city?
“I take a lot of hope from the anti-smoking campaign,” said Toowoomba City Women chief executive Letitia Shelton.Ms Shelton believes pornography degrades and devalues women, but knows not everyone in her community will say no to pornography.
“Ideally, we’d like them to realise the harm it can do to a community, to look at what porn does to a life,” she said.
“The ideal is a place where every human being is valued.”