The Pink Elephant Prevention Group Plans To Retire

The prevention group The Pink Elephant, which has been prominent in the Westman Islands around the Merchant’s Weekend, plans to retire, at least in its current form, reports Vísir.

The new Reykjavík Grapevine print issue is out! Subscribe to it in our shop or join our High Five Club to get it in your inbox. If you like the great work we do here, consider joining the High Five Club to support us!

A post on the group’s Facebook page says that in the ten years the group has been active, the landscape surrounding sexual violence has changed completely.

“The discourse was completely different, and attitudes towards sexual violence were usually silent about this unpleasant scourge of our society. Our slogans were therefore clear: There is a pink elephant in the living room, a problem that everyone knows about but no one wants to discuss. That needs to be changed,” the post says.

Since the group started working, they say, there have been two MeToo revolutions, and the group says it has achieved a lot. That said, there is still a long way to go.

“However, we in the group have become sluggish and believe that now is the turning point in our work. Whatever the future holds, we want to take this opportunity now and thank you for your invaluable support over the years,” the post says.

The group ends its post with a message to Icelanders and those who visit the country during Merchant’s Weekend:

“When you wear the group’s logo, you are promoting awareness and discussion. Don’t stop it. That way you are part of the solution and not the problem. You don’t want pink elephants in your team, you want people to talk about the importance of consent, you support victims, you don’t want to bury your head in the sand, you want to promote change. Thanks and thanks again.”

A national festival in the Westman Islands will take place next weekend, for the first time since 2019. The festival has been postponed for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.