‘Virgin or not…’: Bengaluru auto’s provocative gender equality message sparks debate | Trending

An autorickshaw in Bengaluru has become the target of social media’s attention for its controversial message on gender equality. “Slim or fat, black or white, virgin or not. All girls deserve respect,” reads the slogan emblazoned on the auto, a photograph of which is going steadily viral on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter).

The photograph was shared on X by a user who captioned it, “Some radical feminism on the roads of Bangalore.”

Take a look at the post below:

The slogan proved polarising on social media, with users split over its intention and implications.

A divisive message

While some users praised the slogan’s message, others questioned its execution. Critics primarily objected to the slogan for its problematic framing and for reinforcing stereotypes.

In praising the autorickshaw driver who displayed the message on his vehicle, an X user wrote, “rick wale bhaiya is more civilized than most of those techbros in Bangalore.”

Another said “I love this auto,” while a third X user added: “Lovely message I hope people follow religiously.”

(Also read: Peak Bengaluru, peak comfort: Auto driver installs office chair in autorickshaw)

While many praised the autorickshaw driver for trying to send a positive message about respecting women, others took issue with the X user who called it “Radical feminism.”

“Radical? That’s not even feminism. It’s just basic human decency,” wrote one person.

“Seriously? A quote supporting respect for women of all colours, especially for women of colour of all body types isn’t ‘radical feminism.’ It’s the bare minimum a democratic society should push for and it must start from having gender studies at the school level,” another commenter opined.

Still others took issue with the framing of the slogan, arguing that mentions of race and sexual history reinforce negative stereotypes and moral judgments. “How hard is it to just say that all girls deserve respect?” asked one X user.