“We care! We count!”
Thirty years ago, Norma Norris started a revolution for human dignity with those words. In 1987, much like today, the world seemed determined to tell us that we were an obscure minority in a society that accepted and endorsed pornography and sexual exploitation. While sitting in church listening to Pastor Msgr. Francis Glenn lament that the public was indifferent to pornography’s dissemination, Norma had an epiphany.
She realized that America was wrong in thinking that people were indifferent to pornography. People did care and those people counted.
She recognized that the only reason people thought no one cared, was because those that cared were not being heard. With that thought came the birth of the White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) week—a campaign to give a voice to those opposing pornography.
Norma knew the plan had to be simple and inexpensive, but she never intended it to be humble. From the beginning, Norma made waves with landmark victories including huge white ribbon bows being sent to the Governor and the Attorney General of Pennsylvania and an organized motorcade. The highlight of the campaign was the bulldozing of a closed pornographic bookstore in 1987. With that impactful first WRAP week, Norma and defenders for dignity across the country set a strong precedent for the national phenomena that has now endured for 30 years.
Since its founding, WRAP week has galvanized the best of Americans in their fight against pornography. From putting up anti-pornography billboards, to organizing anti-pornography motorcades and parades, to rallying dignitaries such as mayors and governors, WRAP week has always helped bring the fight for dignity to center stage across America. In fact, WRAP week has even inspired the state of Utah to adopt February as WRAP month and helped pass the Utah Children’s Internet Protection Act in 2009. This proved to be an important precedent that helped to usher in Utah’s proclamation declaring pornography a public health crisis in 2016. Utah has since been followed by South Dakota, Arkansas, and Tennessee in declaring pornography a public health crisis.
This year, White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) week is as strong as ever with new ways to take back ground in the fight against sexual exploitation.
Visit our WRAP webpage and our Resources webpage for ideas and materials that will help you mobilize your community for this year’s WRAP week. Remember, the fight against sexual exploitation is more important now than it has ever been, and all of our recent victories are because of the noble efforts each of you make in your communities.
Carry on in the good fight, and make the 2017 WRAP week the next big blow to the sexual exploitation industries!
