TIL Desk Sports/ Animal rights activist Ashley Fruno braved bone-numbing temperatures in Pyeongchang, host of this month’s Winter Games, to call for an end to the fur trade on Tuesday and said she wanted to send a message that fur has no place at the Olympics.
With the mercury plunging to minus 10 Celsius and clad only in white underwear, ‘bunny ears’, and a warm pair of gloves, Fruno spoke to reporters for about 15 minutes about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) stance on fur and other issues in front of the Olympic rings at the Alpensia Resort.
Formed in 1980, PETA makes no apologies for using scantily-clad women to advance animal rights, though it flies in the face of the mushrooming #MeToo social media campaign aimed at building a culture of respect for women. Celebrities including Beyonce and Lady Gaga have been taken to task by the group for their fashion choices while members have also disrupted fashion shows around the world.
In 2008, two PETA members jumped onto the catwalk at an Alexander McQueen fashion show in New York with blood-red paint on their hands, holding signs saying, “Fur on your back, blood on your hands”.
