I Prefer a Real Man

I am not usually a big one for jumping on a cause’s bandwagon just because a celebrity promotes it. This time the cause is one I passionately believe in and I love the way the celebrities, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are using social media to get the word out and making it easy for YOU to participate.

The Demi and Ashton Foundation (DNA), which aims to raise awareness about the harsh reality of child sex slavery, launched its “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” interactive video campaign this week. The goal of the campaign is to educate people about child sex slavery in the United States and to create a cultural shift around the buying and selling of humans. The message of the campaign is that “Real Men” don’t buy girls. Instead, “Real Men” do respect, love, care for, and protect girls.

DNA released several short interactive videos about things “Real Men” do – starring Justin Timberlake, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Jason Mraz, Ashton Kutcher, Drake, Adrian Peterson and Isaiah Mustafa. The videos seek to entertain viewers through fun, engaging “Real Men” situations while also providing an interactive environment for consumers to support the campaign. Additional supporters include Eva Longoria, Sofia Vergara and many more.

YOU will play a critical role in spreading the word about the campaign by creating your own personalized video (it just takes a few seconds) and sharing it with friends via social media.

“Child sex slavery is a difficult issue to think about, which makes it all the more important that we do,” remarked Ashton Kutcher. “Real Men do not ever buy children for sex. Period.”

Added Demi Moore: “People don’t realize child sex slavery is a serious problem in the United States. Young girls are victimized in the commercial sex industry every day. No 13-year-old girl chooses to be exploited for sex. Real Men love, care, and protect girls. Real Men don’t buy girls.”

A second component to the campaign is the “DNA T-shirt Challenge.” DNA has partnered with Threadless, a community-based design company, and retailer Steven Alan to create t-shirts around the concept of freedom – www.causes.threadless.com/dnafoundation. More than 200 artists submitted designs and 60,000 votes were cast to determine the winners. The two tees selected will be sold at Threadless.com and Stevenalan.com, as well as in all Steven Alan stores, with a percentage of proceeds going to DNA (available April 15). The design challenge will culminate with a launch party at Steven Alan’s Tribeca store in April – where the two designs selected will be unveiled and the “Real Men” videos shown.

Current Trafficking Statistics:

• The average age of entry into forced prostitution in the U.S. is thirteen
• Ninety percent of youth trafficked for sexual purposes in the U.S. are citizens of our own country
• Hundreds of thousands of American girls and boys are currently enslaved in the U.S.
• An estimated one million children are forced to work in the global sex industry every year
• The global sex slavery market generates a $39 billion profit annually
• Selling young girls is more profitable than trafficking drugs or weapons

About The DNA Foundation: The Demi and Ashton Foundation aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide. Believing that freedom is a fundamental human right, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher founded DNA to help raise awareness about this horrific problem, change cultural stereotypes and rehabilitate the innocent victims. More information can be found at www.demiandashton.org.