In an unprecedented move, the entire American city of Philadelphia has effectively banned R. Kelly from their limits following the wake of the multiple accusations of sexual abuse levelled against the singer.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, it isn’t an actual, legally-binding ban, per se, but it serves as “a public declaration” that “this city doesn’t welcome” him. It was pitched on January 25th and has passed unanimously when the council went to vote on Thursday, 31st January.
As reported by the aforementioned publication, the move supports #MuteRKelly’s goal of remedying “decades of silence surrounding” Kelly’s alleged sexual abuse of “black girls as young as 13” by not giving Kelly a platform to further his career.
“It’s about being clear that we will not accept a future where rape is accepted, and rapists and sexual predators get away with their acts,” said Councilwoman Helen Gym, a co-sponsor of this resolution.
“I believe that R. Kelly and predators like him should be shamed and banished from the public sphere.”
This is just the latest in a series of events following the release of the groundbreaking documentary ‘Surviving R. Kelly’, including artists like Lady Gaga and Chance The Rapper publicly denouncing and removing their collaborations with Kelly from streaming services.
