A mysterious billboard has suddenly appeared over a North Carolina interstate: “Real men provide/Real women appreciate it,” it reads.
Local residents are planning to protest the billboard on Sunday over its antiquated take on gender roles, according to CNN. Clothing store owner Molly Grace, who is organizing the protest, told the network the sign promotes the idea that women should “shut up and smile and be grateful for what [a man] does for you.”
The billboard also reinforces heterosexual gender roles. By pairing men and women together, the message argues that men should provide for women financially, romantically, and sexually. It does not leave room for the idea that women can romantically, sexually, and financially support other women, or men can support other men.
With transgender rights becoming a mainstream political concern this week—not to mention, North Carolina being the home of the most controversial trans bathroom law in the nation—the billboard may also have transphobic undertones, since the idea is that “real” men and women must appear and act cisgender.
Whiteheart Outdoor Advertising’s president, Bill Whiteheart, reportedly knows who rented the billboard, but the group would like to stay anonymous for the time being. The group reportedly spent $2,000 to rent the message for 30 days, and it will run for a 30-day time slot. Afterward, the message can be renewed if the group chooses to do so.
“We’re not supportive of or in opposition to the message,” Whiteheart said to CNN. “We’re just the messenger.”
