This is a petition to ask the O2 Academy Leicester to cancel the Dapper Laughs gig in February on the grounds it is misogynistic, actively promoting rape culture, and goes against the SU’s Zero Tolerance policy that the O2 works to support.

Dapper Laughs represents the Lad Culture that the O2 is working so hard with the Students’ Union to diminish. He trivialises rape and sexual harassment, having said things such as, ‘show her your penis. If she cries, she’s playing hard to get,’ and recently telling a female audience member at one of his shows that she was, ‘gagging for a rape.’  ITV has recently recognised the sexism that Dapper Laughs promotes and cancelled his TV show. We believe a University campus is also inappropriate for this sort of behaviour.

We are not asking for a ban. We recognise Dapper Laughs (Daniel O’Reilly)’s freedom of speech.  What we are asking for is that the O2 Academy recognises that allowing this gig to continue would be a massive infringement on the Zero Tolerance policy. While the gig is not a student night, student staff will still be working the O2 bars, and the O2 Academy is still on campus grounds.

Cardiff University has already had his gig on their campus cancelled. We ask the O2 Academy Leicester do the same and not allow this sort of misogyny a platform.