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Brazil will deny visa to woman-choking pick-up artist

by Adriana Brasileiro | @Adribras | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thursday, 13 November 2014 23:57 GMT

Lovers kiss as the sun sets on the famous Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro on June 9, 2014. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

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The UK and Canada are also considering banning dating coach Julien Blanc from their territories.

By Adriana Brasileiro

RIO DE JANEIRO Nov 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brazil will deny a visa to Julien Blanc, a self-proclaimed pickup artist who travels around the world teaching men how to seduce women using techniques that include choking and intimidation.

Brazil's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement today that there are ''enough elements'' about Blanc's background to deny him a visa.

Blanc, a Swiss-born dating coach at California-based Real Social Dynamics (RSD), advocates using physical aggression and emotional abuse to convince women to have sex, according to videos of his workshops on YouTube.

One of his pick-up techniques to ''open'' a woman is to approach the target and choke her before covering her mouth to keep her quiet.

A pie-chart, designed by Blanc as a cheat-sheet of his techniques and published on his Facebook profile, shows ''power and control'' in the center, and slices describing how to ''use coercion and threats, use intimidation, use emotional abuse, use isolation, deny, blame and minimize, use children, use economic abuse, use male privilege.''

According to RSD's website, ''bootcamp'' workshops in Brazil are scheduled in Rio de Janeiro and Florianopolis in January, at a cost of $2,500 per participant.

The site lists several men as instructors, including Blanc. Brazil's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Blanc hasn't applied for a visa, but if he does, Brazilian consulates around the world have been instructed to immediately contact the Ministry.

''It's very positive that the Brazilian government is reacting to this and saying this guy is not welcome here,'' said Leila Rebouças, from CFEMEA, a feminist organisation.'We can't just accept it and call it freedom of expression, because it's not.''

In one of his seminars, Blanc recounted his experiences in Japan. ''In Tokyo, a white male can do whatever he wants,'' he boasted to a room full of young men.

''I'm walking through the streets and grabbing girls and literally it's like head on dick, head on dick,'' he said, motioning with his hands as if grabbing a woman's head and pulling it to his crotch.

Brazil is the latest country to join a wave of international backlash against Blanc since details of his dating advice techniques emerged earlier this month. An online petition on campaigning organisation Avaaz urging the Brazilian government to deny Blanc a visa collected 280,000 signatures in just two days.

THOUSANDS PETITION UK TO BAR BLANC FROM ENTRY

Last week, the Australian government revoked Blanc's visa, forcing him to cancel a tour and leave the country ahead of schedule. About 10,000 people had signed a petition urging the Prime Minister and the Immigration Minister to do so.

The UK and Canada are also considering banning Blanc from their territories. Over 100,000 have signed a petition urging Home Secretary Theresa May to ban his entry into the UK.

"To allow this man into the UK legitimises sexual assault and predation, and sends a message that women are playthings or objects without agency,'' said the petition.

In Canada, about 50,000 have signed the petition ''Keep Julien Blanc and Real Social Dynamics out of Canada.''

Blanc, whose merchandise sold at seminars includes T-shirts saying ''Diss Fatties, Bang Hotties,'' didn't respond to e-mailed requests for comment sent to RSD's client support email address.

The company didn't respond to e-mailed requests for comment. (Reporting by Adriana Brasileiro, Editing by Lisa Anderson) )

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