Wendy Francis on the giant pink condom on Hyde Park Obelisk

ONE of Sydney’s famous monuments has been turned into an 18-metre tall pink penis overnight — and not everyone’s happy about it.

FOR EDITION Pink Condom

A GIANT pink condom lowered onto a monument in Sydney’s Hyde Park has sparked debate among locals, with Christian activists slamming the stunt.

The 18m fluoro covering was slipped onto the Hyde Park Obelisk overnight as part of an advertising campaign commissioned by an agency for HIV prevention among gay men.

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It’s park of a safe sex campaign.

The condom was lowered onto the statue overnight.

Australian Christian Lobby director and outdoor advertising lobbyist Wendy Francis has spoken out on the stunt, telling news.com.au it was “disgusting” and “completely inappropriate”.

“My position on this is always that the government but also the community we have responsibility to our children,” she said.

“There is a time and place for talking to children, and an age appropriate time for parents to talk to children about condoms.

“Parents do not want to be forced into a situation where they have to explain something that’s not relevant.”

Think of the children: Wendy Francis is a strong campaigner for appropriate advertising. Pic: Patria Jannides

Aside from being inappropriate, Francis said the campaign’s message would be lost in the controversy.

“I think it’s trivialising a very serious problem as well,” she said.

“It’s never appropriate to put sexually explicit advertising in public places.

“It’s an Obelisk and we’re turning it into a penis.”

As the Queensland director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Francis has campaigned since 2009 for outdoor advertising to be G rated.

‘The world’s giant condom’ is supposed to stay in the park for one week.

She said she would like to see advertisers take a responsible attitude toward the way they approach sexually explicit messages, and has called for government to step up and intervene in the giant condom issue.

A press release issued by the AIDS Council of NSW who are responsible for “the world’s biggest condom”, says the Hyde Park Obelisk will remain sheathed by the hot pink covering for one week.

It’s purpose it to “help raise awareness among gay men about how they can help end HIV transmission in NSW by 2020”.

Originally published as Wendy Francis on the giant pink condom on Hyde Park Obelisk