White roses show 'Times Up' at Brit Awards

Most artistes at the 2018 Brit Awards carried or pinned white roses in a show of solidarity with the "Time's Up" and "Me Too" movements, but singer Paloma Faith was upset that not many men adorned the flower.

Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran were among the prominent ones to display the roses at the annual awards ceremony at London's O2 Arena held early on Thursday. Faith thought that it was not enough, bbc.com reported.

"The only thing I'm upset about tonight is not more men carrying white roses. I think they should have," said the singer who was nominated for British female solo artist.

Aritste Stormzy wasn't wearing a rose on the red carpet - but had pinned it on by the time he won the British male solo artist award.

Faith pinned a rose to a member of rock group Royal Blood on the red carpet as she explained: "I put a white rose on one of them, which I think is really important. Because I think men should support."

The awards ceremony was the latest to feature the symbolic white flower on the red carpet. Performers first adopted the white rose at February's Grammy Awards as a symbol of solidarity with victims of sexual harassment and abuse.

Faith said pop stars had a platform to make a statement on behalf of all women, and they should. "What I think is really important is that we're speaking across the board for women because I have never met a woman who hasn't experienced it in any profession," she said.

Sheeran said the #MeToo and Time's Up campaigns were long overdue. "I think it should have happened sooner, but I'm glad it is happening. It's nice that people are aware of it now," he said.

Unlike the all-black dress code at the Bafta Awards on Sunday, the organisers of the Brit Awards invited attendees to wear the white rose pin or carry the flower to the ceremony to acknowledge the entertainment industry's fight against sexual harassment.

In January, a group of powerful Hollywood women, spearheaded by actresses Reese Witherspoon and Shonda Rhimes, signed an open letter to launch the Time's Up movement, pledging to provide $13 million in legal aid to women facing sexual harassment in the workplace.

The initiative forms part of the #MeToo movement, developed in response to allegations against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017.

--IANS

ks/in