Property developers name their new community ‘Gilead’.

‘Gilead‘ is known to many literature fans, and television watchers, as the theocratic, authoritarian republic run by an ultra-religious US government created by Margaret Atwood. In Gilead women have no rights, and those unfortunate enough to be able to bear children are forced into sexual slavery. Free speech doesn’t exist and any hint of backlash from the women results in drastic action from those in charge.

Bearing all that in mind: would you name your new community development Gilead?! A group in New South Wales, Australia, has done just that.

Of course the word Gilead wasn’t invented by Atwood- it actually can be traced back to centuries ago, and is also a man’s name in Hebrew. Many people believe, however, that the company behind the name choice could have Googled it before choosing a town name that a lot of people will feel is synonymous with oppression, horrific sexual abuse, and what is basically a dystopian nightmare. Let’s hope it doesn’t put anyone off buying a home in their retirement estate… They seem to be getting a lot of publicity because of the dodgy name choice.

But hey- any publicity is good publicity?