Dressed as butchers and businessmen, feminist groups are protesting outside a porn trade summit in London, trading have fake female body parts in the style of a meat market tol illustrate their campaign.
Four activist groups have banded together outside the XBIZ Adult Industry conference to condemn what they say is the objectification of women.
Terms like ‘Pussycash’ and hardcore ‘body punishing’ sex acts filmed for adult entertainment are increasing the sexual harassment of ordinary women and girls, OBJECT, a feminist campaign group says. Adding that the porn industry also encourages degradation and ‘women hating’, leads to violence, an acceptance of rape myths and violent attitudes towards women.
To back up their claims, they point to a Ministry of Justice report.
Kat Barnyard, Director of UK Feminista said: “Brutal, body punishing acts are now routine in mainstream porn and women are presented merely as a collection of body parts, deserving and desiring of pain.The pimps and porn moguls gathered this weekend are part of a global industry ruthlessly seeking new and profitable ways to carve up sexuality and trade away women’s equality.”
‘Page 3’ girls should also be banned, according to the protesting feminist groups. This was an issue discussed at the Lib Dem conference, supported by former MP Evan Harris, and equalities minister Lynne Featherstone.
Barnyard said governmental support is vital: “With a review into the culture and ethics of the press underway, the Government must ensure that pornographic imagery – like ‘Page 3’ - is a key part of this review.”
Sabrina Quereshi, former Outreach worker and member of Million Women Rise said that the government should ban adult industry events like this.
"The public deserve to know the truth and reality behind the so called sex industry. The present government should be ashamed of allowing an event like this to be happening in our capital in 2011 in the midst of cuts of services for violence against women and children.”
Berth Milton, Chairman and CEO of Private Media Group and Michael Klein, president of Hustler magazine, which also produces pornographic DVDs are among the speakers at the porn summit, hosted by XBIZ, an adult entertainment magazine.
Wendy McElroy, liberal feminist and author of XXX: a Woman’s Right To Pornography, said that feminist protests like these actually devalue women:
“In Western nations, the decision to work in porn is clearly a decision women make about their own bodies. It is a sign of the intellectual and moral poverty of mainstream feminism that it disrespects the sexual choices made by other adult women. “
“While I was doing research into the porn industry in America, I met many articulate, independent women who hated feminism for the disrespect with which the movement viewed them. Shame on any feminist who does so.”