Scottish Anti-Porn Bill (5)

skyfox's profile

Posted by skyfox on Wed 8 Oct 08, 2:49 PM

As you may or may have noticed on the Activism Board, the Scottish Government is about to enact their own version of the anti-extreme porn bill that was passed in Westminster. Until the Scottish Government put this section into their latest Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill, the act passed in Westminster did not apply to Scotland. No longer. Oop north we too will be facing criminal charges for our porn and home movies/photos.

Here's some things we can do:

The bill will be turned into legislation before 2009, and they are still taking comments on it from the public. Contact information about the CJLB is here.

I fired off a letter to the email address on that page: Criminaljusticeandlicensingbill@scotland.gsi.gov.uk and received an acknowledgement from them within 24 hours. The email was then passed onto the "Sexual Offenses Branch". I asked who they were, and again, within 24 hours, I received the email addresses of the people who are dealing with it, and they should get back to me with direct contact information. (Stay tuned.) So, if you want a speedy response, this is definitely one way to go.

Another way to go is to inform your MSP about this bill and your thoughts on it. You can find your MSP here.

If you have media connections, telling local Scottish papers to talk about this bill might be another way of raising awareness. Of course, it could easily backfire, but so far the only media to have picked up on this bill (that I know -- I don't watch a lot of tv) is The Register, Melonfarmers, and a single sentence in The Scotsman and The Hearld. The good news is that there are a lot of measures in it that piss people off from various areas, so perhaps general civil displeasure might help defeat it.

If you're not sure what to say, Deviant Mind had a couple of ideas, Degenerate's letters to the Lords can be adapted, (another one here), and I had a letter here. The main thing is just stressing that you are a Scottish resident, and you feel that this bill should not pass. It can be because you like porn, you take your own pictures, it won't solve the problems they want it to solve, you don't want to be in a nanny state, or you don't think they should have the same mindless knee-jerk legislation that Westminster does. Anything as long as it's honest.

More information about what I find out about who to contact directly will be passed on when I have it. Any thoughts as to other good people to write to, call, or generally harass?

Replies

9 Oct 08, 6:39 PM
skyfox
UK(EH), 22 mths
As was pointed out on Belle de Jour, (kudos to go4it)

Belle de Jour wrote:
Therefore my writing must pass the average reader test - if I use jargon, is it something Average Reader would understand? If not, it must be described more fully. So, the word 'flogger', while commonly used by many people, does not pass the test. In fact many commonly used kink terms don't. As an example, I recently made reference in my Facebook status to needle play and mentioned my nipples hurt, and loads of people posted on the Wall to ask why. And these are fans! If you scoff at that, imagine what the editors think about words like 'djambok' and 'cauterise'.
When you are writing to your politicians, newspapers, etc. it's a good idea not to use words found in the IC dictionary without defining them.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Edited 10 Oct 08, 1:54 PM by skyfox

13 Oct 08, 12:10 PM
mr_laurie
UK, 13 mths
Y! Another idea might be to bombard wee Alex Salmond with questions regarding it - Might not make it through since it's through the BBC but who knows it may be worth a try!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7646334.stm
Scott
Bondage Kittens Webslave
www.bondagekittens.co.uk

15 Oct 08, 10:06 AM
Degenerate
UK(M), 22 mths
Do you think there's anything we further south can do to support?
hugs
clair
21st Oct - Come on the demo against the porn ban and for sexual freedoms: http://www.caan.org.uk/updates/Action21Oct.html .
Sign up to CAAN's statement - http://www.caan.org.uk
Sexuality - strong and warm and wild and free, Sexuality - your laws do not apply to me (Billy Bragg)

15 Oct 08, 11:23 PM
x_zero_x
UK(DD), 7 yrs
Y!

mr_laurie wrote:
Another idea might be to bombard wee Alex Salmond with questions regarding it - Might not make it through since it's through the BBC but who knows it may be worth a try!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7646334.stm
i write this reply from the lounge of the hotel Mr Salmond is staying in this weekend for the SNP Conference (he's upstairs now), where i'm currently taking a break from my shift as night time security for said conference. As well as writing to my MP i am going to broach the subject with some of the party members tomorrow and put my point across in person!
Your day has finally come -
So wear the hat and do the dance
And let the suit keep wearing you.

23 Oct 08, 5:53 PM
Master_Onyx
UK, 4 mths My MSP is the Presiding Officer of the Parliament so can't comment on the bill but he did send me these email address's which may be of use to everyone:
richard.baker.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
bill.aitken.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
robert.brown.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
kenny.macaskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Yours in Bondage,
Master Onyx
Edited 23 Oct 08, 5:54 PM by Master_Onyx


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