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Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill (Scotland)
The campaign to get Scotland to see sense where the rest of the UK failed is coming on a pace. Last week Becky Dwyer and Alexandra McGregor from CAAN Scotland talked with the Sexual Offences team and also had an infinitely more helpful meeting, with Patrick Harvie who has been working to protect the rights of consenting adults in Scottish legislation in his work as an MSP(Green Party). Mr Harvey has spoken with Kenny MacAskill regarding the extreme pornography section of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill (published 6 March, now entering stage 1), and is working on placing an amendment into the Sexual Offenses Bill (now in stage 2) stating that the government should not prosecute cases where consent is not contested (where both adults consent).
He understands the challenges that face people involved in BDSM, and recognises that this is not a topic where people feel free to step forward (public and MSP). He agrees in principle to CAAN's general aims and that discrimination against BDSM paractitioners should not happen, comparing it to the situation of LGBT in the 60's. He is already familiar with Backlash, Spanner Trust, Feminists Against Censorship, and now CAAN (unlike the Scottish civil servants advising on this law, who had never heard of Spanner).
CAAN encourages all organisations who share concerns about the extreme pornography proposal to speak with Mr Harvie. Individuals who have concerns about anonymity should write to him as well, because we feel he would be sympathetic towards these fears of job loss, etc.
The CJLB has now been published (the relevant part on extreme porn starts on page 56) And article on Scottish porn law from John Ozimek at The Register
There are several ways in which Scotland's law is far broader than the CJIA:
Inclusion of depictions of "non-consensual" images (even if actually consensual).
Covers acts likely to result in severe injury to any part of the body. (not just genitals breasts and anus as in the CJIA)
In defining "pornographic", the Scottish bill also includes the phrase "and the sounds accompanying it". One the one hand, this might work in our favour as an "academic" soundtrack might indicate that the image isn't for pornographic purposes. However, it might also work against us as a plain ordinary consensual sex act (normally legal) might, with the wrong soundtrack, be considered rape, and hence, illegal.
The possibility of a defence that an act was consensual - which was already highly limited and at the court's discretion in the English version - is not available in the Scottish version. This leads to the ridiculous situation of it only being legal to have images of yourself. A consenting committed couple may not be able to even have photos of each other. So much for 'not targeting consenting adults'.
Animal carcases are now included, and the animals clause now covers any "sexual activity". Not something that concerns a bunch of consenting adults but it will be interesting to find out if how broad 'carcase' is…does it include carcass based products…will pictures of erotic sausage eating be illegal to possess…or the wearing of leather or fur in a sexual context?
There is plenty of discussion of the law on the activism board on here and the seenoevil forum.
As I write we haven't yet had a chance to update the Scotland page on the CAAN website but if you go to the new 'What you can do right now' page there are plenty of ways to join in opposing the CJLB.Coroners and Justice Bill (CARTOON LAW)
The comic book alliance seem to be slowly gaining momentum. There is the obligatory number10 petition which is gathering speed and a facebook 'supporters of the comic book alliance' page.
We urge you all to spread the word about the direct effect this law will have on artists like Trevor Brown and Alan Moore and the far wider chilling effect it will have on artists, cartoonists and collectors. Read literally it could even affect works by people like Aubrey Beardsley. The government may claim its not 'supposed to' affect them…. In which case the government should write clearer and less encompassing legislation!
Finally on the CJB Simon Darkangel did a piece for Youtube, and like his video on the extreme porn law, its worth a watch.Ending violence against women and girls (consultation)
Beyond the blatant gender bias of this piece of populist gimickry one wouldn't think it has anything to do with consenting adults… domestic violence is by its very nature non-consensual. The worrying thing perhaps for the BDSM community (and anyone else who likes a bit of consensual violence in the morning) is that this consultation talks about not condoning violence in any context and teaching children about 'normal' non-violent relationships.
Perhaps somewhere in the mix it needs pointing out that for some adults, in private, some level of violence is 'normal', acceptable and totally consensual.Convention of Modern Liberty
Enough of legislation and on to the Convention of Modern Liberty that took place at the end of February at locations across the uk.
I attended the Cambridge event (my most local one) and went to a lively debate on internet censorship chaired by John Ozimek from the Register, with Sarah Robertson(IWF), Frank Fisher (blogger), Dr. Belinda Brooks-Gordon (Birkbeck), Alex Dymock (Backlash) as speakers.
Both Frank and John went on to speak from the floor at the afternoon session on loss of civil liberties and Frank is a great proponent of Freedom of Speech and John (seemingly returning to politics after a long gap) spoke about the fact that political activism is very different from when he was last involved in that people are afraid to speak out and to get involved and that is something he picks up very clearly from those involved with sexual politics.
Up in Manchester CAAN ran a workshop on 'The slippery slope of government legislation against sex' The session was run by Lucy McAlister and aided and abetted by Clair Lewis.
I probably can't improve on Clair's own words from the day which appeared as a guest blog on Heresy Corner. And the event was also attended by Ally Fogg who wrote up the event for Comment is Free and Tony Holden who writes 'Cynical Chatter from the Underworld' and responded to the day with this piece.
Further coverage of the event can be found at http://www.modernliberty.net/INTRODUCING…
Whilst we are on the subject of Clair, we thought over the coming months we might introduce you to some of the many people active in CAAN and we may as well start with Clair who if you believe the rumours runs CAAN single handedly from an underground nerve centre in South Manchester...reclined in her four-poster bed, stroking a fluffy pussy and plotting against government oppression….
Clair Lewis is CAAN's thirty six year old National Covenor and when asked what exactly that means she says she's the first person standing in the line of fire and taking the blame for things. She's certainly the person who you are most likely to have seen speaking in the national media on behalf of the Consenting Adult Action Network. Clair is the face of CAAN but she's also a single parent (of three) and a human rights activist with over a decade's experience in the UK Disabled people's movement as a campaigner, musician, protestor and occasional advocate, writer and artist.
In respect of her campaigning with CAAN she describes herself as uncompromising and says she "came out out as kinky" because she has had enough of the demonisation, persecution and criminalisation of people with alternative sexualities and is sick of feeling forced to be in the closet because she engages in consensual loving adult BDSM relationships.
She is also CAAN's activism co-ordinator, drawing from her wealth of experience with DAN, the Disabled people's Direct Action Network, in organising CAAN protests, but says she has already learnt things from her time with CAAN that she can use elsewhere, so the two sides to her campaigning feed into each other. Most recently she used the social networking and press techniques honed with CAAN to lead a public outcry against complaints about Cerrie Burnell the disabled CBeebies presenter, starting a group of supporters with 70,000 members (and still growing!) who have now sent thousands of letters to the BBC and the press.
She is certainly a person with a great deal of passion and energy for the issues and people she cares about.
Speaking about the legislation CAAN opposes, she is crystal clear that if there was any proof that any of the legislation would actually stop abuse and harm to any measurable degree she would be supporting it, but she believes that unfortunately the overall effect will be the exact opposite. As well as harmless people being put in jail and on the sex offender register, Clair believes consenting adults in a variety of sexual relationships are going to suffer from this legislation...suffer, be harmed and in some cases die, due to lack of information and isolation caused by fear of the further criminalisation of people with interests the government just believe to be distasteful.
Clair Lewis, aka Dennis to her friends, is a believer in people building their power and pride by joining in with fighting back when we are under attack...and most importantly she acts as a catalyst putting that belief firmly into action.
She's an Aries, her favourite colour is black and the random fact about herself she'd like to share is: "I am reinventing the concept of the 'armchair activist' by admitting that I do nearly all this campaign work from my four poster bed." [Editor's note…she just doesn't like to mention the underground nerve centre]
You are very welcome to follow Clair on Facebook Twitter LiveJournal and MySpace Consent 2009
Thanks to everyone who sent in offers of help, support and suggestions and hopefully we got back to everyone –even if it was just to say 'hold that offer we're not that organised yet'
It looks like the event will be happening in London as that's where we get the best chance of national press coverage and the date is looking more like June than May as first intended ……further details will follow shortly!And final mish mash…
Another more off the wall idea of how you can help CAAN is to apply to 'win a stint on the Fourth plinth' in Trafalgar Square. It would be great to have someone up there wielding a CAAN placard…or people displaying their fetishistic inclinations..or even both. See this thread for details.
I thought I'd share a Youtube clip with you all that hasn't much to do with Consenting Adult Action network at all…. But a lot to do with Labour's attitude to freedom of speech. Keith Vaz with his 'if you want freedom of speech you can get on a plane and do it elsewhere' appearance on Newsnight….
CAAN notices that he's a mate of Martin 'the snuff meister' Salter, who rather controversially proposed him as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee… one begins to see what they teach them at NuLabour charm school.
This months 'Index on Censorship' is focusing on defining obscenity and has some interesting looking articles and writers like Julian Petley and John Ozimek. I haven't managed to get hold of a copy yet (living in the middle of nowhere) but you can read several articles for free here.
Finally,thanks also to all those facebook members who at last sussed that being a member there doesn't automatically sign you to the CAAN statement:
"We believe in the right of consenting adults to make their own sexual choices, in respect of what they do, see and enjoy alone or with other consenting adults, unhindered and unfettered by government." "We believe that it is not the business of government to intrude into the sex lives of consenting adults." - Sign up here
Please pass the word on about signing the statement and feel free to email us and ask to go on the direct mailing list to receive regular newsletters. (they have more links...and pictures etc..and putting the newsletter on here is incredibly labour intensive)
info@caan.org.uk www.caan.org.uk
Edited Wed 18 Mar 09, 10:50 PM by C_A_A_N
