Anti-pornography movement in the United Kingdom

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The anti-pornography movement in the United Kingdom is considered to be more concerted and better organised than similar movements in other Western liberal democracies.[1]

Radical feminist opposition

During the 1970s, there emerged several anti-pornography groups, including legislatively focused groups such as Campaign Against Pornography and Campaign Against Pornography and Censorship, as well as groups associated with Revolutionary Feminism such as Women Against Violence Against Women and its direct action offshoot Angry Women.[2] Opposition to violent or degrading pornography continues to this day from radical feminists who continue to fight the Feminist sex wars.

Conservative and religious opposition

Strong opposition to pornography in the United Kingdom also came from the National Viewers and Listeners Association (now known as Mediawatch). This Christian organisation wishes to criminalise possession of pornography, and was founded and led by Mary Whitehouse until 1991.

Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008

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The British government exerts a much greater degree of control over pornography than is common in other countries. Possession of adult pornography had never been an offense in the UK, until 2009 when some forms (violent pornography) were criminalised by Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, punishable by 3 years in prison.

The UK Government first announced plans to ban violent pornography in 2004, after the murder of Jane Longhurst by Graham Coutts. Coutts had viewed pornography, particularly strangulation fetish sites. Jane's mother Liz Longhurst and the Government then launched a campaign, blaming his actions on an addiction to pornography.[3]

In 2006, the Government announced plans to criminalise possession of the material, including images staged with consenting adults. The move was supported by anti-pornography groups Mediawatch and Mediamarch but resisted by umbrella group Backlash, who were supported by organisations representing the BDSM and civil rights. The Consenting Adult Action Network was also formed to oppose the law. Radical feminists (such as Julie Bindel, among others) supported the ban, while anti-censorship feminists opposed it.[4] Many of those responding to the Government consultation, especially police organizations, felt that the proposal should go much further, and that tighter restriction on all pornography should be imposed. However, the majority of responses to the consultation said there should be no changes in the law.[5]

British Board of Film Classification

Hardcore material was not legalised until 2000, almost 30 years after the United States and the rest of Europe. Filmed material still has to be certified by the British Board of Film Classification in order to be legally supplied. This makes the UK's media one of the most regulated liberal democracies.[6] Distribution of pornography, including written material, is also restricted by the Obscene Publications Acts.

Legal status of cartoon pornography depicting minors

The Government has criminalised possession of non-realistic sexual images that depict a character in the scene who appears to be under 18 (see Legal status of cartoon pornography depicting minors#United Kingdom).

See also

References

  1. The Harm of Porn
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Abstract.)[dead link]
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. New Statesman - Criminalising extreme porn
  5. Consultation on the possession of extreme pornographic material | Home Office
  6. O'Toole, Laurence (1998). Pornocopia: Porn, Sex, Technology and Desire, London, Serpent's Tail. (ISBN 1-85242-395-1)