Janice Turner on feminists' support of strip clubs

[Igneococcus]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/feminists-have-fallen-for-the-strip-club-myth-vt3fm2vkv?shareToken=f50dd753cfda37d39219d56e744d25b7

Some depressing comments.

Another brilliant article from JT

It's a good article though it would have been nice if Janet had highlighted that there are differences of opinion within feminism between lib fem choicy-choice, sex-possie feminists and feminists whose central concern is defending women's rights and fighting against male violence.

The ingredients were there - women such as the wonderful and admirable Sammy Woodhouse. But it needs to be spelled out for her readership that these sex possie types bear as much resemblance to real feminism as Momentum does to the mainstream Labour voter (in fact typically they're the same bunch of people).

If I lived in the Rother Valley and Sammy wanted to stand, I'd pound the streets leafletting for her.

brilliant article by Janice as always, but god that's a depressing read

the Spearmint Rhino feminists told Sheffield council that “stripping is a crucial drive in the feminist movement” and “plays a huge role in empowering women”

I was going to say that someone's really done a number on these young women, but I think to an extent we need to hold them responsible for their profoundly anti woman beliefs and actions. what i don't know is how to bring them to their senses

The never ending "pick me" dance by women wanting men's approval continues, despite the fact they'll never get it.

the other depressing theme is just how much momentum are betraying their core voters by fielding a 23 year old idiot

if ever a constituency needed a decent MP it's Rotherham. Labour - what the fuck are you doing?

Thanks Janice.

There's a councillor in Sheffield, Neale Gibson, who has absolutely vilified GC feminists on Twitter and who supported the 'Burn T*RFS' posters.

He is is the director of an accounting firn, which is the secretary of a business called Escorts R Us among 150 other businesses. This placed him at the centre of investigations around his involvement with the licensing committee earlier this year.

More here: www.jusnews.net/stripping-the-licence-updates-on-the-campaign-to-close-sheffields-only-strip-club/

www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-councillor-involved-in-escorts-businessa-axeda-froma-committee-a-159542

if ever a constituency needed a decent MP it's Rotherham. Labour - what the fuck are you doing?

This.

I just hope some of Janice's words gain traction with the “women can strip if they want to” dafties.

I was going to say that someone's really done a number on these young women

Well the , in my view, loathsome , overrated and misogynistic Margaret Atwood spouts the "stripping is empowering" garbage.

Sammy Woodhouse is aghast that middle-class students believe lap-dancing clubs are empowering. Or that Sophie Wilson responded to Spearmint Rhino’s offer of a free night out as reward for saving their licence with an excited: “I’m up for it.” In response, Ms Wilson called Woodhouse — a Rother Valley voter — “SWERF trash”. It is hard to believe such an immature, insensitive person could be selected for a seat beset with complex problems. But the Rother Valley long-list compiled by Labour’s NEC excluded most local candidates. Ms Wilson was a Momentum choice.

Thank you, Janice, for pointing out that, in essence, this is a load of middle class girls not giving two shits about a society that uses working class girls in this way.

And, at election time, with women not wanting to vote for the Tories and austerity, but hesitant about voting Labour because it is profoundly anti-woman - thank you for reminding us that these vile clubs are the result of the Labour party's deregulation.

I didn't realise that was the kind of nonsense Sheffield Feminists were fighting against. I know people who were exhausted trying to fight that licence being renewed.

if ever a constituency needed a decent MP it's Rotherham. Labour - what the fuck are you doing?

As if people haven’t been sufficiently shown already, but this really shows the absolute depths of Labour not giving a shit about girls and women.

these sex possie types bear as much resemblance to real feminism as Momentum does to the mainstream Labour voter (in fact typically they're the same bunch of people).

Yes! I never understand why they give companies like Spearmint Rhino a free pass when they would never do the same for a fast food chain or retailer.

Wow that is such a brilliant article. Janice Turner

Also Sammy Woodhouse thank you for bravely sharing your experiences and supporting other women

I’ve lived and worked in areas with strip clubs. Absolutely horrible (and also unavoidable) when you has to go out around there after dark, alone or without a man in the group. The men who travelled from far to go these places would come out aggressively pumped up on (what I now know to call) sexual entitlement.

I would rage about what they were doing to all of the women living locally who had to either stay indoors or suffer this fear and offence constantly. No coincidence these places were usually in deprived areas where residents were less likely to kick up a fuss or be seen as important. But in otherwise wealthy city centres too- another example of women expected to just suck it up if they have the gall to be in public places unguarded by men.

Absolutely nothing empowering about any of it.

The women I see having a fag break outside spearmint rhino don’t look Empowered to me. They look cold, tired and fucked off.

If anyone in Sheffield wants to support a senible woman, @liz4hallam is standing as an independent. She runs the Harlequin pub, which provided space for a WPUK meeting last year
theharlequinpub.wordpress.com/2018/09/21/wpuk-meeting/

"A bit about what I can offer you:

I've run a pub in Sheffield for nearly 10 years, so I understand the challenges facing small and independent businesses in what is a very challenging climate. I also know what a key role small businesses can play in a local community, and how vital they can be, and am keen to work with business owners and employees to find out what support I can offer you.
We've done a lot of fundraising activities over the years, focusing on causes that are important to the local community; I'm determined to understand the needs of the constituency, and impact of government policies on the most vulnerable in society. You have my promise that I will work tirelessly to help make things better.

I spent many years working in Sheffield's universities, and understand the complexities of working within large organisations. I know that there are no quick answers to enabling change, but that individual actions within a system can make a lot of difference.
A keen cyclist (well, on the flat anyway) and walker, I'm eager to explore ways of facilitating a change from the car as a default option for journeys. Proper investment in public transport, and a system that encourages active travel, are two things that I believe are essential priorities.
I'll be organising a series of open meetings around the Sheffield Hallam constituency over the coming weeks with a view to meeting constituents and discussing important issues."

There is an excellent btl comment on that article by a (male) police officer. This bit particularly:
my experience as a police officer is that sex work is coercive and abusive linked to organised crime and underpinned by manipulation of vulnerability. I have never ever met a parent or 16 year old child discussing sex work as a career aspiration. It’s a response to debt, a method of funding an addiction, a conclusion of making bad decisions, of threat and control, a complete loss of any opportunity. The real world is very different to the theory that is being promoted

Well done Sammy Woodhouse too.

"if ever a constituency needed a decent MP it's Rotherham. Labour - what the fuck are you doing?"

Rotherham and Rother Valley are different constituencies. The superb Sarah Champion is MP for Rotherham.

i Wilson was also the subject of a formal complaint when she lashed out at campaigners against the club in a number of social media posts.

i She branded them “trashy SWERFs” (sex worker exclusionary radical feminists) who she claimed were “patronising young women”.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/labour-candidate-branded-women-campaigning-against-strip-club-trashy-swerfs/ar-AAJFAD3

the irony, nothing says class and sophistication quite like a twitter rant

Big mistake for a candidate espically as Sammy is in that number

she could go the same was as that candidate in Scotland

It's a great article.

I think Sammy Woodhouse is an amazingly brave young woman, too.

Someone needs to educate the Labour candidate - perhaps she could meet Sammy and hear the truth?

Surprised to see this in the woke Huffington Post, bit this article contains more info on Sophie"s tweets:

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/labour-candidate-branded-strip-club-opponents-swerfs-and-terfs_uk_5dbacb58e4b00d83f7238253/

HuffPost is pretty bad though. A lot of US outlets are horrendous.

Has anyone read Sammys book? Might ask for it for Xmas.

I can see why the dancers want to keep their jobs, if the club closes they will probably end up working somewhere worse but anyone else needs to take a more balanced view. Sophie Wilson is not just supporting the dancers, she is is supporting the club and labelling anyone who disagrees as trash, this will come back to haunt her.

I like seeing young candidates but they have to be exceptional, she is immature even for 23.

“ was going to say that someone's really done a number on these young women, but I think to an extent we need to hold them responsible for their profoundly anti woman beliefs and actions. ”

To the fullest extent surely ...they’re adults.

www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SexEstablishmentPolicy/ Bristol is consulting on whether to have 3 strip clubs and 4 sex shops. Tell them NO in their online survey (takes 2 min!):

Hope this link works I did it in a couple of minutes.

Some advice a poster elsewhere re filling it in:

How to Fill it in:

Que 4: ‘Strongly Disagree’

Que 5: ‘Strongly Disagree’

Que 6: ‘Strongly Disagree’

Que 7: ‘Disagree’

Que 9:

Old Market: ‘Strongly Disagree’
City Centre Locality: ‘Strongly Disagree’
Bishopston/Redland etc: 'Strongly Agree’ (with zero strip clubs here)
Que 10 Comments: Ask for zero sexual ‘entertainment’ venues and add any personal concerns or experiences of the strip industry