Hall of Fame

Published fine research supporting the existence of female ejaculation on behalf of Feminists Against Censorship

Nominated by John

Leader of the Liberal Democrats

I was well impressed with the revelations from Paddy Ashdown's diaries that he had only wanted an pre-election agreement with the Labour Party on the condition that a Labour Government would not have included JackBoots Straw as Home Secretary.

He told three dealers in pornographic films that he had seen far worse sexual exhibitionism on television and let them off with 18-month conditional discharges. The defendants had pleaded guilty to the charge of  publishing obscene material.

He said: I have to ask myself, having looked at that video, if this is the best you can do. He said he had been more distressed after seeing Channel 5's late-night programme A Thong for Europe. Judge Benson, who watched a compilation of scenes from the tapes, said they did not contain acts involving children, sadism or animals. He said: In terms of obscenity this is only a tiny bit obscene. Maybe in another time or another place - and that time would be some years ago - this material would have been regarded as obscene within the legal meaning of the word. But in recent times the boundaries of what is publicly acceptable have been pushed back.

High profile campaigner with Feminists Against Censorship. This campaign group was formed in 1989 by a group of long-time feminist academics and campaigners who wished to fight censorship from a feminist perspective. In the intervening years, we have been joined by younger women, including those in other professions, such as computer programming, photography, secretarial work, law, and the sex industry.

Nominated by John

Honoured in 2008 Erotic Awards

Labour peer who defended the rights of sex workers, their clients, and extreme pornography, during the debate on the Criminal Justice Bill 2008. Regarding pornographic images that are said to be ‘extreme’, he said, ‘I was left with the question of whether their possession is so threatening to society that it is worth turning people into criminals and sending them to jail,’ and decided, ‘I really cannot imagine that any useful purpose is served by creating criminals out of the people who possess them.

Mel Gibson has spoken out in favour of sex and violence on screen. He said that the backlash in America against Hollywood after the Colorado high school massacre is silly and misplaced, it's the gun laws they should be looking at.

Gibson, a father of seven, whose last blockbuster Payback was criticised for its gore and sado-masochism, said violence was a part of life and should be represented. If you do not have transgression you do not have a good story, it's as simple as that. When something like this happens they always put the blame on movies and TV. It's a bum rap and a bad argument. I've seen 17th century plays where a tongue is cut out while a character is being strangled, and meanwhile his wife is committing adultery with his nephew on the other side of the stage. It's always been there.'

A reader nomination for good work on a censorship debate forming part of Channel 4's Censored Weekend

Labour Home Secretary in the late 50's who opposed some of the more censorial members of the establishment. He went on to add a literary defence clause to the Obscene Publications Act which proved to be the Trojan horse that ended book burning in the UK.

Mark Smith v. The London Borough of Hillingdon

I recently reported that Mark Smith had been accused of selling films copied from legally available (ie not proscribed) hardcore satellite channels. The case was heard at Isleworth Crown Court and Mark was found not guilty.

And in Mark's words: It's a great victory for all of us who are fed up to the back teeth with being bullied by governments who simply do not feel comfortable with porn but just cant be honest about it. In the mean time I would like to nominate the jury in the case of Mark Smith V. The London Borough of Hillingdon to your Hall of Fame. They showed great common sense in the face of quite a lot of double-dutch thrown up by prosecution counsel. I would like to thank them.

 Julie Kirkbride.

Nominated by John:

Conservative Party's Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary

Members of mediawatch-uk raised the issue of the availability pornographic DVDs through vending machines sited in public houses in a letter to the Shadow Culture Secretary, Julie Kirkbride MP

In a reply to mediawatch Ms Kirkbride said:

I understand your concern ... There is inevitably a balance that must be drawn between protecting children on the one hand and letting adults make their own viewing decision, within the boundaries of the law, on the other. As a mother, I strongly believe that pornographic material must only be accessible to those aged 18 or over. BBFC classifies videos, DVDs and some digital works under the Video Recordings Act 1984. I believe that it is appropriate that classification decisions are made by an independent, non-governmental body, subject to legislation, rather then by the Government itself. The BBFC has set clear guidelines to differentiate films that must be rated 18 and R18. As you point out, material which appears to be simulated is generally passed 18, while images of real sex are confined to the R18 category. Provided that the BBFC guidelines are met, I do not believe that it is the role of Government to prevent adults purchasing pornographic material if they so desire.

Granted a license for a one off showing of Wes Craven's Last House on the Left recently banned by the BBFC. They voted six to one in favour of the film with only the shameful Vice chair, Abdul Osman voting for a ban.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Anne Bunce said: I think it is absolutely degrading to women. It is absolutely horrendous. But I have no right to censor or tell the people of Leicester what they should or shouldn't watch. Sub-committee chairman Coun Winston Nurse said he had watched a worse film on Channel 5.

John Lindsay

 From Sergio:

Film maker John Lindsay in 1974 was prosecuted for making Obscene films (or rather conspiring to publish obscene films). After a retrial he was found not guilty. It has only taken 26 years for porn to become legal in the UK.

A reader nomination for sterling work in censorship reporting and in particular for the book Censored: The Story of Film Censorship in Britain

Honoured in 2008 Erotic Awards

MP who took a brave step by arranging for sex workers to join politicians and academics to discuss the laws surrounding sex work in the House of Commons Committee Room 10. This momentous meeting, on Wednesday 16th January 2008, was called by the Safety First Coalition, and the committee room was bulging with people and enthusiasm. Ten peers came to inform themselves in preparation for a debate in the Lords on the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. The Bill introduced an offence of persistent soliciting and compulsory ‘rehabilitation’ against sex workers. These sections of the Bill were eventually dropped. One of the speakers, outspoken pioneer Swedish sex worker Pye Jakobson said of the event, ‘This was the day in my life when I knew I was making history.’

Honoured in 2008 Erotic Awards

Defended the rights of sex workers and clients, and extreme porn, during discussion of the Criminal Justice Bill 2008. When absolutely no concessions were made, she withdrew her amendments in order that she could bring them back on a third reading.

Independent MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife responded to Backlash about the Government's 2005 consultation on Extreme Pornography:

I am most concerned about the proposals you outline – I had not heard of them because they are being dealt with at Westminster. To really influence the outcome you should lobby your MP whom I suspect is Menzies Campbell.

Your third paragraph says it all and the detail of how such a ban will work becomes complex to the point of absurdity. Of course there is much pornography that I will consider grotesque, humiliating and offensive to men or women, but who am I to say it is wrong if the adults have been willing participants and others want to view it? Child pornography is a quite separate case as children are not legally responsible for their decisions, and so long as that line is not blurred the law should be able to protect them.

You have my support in opposing such legislation, for what it’s worth, and I would like to be kept informed of the backlash campaign’s progress.

Lib Dem spokesman for youth affairs, said: Nobody has come up with evidence of harm from hard-core porn. It probably works as a release valve for some people.

Nominated by John:

The writer Salman Rushdie, who was put under a death sentence for insulting the prophet Muhammad, has raised the stakes with an essay in praise of pornography.
Rushdie argues that a free and civilised society should be judged by its willingness to accept pornography.

Published fine research supporting the existence of female ejaculation on behalf of Feminists Against Censorship

Nominated by John

A reader nomination as the only filmmaker that TV can get to counter the views of Whitehouse et al