Misogynist, sexist behaviour of police officers is one of the key reasons why women do not come forward to report to the police cases of rape and sexist violence. We do not trust this officer and the agency he is a part of to protect women from male violence.
One of the ways in which pornography perpetrates and reinforces sexism and racism is the normalisation of terror and hate. If we look at the parallel between sexist and racist pornography with sexist and racist jokes, the process becomes clear. In both cases, where previously discriminations based on sex and race are unacceptable in any circumstances, they are “redeemed” through pornography/jokes, because the former is seen as only providing sexual gratification, and the latter is just for a laugh.
Our campaign against Red Hot Video was initiated at an annual convention of the British Columbia Federation of Women in 1982. B.C.F.W. is an umbrella organization of 36 women’s liberation groups. A motion was passed at convention to close down Red Hot Video (porn video chain) in one year, and a committee was struck to get the job done.
