Men's fashion mags could face legal action
By FashionUnited
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Fashion
.jpg "Men's fashion mags could face legal action")
Pressure
Campaigners say shops could be in breach of the Equality Act 2010. The British Retail Consortium in response said its members do not sell anything illegal and have long followed industry rules.
Campaigners appoint 11 lawyers
UK Feminista and Object, which promote gender equality, have joined forces with 11 lawyers to launch the Lose the Lads' Mags campaign.
They have written an open letter to launch their national campaign, which was published in the Guardian newspaper on Monday.
"High-street retailers are exposing staff and, in some cases, customers to publications whose handling and display may breach equality legislation," the letter said.
The letter says there are examples of staff successfully suing employers in respect of exposure to pornographic material at work.
UK Feminista director Kat Banyard said so-called lads' mags fuelled sexist attitudes and behaviour by portraying women as "sex objects. They promote sexist attitudes and behaviours - attitudes which underpin violence against women," she said.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said: "Major retailers understand their responsibilities to staff and customers. BRC members don't sell anything it isn't legal to sell and they have long followed joint industry guidelines, as well as taking their own independent voluntary action, to make sure that front covers which may concern some people are displayed discreetly.
Piers Hernu, who has written for men's fashion and lifestyle magazines Loaded and FHM and used to be editor of Front magazine, said no "right-minded individual" would consider the content of these magazines pornographic.
"What we have here is a very deeply sinister and disturbing attempt by a group of fundamentalist, fanatical feminists trying to rope in some lawyers in order to bully the supermarkets into removing lads mags' from the shelves by alerting both staff and customers that they may be able to win a court case," he told the BBC.
They have written an open letter to launch their national campaign, which was published in the Guardian newspaper on Monday.
"High-street retailers are exposing staff and, in some cases, customers to publications whose handling and display may breach equality legislation," the letter said.
The letter says there are examples of staff successfully suing employers in respect of exposure to pornographic material at work.
UK Feminista director Kat Banyard said so-called lads' mags fuelled sexist attitudes and behaviour by portraying women as "sex objects. They promote sexist attitudes and behaviours - attitudes which underpin violence against women," she said.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said: "Major retailers understand their responsibilities to staff and customers. BRC members don't sell anything it isn't legal to sell and they have long followed joint industry guidelines, as well as taking their own independent voluntary action, to make sure that front covers which may concern some people are displayed discreetly.
Piers Hernu, who has written for men's fashion and lifestyle magazines Loaded and FHM and used to be editor of Front magazine, said no "right-minded individual" would consider the content of these magazines pornographic.
"What we have here is a very deeply sinister and disturbing attempt by a group of fundamentalist, fanatical feminists trying to rope in some lawyers in order to bully the supermarkets into removing lads mags' from the shelves by alerting both staff and customers that they may be able to win a court case," he told the BBC.
FHM, arguably the most successful of the lads' magazine, regularly features brands such as Nike, Topshop, Diadora, Levi's and Converse and in its style pages. Parent company Bauer Media, which also owns Grazia, Closer, Heat and Mother & Baby, targets its advertising accordingly. Whilst its arguably an issue of taste, censorship of men's magazine would pose a threat to free speech in the UK.
Telegraph columnist Toby Young states: "This campaign has nothing to do with defending the rights of those less fortunate than themselves. If it was, they'd be campaigning to stop the widespread abuse of women in the Middle East or against female genital mutilation in this country. No, this is simply about preventing men – predominantly working-class men – from buying magazines that they consider vulgar and in poor taste."
Telegraph columnist Toby Young states: "This campaign has nothing to do with defending the rights of those less fortunate than themselves. If it was, they'd be campaigning to stop the widespread abuse of women in the Middle East or against female genital mutilation in this country. No, this is simply about preventing men – predominantly working-class men – from buying magazines that they consider vulgar and in poor taste."
Image: FHM cover