Harrogate Feminists

Society and the sex industry

We are a new feminist group, set up in June 2010. We are based in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, UK.

Society is not something created by the political system, the law, the government or the media alone. All these institutions have a strong influence, but they themselves are constantly changing, mirroring the changing attitudes and beliefs of us all. By our attitudes, beliefs and finally our actions (or inaction) we all have our part to play in making society what it is.

But there is a lot that is still wrong with our society at the moment. As a group we are concerned about the inequalities that remain between women and men. Important foundations for a more equal society have already been laid thanks to the efforts of feminists who have gone before us, but change in law is not enough by itself. There are still too many asymmetries of power in favour of men, many of them based on unspoken assumptions which are internalised (by both sexes) but rarely questioned.

One example of the asymmetries present in society is in the sex industry – for example lap-dancing clubs. A lap-dancing club is purposely set up as a “buyer’s market”, with more women than customers in order to force the women to compete for the men’s attention. In this way men are the ones in control, the purchasers, the agents (in many senses of the word), and men are the ones who profit financially and/or psychologically. The women who work there are treated more as objects than as persons. We are currently campaigning to encourage Harrogate Borough Council to adopt the new licensing laws that allow better local regulation of lap-dancing venues.

It’s too easy to think “this is nothing to do with me”. It is to do with all of us. This is why we formed our group.

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