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Happy Birthday to SWAP which has helped ensure that Scotland is far ahead of its English
cousins. SWAP should be celebrating its bravery in challenging the unchallengeable,
in making a stance against pornography, not on the basis of any moralistic, rightwing
or religious reasons but because of the widespread harm of pornography. This is something
very few individuals or, indeed organisations (even those who oppose objectification)
feel that they can do in the U.K. SWAP’S perseverance and success will I am sure,
encourage other organisations to start to make that brave step, and is a beacon of
hope for all individuals who are concerned about pornography, but had found their voices
lost in an isolated wilderness.
– OBJECT (London).
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Congratulations on your fifth anniversary. Sending you best wishes and support for the
fantastic work you do.
– WISE WOMEN (Glasgow).
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My warm congratulations to SWAP on its anniversary. For a group to keep going from strength to
strength in today’s climate is truly awe-inspiring. Pornography is becoming so embedded into
popular culture it is a wonder it is not included in the school curriculum!
For feminists to publicly oppose this gross industry we need bravery
and determination and strong role models. SWAP provides all that and more.
Well done and keep up the good work.
– JULIE BINDEL.
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Congratulations on the way you have raised awareness of the violence
and abuse behind the pornographic picture.
– MAUREEN MACMILLAN MSP.
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I would like to offer you my thanks for the past five years of hard work in campaigning on the
very important but often so contentious issue of pornography and its impact on every level
of society. It takes great courage and compassion and I support you every inch of the way.
– SHIONA BAIRD MSP.
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I applaud and support the work carried out by SWAP,
raising awareness and actively campaigning against
all forms of pornography and look forward to them
celebrating many more years of success.
– SANDRA WHITE MSP.
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Happy fifth anniversary to SWAP – you haven’t been defeated yet by the porn industry.
It is wonderful to see SWAP continuing to challenge the ‘normalisation’ of pornography
and also continuing to provide a gendered perspective on why pornography not only harms
women and girls, but also contributes to male violence against women, girls and boys.
Too few organisations analyse the gendered, racist and sexist aspects of the sex industry
as SWAP continues to undertake. SWAP is to be congratulated on its achievements given
the fact that little funding is allocated to this area. Well Done.
- JENNIFER DREW.
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The work of SWAP is crucial in today’s society. Porn is crossing over into
the mainstream at an ever increasing rate and the harm it creates needs
to be addressed urgently. SWAP is working to challenge the normalisation
and unquestioning acceptance of pornography that now affects the lives of
young children as well as adults. It is filling the gap in sex education,
seeping into popular culture and having a far-reaching and damaging effect
on attitudes to young girls and women. In light of the frightening statistics
on male violence against women that tell us that men are getting away with
the rape of women, the role of pornography and the attitudes towards women
that it promotes cannot and must not be ignored. I congratulate SWAP for
their courage and hard work over the past five years and will be giving them
my full support in the future
– RACHEL BELL, writer and journalist (The Guardian).
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WSW would like to thank SWAP for all the hard work and effort they
put into campaigning against pornography and their continued
commitment, without funding, to raising the public’s awareness of
the negative input that pornography has on the lives of women and
children throughout Scotland
– Women Supporting Women (Edinburgh).
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From: Diana E. H. Russell, Ph.D.
Here's my message of support to your anti-porn organization SWAP:
"Greeting to my anti-porn sisters in Scotland. I am very
gratified to hear of your existence in this terrible era of
Internet porn. I believe that feminist struggle against the porn
industry is among the most important work that we can do to
combat sexual violence against women and children. So keep up
your good work!! I hope that some of you are willing to engage
in civil disobedience -- when this seems called for."
In Sisterhood, Diana
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From: Bruce A. Taylor
I read the news accounts of your petition on behalf of the Scottish
Women Against Pornography in the Herald and BBC and found your
Parliament's reference to and copy of your Petition, copies of which are attached
as PDF documents.
If you have or generate a study or position paper
that summarizes or chronicles the harmful effects of pornography on men,
women, and/or children, I would be interested in receiving a copy. I'd
like to keep in touch as your efforts progress and maybe you could be
put in contact with persons and groups in the United States who/which
are working on similar grounds.
I am a prosecutor who specializes in obscenity prosecutions under U.S.
federal laws and I like to keep up on issues such as these. For your
reference, I will add my "bio" and a short summary document on U.S.
laws, court statements, and comments on harm.
Thank you,
Bruce Taylor
Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General,
Criminal Division, Department of Justice,
RFK Main Justice Bldg. Room 2311
950 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
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