Backlash

Dora’s uncle won’t let her attend a controversial political demonstration, but she incurs his anger by sneaking out regardless. The thrashing she faces at home is a price worth paying for freedom of speech.

This placard was the one I carried at a protest against the ‘extreme porn legislation‘ in January 2009. I didn’t have an angry guardian waiting for me at home, but I hope I’d have gone even if I had. The amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 were carried despite our protests, with worrying consequences for those who like looking at images depicting sexual violence – regardless of whether or not those images were created ethically and consensually, or indeed whether they depict real people or just cartoon drawings.

You can find out more about this legislation and other issues relating to sexual freedom in the UK by following these campaigns:

Backlash UK: defending freedom of expression and sexual autonomy

CAAN: the Consenting Adult Action Network

To read more about the story behind this film click here.