ABOUT FAC: WHAT WE DO HOW TO JOIN FUNDING CAN MEN JOIN? WHO ARE FAC? Feminists Against Censorship was formed in 1989 by a group of long-time feminist academics and campaigners who wished to fight censorship from a feminist perspective. In the intervening years, we have been joined by younger women, including those in other professions, such as computer programming, photography, secretarial work, law, and the sex industry. BUT WOULDN'T MOST FEMINISTS DISAGREE WITH YOU? No. Feminists have traditionally been anti-censorship, and the major women's anti-censorship groups in the US and UK are made up of feminists ranging from Betty Friedan and Kate Millett to the members of the old Red Rag collective and the Feminist Review collective. WHAT IS FAC'S POSITION ON CENSORSHIP? Feminists Against Censorship recognizes that: Censorship is a dangerous tool that is primarily used to suppress dissent from those who would challenge oppression by society and the state, and particularly victimizes minorities. Censorship is used by those in power as a way to avoid dealing with serious, intractable problems in society that require real, imaginative action, and are not solved by banning words and images. Women must have recourse to free expression in order to explore the truth of our own experience and sexuality that has been forcibly hidden from us for millennia, and the state must no longer be permitted to interfere with this discourse. Censorship can never eliminate evil ideas, and so the best answer to bad speech is more speech. Censorship gives unacceptable powers to the police to invade our privacy and harass individuals who they find threatening although they pose no threat to others. Research attempting to demonstrate a causal link between images and violence has not been able to show such a link. Research on offenders demonstrates that poverty, actual violence, and abuse in the personal lives of offenders - and not media images - are the crucial factors in creating a tendency toward violence and criminal behaviour. Research on serious sex offenders demonstrates that rapists and abusers have been taught repressive messages about sex, masturbation, and pornography, and that anti-pornography activism actually exacerbates the problems that lead to sexual assault and abuse. Therefore, Feminists Against Censorship demands: a truly feminist agenda to address the specific problems of the family that lead to reduced economic circumstances and physical danger for women; the elimination of de jure and de facto prior restraint in the production and distribution of media images; the removal of the powers of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to confiscate magazines, videos, films and other media; elimination of the powers of the police to enter a person's home to search for entertainment materials; abolition of the Obscene Publications Acts, the Video Recordings Act, and the Clubs and Vice Squad (formerly the Obscene Publications Squad and, separately, the Club Squad); an accessible public forum for the discussion of vital issues such as sexism and racism in a fuller, more realistic context that acknowledges the alienating and divisive forces in society - not media - that create increased tensions between the races, the sexes, and classes; and positive and accurate sex education for young people, starting as early as possible. WHAT DOES FAC DO? We write books, leaflets, letters and articles to try to get information out. We also send out newsletters to supporters to keep them updated on censorship news and FAC activities. We hold public meetings and sometimes other events to which everyone is welcome. We send speakers to universities, groups, and the media in exchange for expenses (and fees where possible, of course). We advise students who are working on related projects and provide reading lists and other references. FAC has leaflets available to those who write and send a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and 50p for each copy (stamps are accepted as currency). We also have several books available from bookshops and libraries (FAC does not take orders for books). TOP HOW MUCH FUNDING DOES FAC HAVE? None. We raise funds largely from some of our publications, selling badges, and charging admission at public events. We have a number of supporters who give us five pounds a year, and a very small number who have given us a little more. We ask members to cover their own expenses. It is rare, however, to receive even 20 pounds in donations from any individual source. FAC's supporters do not have the kind of money that our opposition has, so donations are always very welcome. HOW ARE FAC MEMBERS PAID? We aren't. We do this because we believe in it. We keep our expenses low out of necessity - we have no offices, and everyone contributes what they can do. Members simply don't charge FAC for the work they do for us; that's how we can survive. HOW DO YOU JOIN FAC? Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a donation of at least five pounds to our BM Box, telling us a little about yourself and how you heard about FAC. WILL FAC HELP ME GET INFORMATION EVEN IF I DON'T JOIN? Sure, if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a letter explaining what you need, we will be happy to help if we can. But remember, our resources are limited, and most of the time the best we can do is recommend that you look at the articles we already have on the web and read our books. (We will also answer questions via e-mail, of course.) CAN MEN JOIN? FAC is not separatist and welcomes supporters of all sexes and sexualities. However, since we were formed to give a voice to the anti-censorship women who were being silenced by the pro-censorship faction, only women can represent FAC and make policy for FAC; thus, our collective meetings are open only to women, although everyone is welcome at our larger events and can be on our mailing list in exchange for a donation of five pounds or more. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO FOR FAC? You can educate yourself on the issues (reading our books helps - and ordering from the library or buying them puts a little more money into our coffers), so when the subject comes up, you won't be caught off-guard. Tell universities, groups or media people you have contacts with about FAC. If you are a member of any group that brings in speakers, talk them into inviting one or more FAC members to speak. Write to the media when they have shows or articles about censorship, and tell them what you think. And, of course, write to your MP at: House of Commons LONDON SW1A 0AA