Julie Bindel

Julie Bindel
Born (1962-07-20) 20 July 1962
United Kingdom
Occupation Columnist, political commentator, cultural critic
Genre Advocacy journalism
Subject Women's rights, radical feminism, lesbian feminism
Literary movement Feminism and LGB rights movement
Partner Harriet Wistrich
Website
www.guardian.co.uk/profile/juliebindel

Julie Bindel (born 20 July 1962)[1] is an English writer, feminist and co-founder of the law-reform group Justice for Women, which opposes violence against women and helps women who have been prosecuted for killing violent male partners.[2][3] She is the author of Straight Expectations (2014) and co-author, with Harriet Wistrich, of The Map of My Life: The Story of Emma Humphreys (2003). Bindel is a visiting researcher at Lincoln University and former assistant director of the Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations at Leeds Metropolitan University.[4][5] In 2010 she entered The Independent's "Pink List" as 89th of the top 101 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain.[6] She writes regularly for The Guardian.[7]

While focusing on male violence against women, Bindel also writes about gender inequality in general, as well as stalking, religious fundamentalism, lesbian rights, opposition to the sex industry and human trafficking.[8] Bindel refers to herself as a political lesbian feminist.[9]

Activism and research

Yorkshire Ripper

Bindel cites Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, for her decision to campaign against sexual violence. Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 of murdering 13 women in the period 1975–1980, when Bindel was a teenager in Leeds.[10] She wrote: "I was angry, like many others, that the police only really seemed to step up the investigation when the first 'non-prostitute' was killed." She was also angered by the police's advice that women stay indoors, although many had jobs that required them to be out after dark. Bindel took part in feminist protests against the killings, including flyering mock-up police notices for men to stay off the streets for the safety of women.[11]

Justice for Women

Together with her partner, Harriet Wistrich, a solicitor, Bindel co-founded Justice for Women (JFW) in 1990.[12] JFW is a law-reform group that seeks to change law and policy that discriminates against women in cases involving male violence.[13] The group was set up in response to the case of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who was convicted of murdering her abusive husband in 1989.[12][14] JFW has been involved in many miscarriage-of-justice cases since then, including those of Emma Humphreys and Sara Thornton.[15]

Domestic violence and murder

Bindel's writing about violence against women in domestic and personal relationships has been a central feature of her work.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

In 2008 an issue Bindel had campaigned on for over a decade became the focus of government legislation. Since the death of Emma Humphreys in 1998, Bindel had sought to have a law changed that protected men and penalised women. If men murdered a partner in the heat of the moment, an appeal to provocation was admissible in mitigation. Such an appeal was not practical for women trapped in violent relationships, because murders carried out in the context of ongoing subjection to violence tended not to occur in the heat of the moment, but would be often be calculated to provide an escape from violence.[25]

Bindel's campaign sought to resist the mitigation men could appeal to when partners were murdered, and allow the sustained violence to which women could be subjected to act as a mitigating factor if they murdered their partner. Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, was of a similar mind on this issue, and legislation was proposed that would change the law to this effect.[25]

Other research

Bindel's writing on cyberstalking has been cited by academics.[26] In 2006 she argued that rape victims are re-victimized by being "identified, vilified and even criminalised."[27] She wrote that, if she were raped, she would probably not report it.[27]

Bindel's activism is reflected in her contribution to research and writing on feminist issues, violence against women, and prostitution. She was a researcher at Leeds Metropolitan University, where she served as the assistant director of the Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations, and at London Metropolitan University.[5]

Journalism

Overview

Bindel's journalism began while she was working at Leeds Metropolitan University.[5] She was first published by The Independent in 1998 concerning prostitution in the UK.[28][29] According to her writing, the life and death of her friend Emma Humphreys in 1998 led her into journalism.[30] Bindel had campaigned for Humphreys to be acquitted and released from prison following her conviction for the murder of a violent pimp.[31]

In 2001 she began writing for the Guardian, covering gay and lesbian issues, child protection, prostitution and violence against women.[32][33][34] From October 2003, her contributions became more frequent, and she wrote about the main themes that concerned her: rape, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, men who murder women, men who murder partners, child protection, sex offenders, prostitution, gay and lesbian issues, broader LGBT issues including transsexualism and gender reassignment surgery, human trafficking, sex tourism, women who murder violent men, and lesbian issues. Her style is often controversial.

During her time at the Guardian, Bindel broadened her range of topics to include vegetarianism,[35] Arsenal,[36] Barbie, Sylvia Pankhurst memorial, Andrea Dworkin, Sheila Jeffreys, Louis Armstrong, and gender-neutral toilets.[37]

Sex work, trafficking and sex tourism

Bindel has written and worked on issues concerning prostitution and sex work since 1998,[38][39][40] and this is reflected in her writing for The Guardian.[33][41][42][43]

In 2008 Bindel co-wrote a report commissioned by the POPPY Project on British brothels, named Big Brothel (a play on the title of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother). The report on 921 brothels found that penetrative sex was available from £15 to £250, with an average of £62, 2% of brothels offered unprotected penetrative sex for an extra £10 to £200 payment. The brothels operated as legitimate businesses across every borough in London; a number of the premises involved offered "very young girls", but denied any were under age, and many of the women were from Eastern Europe and South East Asia.[44] Bindel wrote about the findings in her Guardian column, describing experiences such as those of a young woman having sex with twenty men a day, and discussed Harriet Harman's (UK Minister for Women and Equality) plans to make paying for sex illegal.[45]

The report was criticised by 27 leading academics involved in sex work research, claiming that the report was carried out without formal academic ethical approval, without acknowledgement of existing sources, and co-written by a journalist with anti-prostitution views.[46] The POPPY project responded that the report was one they produced independently, that the POPPY project was not an academic institution, and because significant media attention was usually lacking in this area of research it was important to provide a counterbalance to the positive media focus on the sex industry.[47]

Rape

Bindel is critical of how difficult life is made for women who report rape, and how the investigative and legal process ends up with women being dealt with more like the offender than the victim, in an environment where some appear to think it is more important to safeguard the rights of men who might be accused maliciously.[48][49][50][51][52] She responded to the difficulties of reporting and prosecuting rape by saying she would not report it herself:

We may as well forget about the criminal justice system and train groups of vigilantes to exact revenge and, hopefully, deter attacks. Because if I were raped, I would rather take my chances as a defendant in court, than as a complainant in a system that seems bent on proving that rape is a figment of malicious women's imagination."[53]

Her writing on rape has appeared in newspapers in the Middle East and India, and her views have been reported by the BBC.[54][55][56]

Political lesbianism

Further information: Lesbian feminism

Bindel began writing about lesbian issues as a radical lesbian feminist before her entry into journalism;[57] her time with The Guardian saw her interest on lesbian and feminist issues come to include gay issues,[32] scientific theories about sexuality,[58] the way gender roles are taught to children,[59] the cosmetics industry,[60] cosmetic surgery for women,[61] the media portrayal of lesbian chic,[62] and lesbian child-bearing.[63]

In January 2009 she wrote about the radical lesbian feminism of the 1970s and 1980s, and her desire to return to those values. She concluded with an invitation to heterosexual women to adopt lesbianism, saying "Come on sisters, you know it makes sense. Stop pretending you think lesbianism is an exclusive members' club, and join the ranks. I promise that you will not regret it."[64]

Same-sex marriage

Bindel does not support same-sex marriage. She argues that it would be preferable to have governments and courts not concern themselves with any concept of "marriage" and instead only regulate civil partnerships for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.[65][66]

Transgenderism

Bindel argues that "the idea that certain distinct behaviours are appropriate for males and females underlies feminist criticism of the phenomenon of 'transgenderism,'" and that "surgery is an attempt to keep gender stereotypes intact."[67]

Her first published article on transsexualism, in December 2003, was the first coverage of "transsexual regret" in the UK. Bindel interviewed "Claudia," a post-operative transsexual who regretted her decision to have surgery and felt that the psychiatrist had not taken sufficient care in reaching a diagnosis of gender identity disorder.[68] The General Medical Council later ruled against the psychiatrist.[69] A month later, Bindel's wrote in the Guardian about a male-to-female transsexual who had complained to a human-rights tribunal in Vancouver because she had not been allowed to train as a rape counsellor. Bindel wrote: "I don't have a problem with men disposing of their genitals, but it does not make them women, in the same way that shoving a bit of vacuum hose down your 501s [jeans] does not make you a man."[70] The newspaper received over 200 complaints.[70][71] The transgender group Press for Change cited the article as an example of "discriminatory writing."[72] Bindel apologized for the tone of the article.[73]

When Bindel was nominated in 2008 for Stonewall's "Journalist of the year" award, there was a picket of the awards ceremony.[67] In an article written after the protest, Bindel talked about her frustration with being in a movement that insisted she accept trans people, yet resulted in her being criticised whenever she spoke on trans issues. She said that as a longtime active member of the lesbian community she felt uncomfortable with the increasing inclusion of sexuality and gender-variant communities into the expanding LGBT "rainbow alliance": "The mantra now at 'gay' meetings is a tongue-twisting LGBTQQI. It is all a bit of an unholy alliance. We have been put in a room together and told to play nicely."[73]

Child protection and sex offenders

Bindel has written about child protection issues,[34] the way sex offenders are dealt with[74] and biological theories about what drives sex offenders.[75]

Selected works

Books

Articles

Lesbian feminism
Domestic violence
Sex work
Miscellaneous

References

  1. ↑ "Weekend birthdays". The Guardian. 20 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Cooke, Rachel (30 January 2001), Snap decisions, The Guardian
  3. ↑ Julie Bindel, "Trials and Tribulations: 'Justice for Women,'" in Gabriele Griffin (ed.), Feminist activism in the 1990s, London: Taylor & Francis, 1995, pp. 65–78.
  4. ↑ "Julie Bindel", byline.com.
  5. 1 2 3 Patricia Wynn Davies "Wife wins damages for rape", The Independent, 9 October 1997
  6. ↑ The IoS Pink List 2010 The Independent, 1 August 2010
  7. ↑ "Julie Bindel", The Guardian.
  8. ↑ Julie Bindel interview, WriteWords, 9 August 2004.
  9. ↑ Rebecca F. Plante, Sexualities in context: a social perspective, Basic Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8133-4293-1
    Julie Bindel, "Lesbianism is a choice", Lesbelicious, 30 January 2008.
  10. ↑ "1981: Yorkshire Ripper jailed for life", BBC, On This Day, 22 May.
  11. ↑ Hilary Kinnell, Violence and Sex Work in Britain, London: Willan Publishing, 2008, p. 18.
  12. 1 2 Bindel 1995, p. 66.
  13. ↑ "About Justice for Women", Justice for Women.
  14. ↑ Julie Bindel, "You can't be an armchair feminist", The Guardian, 23 November 2007.
  15. ↑ Rachel Cooke, "Snap decisions", The Guardian, 30 October 2001.
  16. ↑ Julie, Bindel (2003), The Map of my Life: The Story of Emma Humphreys, London: Astraia Press, ISBN 0-9546341-0-1
  17. ↑ Julie, Bindel (1996), Women overcoming violence and abuse: information pack on topics covered at the International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Women's Citizenship, University of Bradford, Research Unit on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations
  18. ↑ Julie, Bindel (1996), Violence, Abuse & Women's Citizenship: An International Conference, Brighton, UK, 10–15 November 1996 Press Pack, Leeds: Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations, Leeds Metropolitan University
  19. ↑ L, Kelly; J, Bindel; S, Burton; D, Butterworth; K, Cook; L, Regan (1996), Domestic Violence Matters: An Evaluation of a Development Project, London: Home Office Information and Publications Group
  20. ↑ Julie, Bindel (16 March 2007), "Beating the wife-beaters", The Guardian
  21. ↑ Julie, Bindel (16 July 2007), "The making of a killer", The Guardian
  22. ↑ Julie, Bindel (2 July 2008), "Two women killed each week", The Guardian
  23. ↑ Bindel, Julie (2 November 2006), "Why I hate men", The Guardian
  24. ↑ Bindel, Julie (24 December 2007), "Why men hate me", The Guardian
  25. 1 2 Bindel, Julie (29 July 2008), "An end to the easy way out", The Guardian
  26. ↑ Ian Marsh, Gaynor Melville Crime, Justice and the Media Taylor & Francis, 2009, ISBN 0-415-44490-X, 9780415444903
  27. 1 2 Accounting for Rape Psychology, Feminism and Discourse Analysis in the Study of Sexual Violence. Irina Anderson, Kathy Doherty; Routledge, 2006; ISBN 0-203-08754-2, ISBN 978-0-203-08754-1
  28. ↑ Bindel, Julie (12 November 1998), "Out of the gutter", The Independent
  29. ↑ Bindel, Julie (18 August 1999), "Streets Apart on Approach to Kerb Crawling (letter)", The Guardian
  30. ↑ Bindel, Julie (23 July 2008), "This one's for Emma", The Guardian
  31. ↑ Bindel, Julie (14 September 2000), Woman cleared of murder 'overdosed', BBC News
  32. 1 2 Bindel, Julie (3 March 2001), Gay men need to talk straight about paedophilia, The Guardian
  33. 1 2 Bindel, J (24 January 2003), Losing the game, The Guardian
  34. 1 2 Bindel, Julie (16 August 2002), "Into the arms of a stranger", The Guardian
  35. ↑ Bindel, Julie (13 June 2005), "Why I hate vegetarians", The Guardian
  36. ↑ Bindel, Julie (18 May 2006), "I'm glad Arsenal lost", The Guardian
  37. ↑ Bindel, Julie (10 April 2008), "The great gender-neutral toilet scandal", The Guardian
  38. ↑ Bindel, Julie (1998), "Flushing the Johns", Trouble and Strife (38): 35–36
  39. ↑ Bindel, J; Kelly, L (2003), A Critical Examination of Responses to Prostitution in Four Countries: Victoria, Australia; Ireland; the Netherlands; and Sweden, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit of London Metropolitan University
  40. ↑ Bindel, J (2004), Profitable Exploits: Lap Dancing in the UK, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit of London Metropolitan University
  41. ↑ Bindel, J (13 December 2006), Terror in our streets, The Guardian
  42. ↑ Bindel, J (18 December 2007), Tourism built on abuse, The Guardian
  43. ↑ Bindel, J (29 December 2006), 2007: Against legalising prostitution, The Guardian
  44. ↑ Bindel, Julie; Atkins, Helen (2008), Big Brothel – a survey of the off-street sex industry in London, London: POPPY Project
  45. ↑ Bindel, Julie (10 September 2008), Revealed: the truth about brothels, The Guardian
  46. ↑ Sanders, Pitcher, Campbell, Brooks-Gordon, O'Neill, Phoenix, Hubbard, Whowell, Mai; et al. (October 2008), An Academic Response to "Big Brothel" (PDF)
  47. ↑ Anthea Lipset (3 October 2008). "Big Brothel research 'seriously flawed'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  48. ↑ Bindel, Julie (2 October 2003), "Rape is never glamorous", The Guardian
  49. ↑ Bindel, Julie (30 March 2006), "We must rethink rape", The Guardian
  50. ↑ Bindel, Julie (16 November 2006), "How 'rape' has been raped", The Guardian
  51. ↑ Bindel, Julie (1 February 2007), "Why is rape so easy to get away with?", The Guardian
  52. ↑ Bindel, Julie (2 September 2008), "Mirren's twisted logic", The Guardian
  53. ↑ Bindel, Julie (25 October 2006), "If I were raped today, I would not report it", The Guardian
  54. ↑ Bindel, Julie (30 July 2008), "There is never ever an excuse for rape", Kuwait Times
  55. ↑ Bindel, Julie (26 July 2008), "Rape – there is never an excuse, ever", The Hindu
  56. ↑ Parkinson, Dan (16 November 2006). "Should women be more responsible?". BBC News.
  57. ↑ Bindel, Julie (1996), "Neither an Ism nor a Chasm", All the Rage: Reasserting Radical Lesbian Feminism (Women's Press)
  58. ↑ Bindel, Julie (14 December 2004), If I wanted to be straight, I would be, The Guardian
  59. ↑ Bindel, Julie (14 March 2007), An end to gender, The Guardian
  60. ↑ Bindel, Julie (19 June 2006), Cruelty without beauty, The Guardian
  61. ↑ Bindel, Julie (11 January 2008), The knife consultant, The Guardian
  62. ↑ Bindel, Julie (12 June 2006), From dysfunctional dyke to designer doll, The Guardian
  63. ↑ Bindel, Julie (8 December 2006), Why are pregnant lesbians scary?, The Guardian
  64. ↑ Bindel, Julie (30 January 2009), My sexual revolution, The Guardian
  65. ↑ Bindel, Julie (27 February 2012). "Stop the whingeing about gay people demanding rights". The Guardian.
  66. ↑ Bindel, Julie (16 June 2014). "Gay marriage is not about equality but a way of keeping women quiet". The Guardian.
  67. 1 2 Grew, Tony (7 November 2008), Celebs split over trans protest at Stonewall Awards
  68. ↑ Bindel, Julie (15 December 2003), I changed for all the wrong reasons, and then it was too late, The Sunday Telegraph
  69. ↑ Bindel, Julie (23 May 2007). "Mistaken identity", The Guardian.
  70. 1 2 Bindel, Julie (31 January 2004), Gender Benders, beware, The Guardian
  71. ↑ Mayes, Ian (14 February 2004), A change, of course, The Guardian
  72. ↑ Media Issues Press for Change – PfC examples of press coverage
  73. 1 2 Bindel, Julie (8 October 2008), "It's not me. It's you", The Guardian
  74. ↑ Bindel, Julie (19 December 2003), He certainly was not Soham man, The Guardian
  75. ↑ Bindel, Julie (13 June 2007), Testosterone-fuelled theories, The Guardian
  76. ↑ NCJRS Abstract National Criminal Justice Reference System
  77. ↑ Julie Bindel Press for Change

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