PLEASE SHARE THIS UK SURVEY WIDELY
As part of Consenting Adult Action Network's ongoing discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, one fair point was raised - we do not have properly documented evidence of instances of human rights abuse and discrimination against consenting adults on the basis of interest or private practice of BDSM/fetish and other sexualities which are not already protected under the law. They want evidence of people being denied human rights afforded to others. So CAAN is putting together a handbook about discrimination and human rights abuse. We need your evidence.
There are several areas where we feel that such discrimination is worth documenting:
- in your personal life: friends, relatives and colleagues simply dismissing you as a “perve”, or being afraid to come out, or worse, attacks against you because of your interests;
- in your work life: being warned that your private sex life may be conduct that brings your company into disrepute, or being sacked because of your sexuality or interests;
- in your legal relationships: the threat of your private sex life being introduced into divorce proceedings, or losing contact with children because of it.
- you may have experiences in other areas, please still submit your story.
SURVEY ON DISCRIMINATION AND MARGINALISED CONSENSUAL ADULT SEXUALITY / INTERESTS
Please give as much information as possible. You can use this survey structure if you wish, but you don't have to and please feel free to write as much as you like.
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL NEVER BE SHARED WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, BUT PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THE STORIES ARE FOR PUBLICATION
1. Contact details (email address or other). If you really don't wish to be contacted we will respect that, but may not be able to use your story if you cannot verify certain things which may arise in followup.*
2. Who are you (real names will not be released without your permission,but we do need to verify you are a real person)*
a. name
b. pseudonym
c. role, if relevant (eg Freda Bloggs, primary school teacher)?
3. Who has discriminated against you or denied your human rights on the grounds of your sexuality and sexual interests? Or who do you fear will do so?
4. Describe the discrimination or abuse you have experienced, or that you fear you will experience.
5. Where did this happen, or where do you fear it will happen? If it has or could occur in more than one location, please let us know. eg in the workplace, and at a work social event).
6. When did it happen, or do you think it will happen? If it happened more than once, please state for each incident.
7. Why do you think it happened? what things have made this discrimination possible, what is the cause? Is the cause just your sexuality or sexual interests, or is the cause things such as discriminatory regulations, prejudice, isolation, lack of information, misinformation, exclusive policies, etc.
8. What details may we use? Let us know what details maybe used and what not. eg your name, name of employer, etc.
*You do not have to give contact details or real names, but bear in mind that this work may be called into question by critics who are far less positive towards BDSM than we are and therefore the more information we can have the better and followups may be necessary.
WHERE TO SEND IT
Please send your response to info@caan.org.uk
Background reading:
i. Our proposal to the EHRC - just to be clear, we have not proposed that BDSM be recognised as an orientation, we have asked that EHRC support us to fight for all consenting adults to have sexual rights and equality, whatever their sexuality:
A Case for Sexual Rights: CAAN - The Case for Sexual Rights
ii. CAAN have sent three letters to EHRC and had three replies, if you wish to see these letters, please contact us asking for this at info@caan.org.uk
iii. CAAN's website is here: www.caan.org.uk
iiii. CAAN's statement of principles:
"We believe in the right of consenting adults to make their own sexual choices, in respect of what they do, see and enjoy alone or with other consenting adults, unhindered and unfettered by government."
"We believe that it is not the business of government to intrude into the sex lives of consenting adults."
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