FYEO-OFF
Respect Not Sleaze | 03.12.2001 09:59
FYEO-OFF!
Newcastle's first lapdancing club - For Your Eyes Only (FYEO) opened in November to a flurry of direct action against the club, taking place both on the streets and on computer screens.
On November 7th FYEO opened its doors for the first time, hosting a corporate night inviting Newcastle's finest and sleaziest businessmen. 80 women gathered at the Haymarket dressed in silver and pink with whistles, drums and banners. They took to the streets "Reclaiming the Night" and taking back Newcastle's City Centre as a safe space for women. These women then gathered at the monument where the crowd swelled to 150 protesters(men and women), who all made their way on the road to FYEO. When the protestors arrived at the club there were large numbers of sleazeballs queuing to get in. Protestors greeted the customers with loud samba drumming, whistling and chanting of slogans such as "Get as a sex life" and "Shame on you". Many of the protestors entered into debate with those queuing about how the club exploits and degrades women, why the club is about corporate greed rather then local needs, about the lack of workers rights for the dancers, and about why women may choose to work at the club (including lack of student grants, most jobs in the area being very low paid, benefits being inadequate).
The following day saw the launch of www.theyhavetopayforit.com, a website displaying photos of men attending the club. The aim of the website was to make the customers of this club accountable for their actions, and consider whether they were happy for their wife, boss, or daughter to know they'd been to the club, and if not why not. The website generated much local and national press interest including Radio 4, Radio 1 and even Ester!!!!
The campaign continued with another demonstration on November 16th, the club's first Friday night. More banners, whistles, chanting and a large amount of photo taking occurred. Two men were noted to be taking photos of protestors but refused to explain why.
The campaign was obviously starting to get right up the nose of corporate giants SFI - Surrey Fine Inns (who currently own FYEO). The www.theyhavetopayforit.com site was temporarily shut down. How much clout do these big business have ? Not only can they override public opinion they also seem to be able to challenge freedom of speech. Not to worry though the site is now back up and running.
The mystery of the male photographers was solved when another website appeared, called www.thesewomencan'tevengiveitaway.com. The site displayed photos of female protestors claiming the reason they were against the club was because they were themselves were unattractive and were therefore jealous of the dancers. Presumably the creator of the site was a man with a very small brain (and other small parts?!!?), as aswell as being total rubbish it was totally defamatory and when the potential for legal action was explained to the hosting company the site was rapidly removed.
The campaign continued with a silent vigil and placing of flowers to mark International Day Against Violence Towards Women on November 26th.
Next dates for your diaries are Thursday 6th December and Saturday 15th December, meet 9pm Monument. Bring whistles, drums, banners and cameras!!
Newcastle's first lapdancing club - For Your Eyes Only (FYEO) opened in November to a flurry of direct action against the club, taking place both on the streets and on computer screens.
On November 7th FYEO opened its doors for the first time, hosting a corporate night inviting Newcastle's finest and sleaziest businessmen. 80 women gathered at the Haymarket dressed in silver and pink with whistles, drums and banners. They took to the streets "Reclaiming the Night" and taking back Newcastle's City Centre as a safe space for women. These women then gathered at the monument where the crowd swelled to 150 protesters(men and women), who all made their way on the road to FYEO. When the protestors arrived at the club there were large numbers of sleazeballs queuing to get in. Protestors greeted the customers with loud samba drumming, whistling and chanting of slogans such as "Get as a sex life" and "Shame on you". Many of the protestors entered into debate with those queuing about how the club exploits and degrades women, why the club is about corporate greed rather then local needs, about the lack of workers rights for the dancers, and about why women may choose to work at the club (including lack of student grants, most jobs in the area being very low paid, benefits being inadequate).
The following day saw the launch of www.theyhavetopayforit.com, a website displaying photos of men attending the club. The aim of the website was to make the customers of this club accountable for their actions, and consider whether they were happy for their wife, boss, or daughter to know they'd been to the club, and if not why not. The website generated much local and national press interest including Radio 4, Radio 1 and even Ester!!!!
The campaign continued with another demonstration on November 16th, the club's first Friday night. More banners, whistles, chanting and a large amount of photo taking occurred. Two men were noted to be taking photos of protestors but refused to explain why.
The campaign was obviously starting to get right up the nose of corporate giants SFI - Surrey Fine Inns (who currently own FYEO). The www.theyhavetopayforit.com site was temporarily shut down. How much clout do these big business have ? Not only can they override public opinion they also seem to be able to challenge freedom of speech. Not to worry though the site is now back up and running.
The mystery of the male photographers was solved when another website appeared, called www.thesewomencan'tevengiveitaway.com. The site displayed photos of female protestors claiming the reason they were against the club was because they were themselves were unattractive and were therefore jealous of the dancers. Presumably the creator of the site was a man with a very small brain (and other small parts?!!?), as aswell as being total rubbish it was totally defamatory and when the potential for legal action was explained to the hosting company the site was rapidly removed.
The campaign continued with a silent vigil and placing of flowers to mark International Day Against Violence Towards Women on November 26th.
Next dates for your diaries are Thursday 6th December and Saturday 15th December, meet 9pm Monument. Bring whistles, drums, banners and cameras!!
Respect Not Sleaze
e-mail:
fyeonewcastle@yahoo.com
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
what about male strippers?
03.12.2001 17:04
I wonder if you also target women who go to see male strippers? Surely this is the same relationship, or do you think women ogling naked men is just harmless fun.
I think it is misguided to target strip joints. Yes, the men who go there might be sad, lonely and pathetic, but I think this is more a symptom of the guilt/sexual obsession than a cause of it. Antagonising these people might feel very empowering or fun for a group of women, but it also verges on bullying and I don't think it actually solves anything, and certainly won't persuade those men to develop a 'healthy' attitude towards women.
Arguably, the women are exploiting the punters rather than the other way around.
masculist
Response to various comments
05.12.2001 15:20
YES, other jobs are also exploitative, and our society IS arranged in an unfair way, but that is why we try to oppose this unfairness in all its forms. This is the essence of democracy, taking a part in debate, council meetings, lobbying MPs, using our voice and provoking debate. Democracy is not about voting for a choice of three major parties, once every five years. There is no real choice, unless you use your voice.
We tried the 'proper' methods of opposing this club, through the council licencing committe where dozens of local residents, students union officers, rape crisis, church groups and other voiced their extensive concerns to the panel. The reply was, that although our concerns were real, there was no legal basis on which to refuse a liquour licence. Later, we appealed to the magistrates court to reconsider, but still there was no legal basis on which to refuse. So then a group of people squatted the site and turned the Manors social club (now FYEO) into a free community space. This was a wonderful venue, open to all with free food and entertainment. Everyone who went there had a great time, myself included. We ran DIY caberet nights, DJ nights, a women's day with self-defence classes and workshops. We set up a library. What a pleasant place to have in the city.
But then we were evicted, and they built FYEO, still with a large opposition. So now, we exercise our democratic rights once again. And we are not ashamed, we did not shy away from the cameras (indeed, we were in the local press and the counter-web-site www.thesewomencantgiveitaway.com) and are not ashamed of what we are doing! Why on earth would we do it if we didn't think it was the right thing to do?
One last thing-I am not an illiberal, sexually repressed person, I do not believe in banning things autocratically. If I was on that committe, I would have used MY vote against FYEO. We are not for autocratic rule, for banning everthing we don't agree with. We are simply voicing our opposition to something in a legal way, in the right and democratic way, by trying to persuade people not to spend their money propping up pimps and lining the pockets of managers who are using women's poverty and our unfair social system to -as we see it- exploit our laddish culture and selling women's bodies as just a commodity.
Is that so bad or illiberal?
I don't think it is. And to reiterate, I know that other things in life are exploitative and I do and will continue to voice my opposition to those things. I want this to be won by people deciding not to frequent the club, not by 'banning' it!
Lisa
e-mail:
lisaharveysmith@hotmail.com