Consenting Adult Action Network
Encyclopedia
The Consenting Adult Action Network (CAAN) is a grassroots network of individuals in the United Kingdom
that was formed in 2008 to protest and oppose laws restricting activities between consenting
adults, most notably the criminalisation of possession of "extreme pornography
".
On 21 October 2008, they organised a protest with Ben Westwood against the law on "extreme pornography".
They were awarded "Specialists Website of the Year" by the London Gay Sex and Fetish Awards 2008.
On 25 January 2009, the day before the law on "extreme pornography" came into effect, CAAN protested in London. They were supported by Backlash
and The Spanner Trust
. The protest was attended by Peter Tatchell
and Ben Westwood.
March 2010, CAAN announce they are publishing a book "Beyond the Circle: Sexuality & discrimination in heteronormative Britain" written by John Ozimek.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that was formed in 2008 to protest and oppose laws restricting activities between consenting
Consent (criminal)
In criminal law, consent may be used as an excuse and prevent the defendant from incurring liability for what was done. For a more general discussion, see Dennis J. Baker, "The Moral Limits of Consent as a Defense in the Criminal Law," 12 New Criminal Law Review ; Dennis J...
adults, most notably the criminalisation of possession of "extreme pornography
Extreme pornography
Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is a piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that criminalises possession of what it refers to as "extreme pornographic images". The law was enacted from 26 January 2009...
".
History
On 14 June and 22 August, they attempted to seek advice on what material might be caught by the law. They took a dossier of images to three major police forces, although none of them could yet say which pictures would be deemed illegal.On 21 October 2008, they organised a protest with Ben Westwood against the law on "extreme pornography".
They were awarded "Specialists Website of the Year" by the London Gay Sex and Fetish Awards 2008.
On 25 January 2009, the day before the law on "extreme pornography" came into effect, CAAN protested in London. They were supported by Backlash
Backlash (pressure group)
Backlash is an umbrella group formed in 2005 to coordinate opposition to the “Consultation on the possession of extreme pornographic material” issued in the UK jointly by the Home Office and the Scottish Executive...
and The Spanner Trust
The Spanner Trust
The Spanner Trust is a United Kingdom organization set up to campaign for the right for adults to take part in consensual BDSM activities without fear of prosecution. It was set up after the Operation Spanner court case...
. The protest was attended by Peter Tatchell
Peter Tatchell
Peter Gary Tatchell is an Australian-born British political campaigner best known for his work with LGBT social movements...
and Ben Westwood.
March 2010, CAAN announce they are publishing a book "Beyond the Circle: Sexuality & discrimination in heteronormative Britain" written by John Ozimek.
Issues
CAAN is concerned about several issues regarding consenting adults:- The law on "extreme pornographyExtreme pornographySection 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is a piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that criminalises possession of what it refers to as "extreme pornographic images". The law was enacted from 26 January 2009...
", since it criminalises possession of images involving consenting adults, including staged acts, and screenshots from legal films. - Clauses in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created following the UK Government accepting recommendation 19 of the inquiry headed by Sir Michael Bichard, which was set up in the wake of the Soham Murders.The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups...
that ban people from working in jobs involving children or "vulnerable adults" if they possess "sexually explicit images depicting violence against human beings". The Government state that 11.3 million will have to register with the scheme, although the number has been estimated by others at over 14 million. - As of the Sexual Offences Act 2003Sexual Offences Act 2003The Sexual Offences Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that was passed in 2003 and became law on 1 May 2004.It replaced older sexual offences laws with more specific and explicit wording...
, sexual images of 16 and 17 year olds are treated as child pornographyChild pornographyChild pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, even though the age of consentAge of consentWhile the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
remains at 16 (CAAN states it has no interested in tinkering with the age of consent, however they believe this change in the law to be "misguided and disproportionate"). - Government plans to criminalise prostitutionProstitutionProstitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. - Plans to recategorise lapdancingLap danceA lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
clubs as "sex encounter" establishments.
See also
- Backlash (pressure group)Backlash (pressure group)Backlash is an umbrella group formed in 2005 to coordinate opposition to the “Consultation on the possession of extreme pornographic material” issued in the UK jointly by the Home Office and the Scottish Executive...
- Consensual crimeConsensual crimeA consensual crime is a public order crime that involves more than one participant, all of whom give their consent as willing participants in an activity that is unlawful....
- Operation SpannerOperation SpannerOperation Spanner was the name of an operation carried out by police in the United Kingdom city of Manchester in 1987, as a result of which a group of homosexuals were convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for their involvement in consensual sadomasochism over a ten year period.The...
- Right to pornography