Sexual Fascism: Sex in the Scottish Media

A police officer arresting a man with a snake down his trousers; the female doll with a penis; a woman warned to remove a display of male dolls too close together in her window; a spray to detect traces of sex… But is there another, more sinister side to Scotland’s portrayal of sexuality by the media? Along with campaigns like ‘SmutWatch’ and ‘Name and Shame’ there have been moral campaigns led by the Church, sidestepping spirituality on the road to political ambition. From the campaign to prevent a popular exhibition of erotica in Glasgow to one preventing repeal of the notorious Clause 28 in Scotland. The Church has exploited its special relationship with the media to ride roughshod over the human rights of one minority, while twisting and suppressing the diverse expression of sexuality in everyone else.