Talk:Julie Bindel/JB old

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Julie Bindel (born 1962) is an English writer, feminist and co-founder of the group Justice For Women, which opposes violence against women from a feminist viewpoint.

She describes herself as a "Marmite writer" - one either loves or hates her work - and is a freelance journalist whose work regularly appears in the The Guardian. She writes non-fiction including news articles; interviews; as well as columns, reviews and editorial pieces. Her primary areas of interest are lesbian rights, modern anti-trafficking campaigns and defending female victims of domestic violence. Bindel, who has been involved in feminist law reform campaigns for victims of domestic violence, originally began writing as a way to get the message across to the wider public. Bindel is also openly lesbian and has shared her views and been quoted regarding sexual identity and sexual orientation issues. In 2004 The Guardian referred to her as "a lesbian activist for the rights of women and children [ ... ] a rare kind of writer who puts her money where her mouth is."

She currently resides in Crouch End and has written about the area.

Early career
Bindel cites Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, as her reason for becoming a campaigner against sexual violence. Sutcliffe was convicted for murdering thirteen women from 1975-1980 when Bindel was a teenager. She states, "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 at the police's advice for women to stay indoors although many had jobs which required them to be out after dark and the police's assertions in 1979-1980 that sex workers were the killer's target even though, from May 1978 onwards, all the victims were not sex workers by trade. 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.

Justice for Women
Justice for Women, a group which opposes violence against women from a feminist viewpoint, was co-founded by Bindel. Among their issues are matricide involving domestic abuse. She also has help educate on the issues of cyberstalking, where a victim is humiliated or threatened with unwelcome email messages at work or to professional associates. In 2006 Bindel wrote of a personal pact regarding rape and how rape victims are re-victimized by being "identified, vilified and even crimialised." She shared that if she were raped at the time she would likely not report it to the police because of these concerns.

Reactions to Bindel's journalism
Bindel's writing on Gender reassignment surgery and transgender issues, has caused controversy in the transgender and greater LGBT communities. Most notably an article she wrote in 2004 that compared transexuals to "the cast of Grease" resulted in an apology from the newspaper and from Bindel herself for the "tone" of the article. In 2007, she also went on BBC Radio 4's Hecklers debate to propose that "sex change surgery is unnecessary mutilation".

She was nominated for the UK LGB rights organisation Stonewall's 2008 "Journalist of the year" award, which was eventually won by Dr Miriam Stoppard. The nomination attracted a protest against Stonewall outside the event from parts of the Trans and Queer communities and mixed support from attendees of the awards. In her follow-up piece to the protest she stated she, as part of the "lesbian and gay" movement, did not want to be "lumped in" with transgender or bisexual people or others with "odd sexual habits".

Selected bibliography

 * Co-editor of |The Map of my Life: The Story of Emma Humphreys (ISBN 0954-6341-0-1)
 * "Women Overcoming Violence and Abuse: Information Pack on Topics Covered at the International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Women's Citizenship" (Research Paper No. 15, Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK)
 * "Violence, Abuse & Women's Citizenship: An International Conference, Brighton, UK, 10-15 November 1996"; Press Pack by Bindel, Leeds Metropolitan University Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations, Leeds Metropolitan University; Published by Research Centre on Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations, 1996