Anti-porn campaigner call for boycott of lads' mags

Oct 21 2008 by Cameron Hay, Paisley Daily Express

ANTI-PORN campaigner Margaret Forbes is urging Buddies to boycott supermarkets displaying saucy lads’ mags.

The one-woman crusader has already persuaded supermarket giants Morrisons to put men’s magazines on the top shelves out of sight of children.

The 58-year-old charity shop worker is calling on Tesco and Somerfield to follow and place men’s mags like Nuts, Zoo, FHM and Loaded on shelves which are out of reach and sight of children.

She said: “Magazines like these are just pornography and extremely degrading to women.

“I tried on a number of occasions to have them put on the top shelf where they belong but they didn’t do it.

“But when I last spoke to the Express and said I hoped fellow Buddies would join me in boycotting this supermarket they listened.

“I would encourage people to do the same at other supermarkets such as Tesco and Somerfield who have failed to listen.”

Margaret revealed that she has complained to bosses at the Somerfield stores on numerous occasions without any action. A complaint to Tesco’s customer services also failed to get a reply.

The 58-year-old Buddhist – who is a member of the Scottish Women Against Pornography group – said: “The woman who pose in these magazines have a responsibility for their own actions.

“But I am not saying they shouldn’t do what they do.

“Nor am I saying these shops should not be selling them or people should not be allowed to buy them.

“But these magazines should not be on sale on the lower shelves where children can see them.

“Children should be protected from sexually explicit material.”

She added: “These magazines send out a bad message to young boys.

“There is a definite link between soft porn and attacks on women.”

A spokeswoman for Somerfield, which has stores in the Piazza and on Neilston Road, Paisley, said it was a responsible retailer and ensures the magazines are out of sight of children.

She said: “As a responsible retailer we are determined to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our customers while respecting the wishes of those who wish to ensure these magazines cannot cause offence and they are kept out of sight of younger customers.

“It is important to stress these are titles that have high readership levels of both men and women, are not classed as pornographic and are not subject to legal age restrictions.

“We are sensitive to the feelings of many who are not comfortable with the depiction of women.”

A spokesman for Tesco’s, which has a store in Renfrew Road, Paisley Newmains Road, Renfrew, and another in Barrhead, said: “These Lads’ mags are positioned towards the top tier of our magazine racks. We keep a close eye on our customers’ views. But we are not receiving many complaints over this.”