audio by title 'hecklers - radio 4'

	Julie Bindel

One of the unplanned diversions of summer 2007 was the reappearance of a debate first attempted by Lesbian Feminist Julie Bindel, somewhat provocatively, in the pages of the Guardian’s weekend magazine in January 2004, in the midst of Parliamentary debate on the Gender Recognition Bill.

Julie is a highly respected campaigner and writer in her normally chosen field. She writes for the Guardian newspaper and Weekend magazine, and various other British and European newspapers and magazines. She is the co-editor of The Map of My Life: The Story of Emma Humphreys (Astraia Press, 2003) and several book chapters and research papers on sexual violence and the criminal justice system. A founder member of the feminist law reform campaign Justice for Women, she has also written investigative features on international prostitution, sex tourism in Jamaica, stalking and harassment, being a lesbian schoolgirl, the beauty industry and serial killers. On some of these topics her writing provokes strong views on either side; however it is doubtful whether any article of hers has ever drawn as much angry criticism as when she wrote that one article, “Gender Benders Beware”.

In this strictly managed debate, recorded at the Royal Society of Medicine, Julie faces an array of well-known names who argue against her proposition. The opposing panel consists of Peter Tatchell, Michelle Bridgman, Professor Stephen Whittle and Kevan Wylie.

(First broadcast on BBC Radio 4; 1st August 2007)