Dalkeith Library:Free Pole Dancing, Seriously?!

As I was getting ready to do the school run, I was reading through the twitter stream as you do, when my attention was caught by STV and their headline of “Free Pole Dancing Classes as Library ‘Great Success’ with Readers”.. I thought I had been mistaken, surely this was not the case and it was fucking April Fools Day?

Sadly not, as I opened up the article I saw that they were doing this in order to “encourage more people to use the service” Sorry, come again? Are you suggesting that our neighbors over in Dalkieth are uneducated and can’t read so the only way you’ll get the feckers in the door would be to encourage the degradation of women further but in a not so obvious way, and also to encourage the sex industry whilst people like Mr Stringfellow etc sit back and rub their hands together in glee , cause this is the only way to encourage reading?!

Look at the bigger fucking picture here people! Its accepting the sex industry and allowing our kids to think that its ok to objectify women, teaching young boys that its ok using this like porn and that the only way to feel sexy is to please a man, also using it as an early introduction to sex for young men which is far from the truth and so very unrealistic and as well instead of trying to educate people, teach morals and promote healthy attitudes towards sex!

The article also stated that people had “queued to watch”, well duh! I bet that the majority of people were looking for a quick thrill and sadly wouldn’t be back to take books out or use the services of the library. Maybe they should have a look at and read about the dark side of the sex industry instead of “fifty shades of grey”as well as read up on women’s studies etc. rather than watch someone on a pole…Just a thought.

As a friend had reminded me yesterday, when we went to Canada together many years ago, it was suggested for my best friends birthday party that we should do a pole dancing class. I had only given birth approx 8 weeks prior too and it was a bunch of girls together. It was a laugh, but I wasn’t aware of the implications and hadn’t had my volunteer training at rape crisis which as I have mentioned many times, opened my eyes and changed my way of thinking – for the better. The class itself left us sore and sweaty, the exercise and skill was amazing but no, it isn’t something that I will be doing again. I think it was sold on being a way to feel empowered… actually you couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are much better ways of having a laugh or getting exercise, rather than normalizing such a seedy and abusive industry.. Why don’t men do it? Because its used as another way to exploit women and its done in a way that society accepts it. You don’t need to put yourself on display in order to feel attractive etc . There are many forms of expression and dance out there to try… Look at the jokes about pole dancers and how they are put down and not taken seriously… put down and treated as lower classes… This just proves a point even more about degradation.

I’m very surprised that a council would allow this to happen,
shame on you Midlothian Council! and even more so that a police woman joined in. Makes me shake my head and wonder if society is ever going to change… As a police woman she shouldn’t have been allowed to do that during working hrs with her uniform on neither, it does not convey the right message to women who have been survivors of sexual abuse etc, does it?

I sent a tweet to the library but did not get a reply.. I wasn’t surprised.