Is there too much hostility towards the strip club in Ampthill?

Tensions are growing in the Bedfordshire town Ampthill over plans to open a lap dancing club. 

Jonathan Vernon-Smith speaks to Matthew Dear from the we love Ampthill Campaign and Benedict Garratt a Male stripper Social and Sexual Activist.

Listen on the BBC iplayer:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00zbp5c

Source:  BBC

Benedict Garrett, Ex-Porn Star, Stripper, Teacher, On Fired New York Guidance Counselor: 'So Bloody What'

On the heels of New York City high school guidance counselor Tiffani Webb being fired over racy images that emerged from her modeling past over 17 years ago, HuffPost Live host Abby Huntsman hosted a discussion Monday about whether we should care about what went on in educators' pasts.

Benedict Garrett, a London-based former secondary school teacher who also stripped and starred in porn, shared the story of when his students found out about his extracurricular activities.

Garrett said he was fired from the job after students saw an ad on an adult channel featuring him.

"I was sacked from my teaching job because of the work I did outside school hours," he said. "I'm surprised by the story of this lady in New York. I assumed she was naked in these pictures, which first of all made me think, 'So bloody what. If a child sees that a woman has breasts and genitals, what a surprise?' And in fact, she's wearing underwear! I just find this whole story utterly ridiculous, I'm sorry."

Sinnamon Love, an adult film star and mother of three, even suggested that Webb's past could be beneficial to students in her work as a guidance counselor.

"I feel very strongly that young people need to be able to have guidance counselors that they can turn to about whatever personal issues they have at home," she said. "They need to be able to have someone to talk to about their career choices that they would like to make. They need to be able to have that person that actually cares and can give them a hand that they may not be getting at home. And to have someone that they can identify as being very real, I think that it's better for them than that they can't relate to."

Source: Huffington Post

Porn star Johnny Anglais debates at Oxford Union

A former teacher turned porn star has spoken at an Oxford Union debate in favour of legalising prostitution.

Benedict Garrett from London performs under the alias of Johnny Anglais

Johnny Anglais, whose real name is Benedict Garrett, freely admits to being a prostitute.

In 2011 he was reprimanded by the General Teaching Council after his pupils spotted him in an adult film, but was not barred from teaching.

He left the profession and now campaigns for the liberalisation of attitudes towards sex and sexuality.

Mr Garrett said: "We all need to be far more open and honest... not just for our own sense of identity, but for the health and well-being of our young people."

His team included Dr Fiona Godlee, editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal. It also included brothel owner and founder of Nevada's Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Dennis Hof.

They were arguing against Julie Bindel, author and co-founder of Justice for Women, feminist activist Finn Mackay and campaigner Ellie Levenson.

The debate was on Thursday evening.

Source:  BBC Oxford