Let’s Talk About Sex

July 1st, 2009 at 09:21am Host

The average sixteen year old male might bring to a Suffragette City Tour an expectation of tales of protest and bra burning, so it was time to challenge expectations, reveal the truth and widen the eyes of ten young men to the shock events which scarred the streets of Manchester during the fight for women’s suffrage. These women risked a great deal, and consequently have enabled the likes of me to even be able to share our history with others. My challenge for the duration of this tour was to reveal all, rampages, manslaughter, gangs and the odd protest; to bring to life these histories of the often overlooked women of Manchester.

Despite the sniggering over Repertory Theatre pioneer Annie Horniman’s surname, this group of teenagers responded in an inquisitive and intelligent manner to all I threw at them, even declaring themselves as “Gentlemen” when approaching the use of the Cucking Stool in late eighteenth century Manchester. The ceremonious humiliation of prostitutes, women with illegitimate children or those who practiced the art of back-chatting to their husbands seemed to bring an air of silence and unanswerable questions to my group of startled “Gentlemen”. I left them pondering what they deemed as an unimaginable event and was reassured by their mature approach.

It’s always refreshing to deliver a tour such as this which attracts a varied array of interests, with individuals who happily share their personal stories of sofa-blockading during a Reclaim the Streets Protest or women storming political buildings in the 60s. For a group of male teenagers their involvement in such events I presume to be nil, and their understanding of women to extend as far as their mum, or else not for me to consider… For this reason I think their efforts to understand certain events were pushed further than the average. A discussion of the lack of statues of women in Manchester led to a never ending game of “There must be one in St. Ann’s Square,” “What about the Town Hall?” “How about Queen Victoria?” I felt for their teachers on the train home listening to the continuing game I started, but can at least myself grin at filling their minds with contemplation.

With their prior knowledge on the subject of Women’s Suffrage only in the recognition of the name ‘Suffragettes’ it seems apparent that the shocking nature of the treatment of women, and the radical approach which many have taken in the fight for Women’s Suffrage, did most certainly open up their eyes. Much like the statue debate, I was asked why there are no plaques around the city to recall events such as a rampage in Manchester Art Gallery? Unfortunately for them this is a response I myself cannot set in stone, and something else to add to their list for classroom discussion.

I am certain this will not be the last all male Suffragette City group I come across but I hope that any future groups consider these incidents as much as this group have done. Their shocked responses to stories of gangs and manslaughter were as expected, the mention of bra burning simply resulting in some rolling eyes, but their additional responses were refreshing, and have added to my newfound understanding of this subject matter from the point of view of a ‘Young Gentleman’.

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