CAMRA urged to stand against 'beer sexism'
Glasgow-based beer blogger and CAMRA member Robbie Pickering has submitted a motion for discussion at the campaign group’s AGM in Nottingham in April. He wants CAMRA-organised beer festivals to refrain from ordering beers that have “inappropriate or sexist names or pump clips”.
The motion states: “Time and again we hear from women who say they are not comfortable drinking beer in pubs and at beer festivals. They complain of being patronised, leered at and having to put up with inappropriate comments.
“This is not CAMRA’s fault, but CAMRA needs to step up and show, through action, that it is on the side of equality.”
It also encourages pubs to take a zero-tolerance approach to sexism and harassment.
'Unwelcoming'
The motion adds: “Branches may maintain a confidential register of pubs that are dangerous or unwelcoming for women, and ask members to provide feedback/complaints. Branches may exclude such pubs from the Good Beer Guide at their discretion”.
CAMRA came in for criticism last year after a leaflet for its Young Members campaign was accused of objectifying women.
Pickering told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “Much of the beer and pub industry still assumes that all its customers are men. CAMRA represents 168,000 beer drinkers — a quarter of them women — and we have always said beer is for everyone, but we clearly need to shout about it a bit more.”
