Gay Power – but only if you’re male

The Independent on Sunday published it’s Pink Power list at the weekend. Of the 101 nominated people for being successes “key to British life” only 16 are women (and the highest placed is at number 18) and only one of those is not white. Of the women who made it into the list their placings were as follows:

18 – Sandi Toksvig (broadcaster and writer) – 1st woman listed

21 – Fiona Shaw (actress and Booker judge) – 2nd

37 – Carol Ann Duffy (poet and playwright) – 3rd

39 – Sarah Waters (novelist) – 4th

50 – Ashley Steel (Director KPMG) – 5th

52 – Jackie Kay (poet and MBE) – 6th

58 – Deborah Warner (theatre director) – 7th

59 – Clare Balding (sports presenter) – 8th

60 – Charlotte Mendelson (writer) – 9th

61 – Jeanette Winterson (writer) – 10th

62 – Phyllida Lloyd (theatre director) – 11th

71 – Maggie Hambling (artist) – 12th

87 – Eileen Gallagher (CEO Shed Productions) – 13th

88 – Dawn Airey (Television Executive) – 14th

90 – Miriam Margoyles (actress) – 15th

91 – Saffron Burrows (actress) – 16th

So to be female, bi or lesbian and seen as a success, best limit yourself to traditionally “feminine” occupations like acting, writing or being an artist. In contrast in the top ten of men listed there are writers, musicians, actors, business entrepreneurs, politicians, political advisors, designers and so on. Of course this might have something to do with the fact that only 5 of the 12 judges were women too (Susie Feay, Beth Dadswell, Frances Elliot, Marie Woolf and Katie Guest).