Gay Power - but only if you're male
by Louise Livesey // 8 May 2007, 17:54
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).
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