Anger over new Sun page 3 campaign

THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE has joined the campaign to petition The Sun newspaper to remove its topless page three models.

The Christian organisation, which represents two million members across the UK, joins 135,000 supporters to back the removal of naked women on the tabloid’s pages.

The latest move by The Sun, of using Page 3 in the name of breast cancer awareness, with the ‘Check ‘Em Tuesday’ campaign, is also criticised by commentators.

The General Director of the Alliance, Steve Clifford, said: “There is no way having naked women featured in a ‘family’ newspaper can be seen as good for society.”

Head of supporter relations, Sue Wilmot, who will shortly be undergoing reconstructive surgery following successful treatment for breast cancer, said: “As a breast cancer survivor, I am passionate about raising awareness among women both within and outside the Church of the importance of performing regular checks.

“While I hope many women will be reminded of this through The Sun’s campaign, I am concerned about the tactics the newspaper has used and their attempts to re-brand their increasingly unpopular page 3 girl feature. I hope that they might respond to the reaction from our members and thousands of others by no longer using these over-sexualised images of young women.”

The Alliance adds that evangelical Christians believe that we are all made in the image of God and that our bodies are a product of God’s amazing design, not to be ogled at or objectified.

Mr Clifford added that they ‘recognise that historically the Church has not always been great at advocating for women, but given its recent defiance it is a time for us to tell The Sun newspaper that enough is enough’.

“We believe in the inherent dignity of all human beings and are passionate about working together for a society that says no to objectification.”

The Girls’ Brigade has previously written to David Dinsmore, editor of The Sun, following a survey that found 70 per cent of their members thought Page 3 had a negative impact on their self-esteem.

Ruth Gilson, executive director of Girls’ Brigade International and vice-chair of the Evangelical Alliance board, said: “We dream of a day in which girls and women are not objectified and where they are not measured solely on how ‘sexy’ they are. We call on The Sun to ditch its poor attitude towards women and commit to highlighting the equality of the sexes.”