Chapter 33

The premises of the ERA were in a small office suite in a building at the end of Brierley Hill High Street.

The door was answered by a woman in her mid-twenties, wearing denim dungarees with half of the front flapping open. The tee shirt beneath was pink and sported a one-finger salute.

Kim held up her ID and asked if they could come in.

‘How can I refuse a woman in charge?' she said, stepping aside. ‘And I'm Bobbi, Bobbi Carter, chief volunteer of all that you survey,' she went on, making a sweeping motion with her hand.

What she surveyed was small but impressive. Four glass desks butted up to each other in the middle of the room. Each desk held a large screen and a keyboard-and-mouse combination. The chairs were identical. The fun stuff was against the walls. She saw two fruit machines, pinball, a dart board and a flatscreen TV.

‘We're volunteers, funded by people who support our cause but don't have a lot of time,' Bobbi explained, following Kim's gaze. ‘Gotta have a bit of fun while doing our good work.'

Kim wondered if this was how the Google offices had looked in the early days.

‘And what work do you do?' she asked, pulling out one of the seats.

‘Education, primarily,' Bobbi said, taking a seat but rolling herself away from the desks. ‘Equality is a constant fight. The suffragettes started it, and we have a huge responsibility to continue it. We can't allow the momentum to slow. Women are battling the patriarchy in every?—'

‘Not all women,' Bryant said, nodding Kim's way.

‘What, you think you're a hero cos you have a female boss and you don't make a fuss about it? Fuck, give the man a medal. Thanks for allowing the little woman to do her?—'

‘I'm only saying that we're not all bad,' Bryant defended himself.

Bobbi slapped her own head. ‘Lord save me. I bet any money you're part of the "all lives matter" crew. Am I right?' she asked in a direct challenge.

‘They do,' Bryant answered.

‘So, when you donate your fiver to the hurricane victims of the Philippines, do you send a fiver to every other charity in the world?'

‘Well, no.'

‘Exactly, but they all matter too. At that moment, your focus goes to who needs the help most. A catch-all doesn't cut it. You telling me you're one of the good guys doesn't help me one bit unless you're prepared to call out the bad ones. It's like?—'

‘Bobbi,' Kim said, refocussing her attention. As entertaining as it was watching Bryant get schooled, it wasn't the purpose of the visit. Although she'd be happy to set up another appointment for it to continue. ‘We understand you've been trying to educate Carly Spencer on pageants.'

‘Absolutely. It's our duty.'

‘To intimidate, abuse and induce fear in another woman?'

Bobbi shrugged. ‘You can't make an omelette without cracking eggs. Some women need to be educated about their obligation to fight the system, not play into it.'

‘Is it your obligation to put a brick through her window?'

‘Of which you have proof?' Bobbi demanded.

‘I have the photo on your website,' Kim countered.

‘I took a photo of the damage as I passed it on my way in this morning,' Bobbi returned.

‘Seems a natural progression from the emails and the messages.'

‘Or an indication that other people feel as strongly about that abhorrent industry as we do.'

‘So you won't be too disappointed to learn that she's decided to wrap up the business?' Kim asked to gauge her reaction.

‘Yessssss,' she cried with a fist pump. ‘I'm happy to count that as a win.' She looked delighted and triumphant.

Kim couldn't help the irritation that gnawed at her stomach. ‘I don't think you can take all the credit, but I do think harassment and aggravation on top of the recent loss of her mother may have been a bit much.'

‘Hey, I'm happy to be the straw that broke the camel's back as long as the camel's back is broken. Not literally, of course, I love animals, but I'm not going to pretend I'm unhappy that there's one pageant less in the world. I mean, as a woman, do you have any idea of the damage they do?'

‘Go on,' Kim said, happy to let her preach. Not only would she discover the depths of the passion but also how far she was willing to go to make her point.

‘Let's start with the pressure on women to conform to conventional beauty standards – the fashion, make-up, hair styling, cosmetic surgery and diet to the point of starvation. The fact that beauty is scored out of ten. The total objectification and the need to attain perfection.

‘I'm sure you'll recall that the delightful Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe competition for almost twenty years. He joked about being forced to sleep with every contestant. He also said that when the bathing suits got smaller and the heels got higher, the ratings went up.'

‘So there's a market for it?' Kim said.

‘There's a market for foie gras. Does that make it right to force-feed a goose until its liver explodes? The whole spectacle is debasing. One year, Miss Venezuela was humiliated by being forced to exercise in front of a group of reporters after she gained weight during her reign. Other contestants have lost their titles for putting on a few pounds. You think that's a healthy industry?'

‘Many professions require sacrifice,' Kim said, playing devil's advocate.

Bobbi offered her a look of disgust before continuing. ‘Pageant popularity grows each year. They perpetuate the idea that women are just bodies to be rated from one to ten, that the best we have to offer is our appearance, and if that message is being taught early…'

‘You mean child pageants, like what Carly manages?'

‘They should be outlawed. Do you have any idea of the harm they do?'

Kim thought of Toyah's enjoyment of the whole process. ‘But isn't it just dress up?'

Bobbi rolled her eyes in frustration. ‘Dress up is when you put on your mom's shoes and stagger around her bedroom. Pageants teach little girls they need improvements to their image to compete. We're talking flippers, hair extensions, acrylic nails, make-up, spray tans. Eventually young girls can feel ugly without all that stuff, and that poor self-image lasts into adulthood. Natural developments like acne and other body changes hit hard.

‘It's not just dress up having little girls being sexualised for attention. The kids are being taught to act older. It's obscene to teach a six-year-old to pose like a model in her twenties.

‘One pageant had a child smoking a fake cigarette, another was dressed as a prostitute, another wore fake breasts. If you're not horrified by these things, then there's nothing I can tell you.'

‘You're saying pageants damage every child who takes part?' Kim asked.

‘Who knows? All I know is that it isn't healthy to wax and thread a child's facial and body hair to give them a glowing appearance on stage. These kids learn that they gain attention and status when being sexualised and that their sexuality is a means to an end. It doesn't take a genius to work out that it can lead to premature sexual activity.'

‘Don't they also give kids confidence?' Kim asked, remembering Toyah's words.

‘Many parents believe the pageants boost their kid's self-esteem, but data shows that later problems include depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders.'

‘We've spoken to girls who loved it,' Kim defended.

‘They're either the exception or they're liars. In 2013, France became the first country to ban child pageants for the under thirteens. You have to understand that it takes hours and hours of learning how to pose, walk straight and fake smile. Most of these pageants are more for the parent than the child.'

‘Doesn't that translate though?' Kim asked, again thinking of Toyah. ‘If it's just a bit of fun for the mom, won't that carry down to the child?'

‘The beliefs the pageants create become ingrained in the child. Kids feel as if they've let their parents down if they don't win. Ultimately, you're still transforming a typical child into a desirable woman. The sexualisation of children is a contributing factor in reports of kids being sexually abused. It's a foul industry that is hyper fixated on achieving professional adult aesthetics at a young age. Sexuality is imposed by parents without consent.'

‘So, what are you campaigning for?' Bryant asked.

‘A total ban on beauty pageants. Never gonna happen, but it won't stop us trying. Failing that, remove the beauty standards, end the sexualisation. As a start, Miss Teen USA replaced swimsuit with athletic wear. It's a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done.'

‘And your methods?' Kim asked, thinking about Carly having been driven out of business.

‘I'm going to do whatever works,' Bobbi said without apology.

Kim thanked her for her time and stepped out of the building, exhausted by Bobbi's passion.

It was clear how strongly she felt about getting the events banned, and Kim couldn't help wondering if there was any line the woman wouldn't cross.