I've recently had contact with somebody doing a documentary for Channel 4 about GSA.... She has agreed to allow any participants to remain anonymous even to herself... and so I would like to pass on the info so anyone interested can get in touch with her.
Her e-mail address is: Danielle.Johnson@popkorntv.com
Here is our e-mail exchange:
First one:
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Hello there,
I hope my email finds you well, my name is Danielle Johnson and I’m a Development Producer at Popkorn TV. We are an independent television production company who make programmes for all major UK broadcasters including BBC, Channel 4 and ITV and international channels.
We are looking to develop an intelligent and compassionate documentary about Genetic Sexual Attraction which I would be very keen to speak about with you. We’re at an early stage of our research but we have major interest from a UK channel due to our approach. I understand from recent research that GSA can affect up to 50% of adults who are reunited with relatives after many years of separation. Judging by some of the first-hand accounts I have researched thus far, many people are shunned by their would-be support network due to a lack of understanding. I imagine this must be very difficult.
I came across your blog from the Full Marriage Equality blog, which I read with interest and learnt more about the wider consanguinamorous community. It lead me to wondering about other people’s stories and how we might be able to produce a programme that can be both sensitive and informative; conveying the complex human experience and even the science in order to start breaking prejudices. We are in the early stages of research at the moment but are looking to move forward very quickly so any help or advice you have to offer on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
To tell you a little more about us here at Popkorn, we specialise in socially responsible programme-making and have been nominated for several awards for our output. We are very proud of our reputation for working closely with our contributors to make films that they are happy with and proud to have been a part of. I have attached some more information about Popkorn so that you can read more about who we are and what we do. To give one example, our Head of Development here at Popkorn produced the ground-breaking ‘The Murder Workers’ on Channel 4, a 90 minute special which followed the work of Victim Support’s homicide case workers, spending a year working with the Ministry of Justice, Victim Support and most importantly, families who had been bereaved through murder and manslaughter. The result was a film that everyone was extremely proud of and as an outcome, the Ministry of Justice extended Victim Support’s funding for the Homicide Service.
I would be very keen to learn your thoughts about the project and wondered whether you would be open to starting a dialogue about it?
Very best wishes,
Danielle Johnson
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My reply:
Hi there Danielle,
Thank you for your kind e-mail expressing an interest in doing a documentary about GSA. I would imagine that you've seen my website, which covers the topics of GSA and consensual incest (familial relationships where there has NOT been any separation and reuinion). The umbrella term for both situations is 'consanguinamory' literally meaning 'lovers of family'. In both forms, it requires the absence of the Westermarck effect, In the case of Genetic Sexual Attraction, the Westermarck effect does not get the chance to develop because of the separation, and so upon finding familiarity and similarity with the family member upon reunion, it can lead to GSA that way. The majority of GSA people experience the Westermarck effect for their adoptive relatives. With consensual incest it's a bit different, the Westermarck effect just doesn't develop and thus it is possible to fall in love with a relative that's always been a part of ones life. We have no idea why the Westermarck effect does not develop for some people, only that it doesn't.
I realize that the subject of consanguinamory is very difficult for many people to wrap their heads around, namely because of the knee-jerk reaction that it's meant to be bad or sick. As a result of this prejudice, typically enshrined in law, people suffer from persecution and fear of persecution all because of who they fell in love with. It's not like anyone asks to feel that way, and it's usually very unexpected. People are being made to feel needlessly guilty for simply being who they are, and I believe that it's time this prejudice was challenged in the strongest possible way because the more people know about our people the better it will be in the long term. The long term goal for us is nothing less than full equality, including the right to marry for ALL consenting adults.
Now, as for finding people to participate, especially in the UK where incest is currently illegal, it will be extremely difficult for you to find people willing to put themselves on the line. People can go to prison if they're found out by the law. So you need to offer any participants the chance to be completely anonymous, even to yourself. I realize this is a tall order, but if the courts decide that they want information on who these people are, if you don't have that information, then you cannot be forced to give it. If you can satisfy these conditions, I will pass your information along to the community who will contact you should they choose to.
I would not be a good subject for your documentary as you're researching GSA, my experience was with consensual incest which for most media people, is just a bit too taboo to talk about at the moment. I am however willing to answer any of your questions via e-mail. and help you that way in information.
Again, thanks for getting in touch, and hope to hear from you soon,
Jane Doe
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She responded:
Hi Jane,
Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I’ve been away at Glastonbury festival (fun, if hard work with the mud!!) and am just catching up.
Thank you so much for the information you have thus far shared with me which is really useful in my preliminary research. We can absolutely see the need to raise awareness about a very complex issue that is widely misunderstood as much as we can tell personal stories the more it will allow our audience to connect.
Perhaps the way to do this in a final film is to work with people who have experienced GSA without necessarily engaging sexually and thus may come around the idea of telling their story on camera (similar to press articles I’ve come across in my research, I suppose) and also to have a present-tense story told anonymously. There is lots of time to think about this and to work towards a film that necessarily protects people but also gets the message across in a way that might bring about empathy and, even, change.
With this in mind, at this stage, I am very keen to speak to people who have experienced or are experiencing GSA and would be happy to do that on the basis that their identities are even concealed from myself. I would greatly appreciate anything you might be able to do to help with this.
I would also be very keen to hear your story if you wouldn’t mind sharing this with me? Because we are at such an early stage, it is good for me to keep an open mind as to what shape a film might take and how we might be able to tell it etc.
Many thanks once again for your time and assistance.
Best wishes,
Danielle
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So I wrote back:
Hello again,
Thanks for getting back to me, glad to hear you were out having some fun. To be honest I thought you might have been working on other projects so nice to hear you had some good downtime. Never been to Glastonbury festival myself but I've heard it's pretty cool
Now, as to your documentary, you've satisfied the complete anonymity condition, so I am happy to pass on your details to the rest of the community by showing them this e-mail exchange between us, so hopefully some people will get back to you. I help to run a forum on the subject and I am also on social media. You're most likely correct that people who never acted upon GSA feelings might be more willing to talk on camera, after all, those people have nothing to fear from the law although many of them may be publicly ostracised anyway simply for having those feelings. I think it's great you want to help get the information and stories out there, so of course I'll help you in whichever ways I am able to.
My own story is actually found on my website here: https://consanguinamory.wordpress.com/about-me/
If you want to discover more about consanguinamory in general, I've written lots of essays on the subject since I started my site nearly six months ago, and they're all found here: https://consanguinamory.wordpress.com/articles-essays/
Obviously if you've got any questions for me feel free to ask, I'm happy to help your understanding of us if at all possible.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Jane