Issue 411
FRE
February 26
E!
@concreteuea
www.concreteuea.co.uk
You're not Romeo and Juliet, you're just in halls
Misogyny in music: Why the male gaze isn't sexy
Page 8 and 9
Page 7
The 2026 Concrete Sex Survey results
Page 27
Students celebrate Pornhub restrictions • Many call for a nationwide ban on the service following new limitations to UK accounts Tom Byrne A group of students at the University of East Anglia have praised updated Pornhub regulations for being “one step closer” to a nationwide ban of the site. The collective, who were surveyed in a social media poll, agreed that the decision from the adult film industry giant would “do more good than harm.” Since the introduction of the
Online Safety Act in July 2025, access to online pornography in the UK has become increasingly restricted. The Act requires pornographic websites to implement robust age verification measures, often through third-party services such as Yoti, which uses facial age estimation or photo ID to confirm a user’s age. While the legislation aims to prevent under-18s from accessing explicit material, many have raised concerns over its
privacy, data security, and unintended consequences. Until recently, UK users could still access Pornhub by verifying their age. However, as of 2 February 2026, vistors without a pre-existing account have been blocked from viewing explicit content on the site. But ethical concerns about the impact of the ban have also been raised. One student said they were “against the ethics of large-scale porn sites like Pornhub,” but worried
that restrictions would “push people towards even less ethical sources.” This concern has also been echoed by Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, which argued that blocking access in the UK could drive users to unregulated and exploitative platforms. Others worried about whether people would simply “work around” the ban with Virual Private Networks (VPNs). Continued on page 4.
First Draft to serve its last draught Daisy Hawker Deputy News Editor Students have described the planned closure of a bar in Norwich as a "huge loss” to LGBT+ communities. First Draft announced that it would close on 22 February 2026 due to low sales, less than a year after it opened in May 2025. Rachel Macneill, the Social Secretary for UEA Burlesque Society, said that the closure of the bar was sad for both performers and customers. "I’m really disappointed in the closure of First Draft, both as a performer and member of the LGBT+ community," she said. "I’ve performed at burlesque gigs there and was planning on starting my own performance group upon graduation. "Their venue was the most accessible, both physically and financially, and I feel frustrated at their loss." In an official statement on their Instagram page, First Draft said: "At the beginning of December, we took a risk and dropped our prices. It hasn't paid off. "We're so sorry to those we'll be letting down by closing. But we don't have a choice. Hospitality is insanely difficult at the moment." Another student at the University of East Anglia described the closure of the venue as "disappointing” and said it was "another loss" for LGBT+ students in Norwich. "The big advantage of First Draft was that they had something going on every week," they added. "I was able to meet new people. Right now, there's still no stable space for queer students."