It’s time we let the prohibitionists know that if they want to pick on sex workers, we have a whole lot of brothers and sisters they’re going to have to face as well. – “Friday the Thirteenth Again”
Every year has at least one Friday the Thirteenth, and there can be as many as three in a year; next year will be that way, with the day appearing in February, March and November. The longest time that can pass between two such days is 14 months, as noted in “The Last Thirteen for Fourteen“. But this year we only have one, in the middle of the year, and that’s today. Regular readers know what this means, but for those who’ve joined us since December, here’s how I explained it last September:
…from soon after the beginning of this blog, I’ve asked those of you who aren’t sex workers yourselves to speak up for our rights on this day. The gay rights movement didn’t really take off until the friends and families of gay people got involved, and…we’re going to need [similar] help to make our voices heard. We need all the sex workers (such as strippers, dominatrices and porn actresses) whose fields aren’t currently criminalized, and the sugar babies and other women who have informally or indirectly taken money for sex…We need all of the men who hire us at least occasionally…[and] all of the women who recognize that…laws which can be used to arrest us will also work to arrest you. We need all of those who love porn, polyamory, BDSM or kink, because even though policing of sex usually starts with harlots, it never stops with us. We need all of the public health and human rights experts who understand the necessity of decriminalization in light of their respective fields, all of the libertarians who recognize that governmental prohibition of consensual behavior is both indefensible and dangerous to individual liberty, and all of the feminists who recognize that a woman’s right to control her own body and make her own sexual and economic choices is the primary feminist issue. And we need all of the decent human beings who don’t fall into any of those categories, but are simply disgusted by the idea of armed thugs arresting, humiliating and ruining people for the “crime” of consensual sex…
You could write a blog post, make an anonymous comment on an anti-whore news story, bring up the subject with friends, link or reblog this column…anything is a help! If you don’t feel comfortable making any sort of public statement but still want to help the cause, there’s a “Donate” box in the right-hand column; you could also support my current speaking tour via GoFundMe or just buy a copy of my book. There are also sex worker organizations such as SWOP, ESPLERP and the St. James Infirmary, or sex-worker-friendly organizations like Women With a Vision, that could use your contribution. Whatever you do, please post about it in the comments and include a link if appropriate; I’ll republish every one next March together with whatever people do in February. Above all, please remember that any contribution – loud or quiet, public or private, eloquent or laconic, lengthy or brief – is important and worthy, and everyone one will hasten the day when governments no longer believe it’s acceptable for them to persecute sex workers, our clients and our associates in any way they please.
[…] Friday the 13th. […]
I’m not quite as courageous as you are—so I just reblogged this post:
http://roosevelt26.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/friday-the-13th/
One more thing—I know Maggie doesn’t have a Facebook account, but I do and I posted this there.
I drafted a quick short couple of reflections for Medium. To view and comment on draft, go here:
https://medium.com/p/f928d16e69b1/edit
Thanks for any suggestions you may have.
Two things: First, the request for suggestions is to all here, not just Maggie. You should be able to access directly from the link and make editorial suggestions on the doc. Reply here if you have any problems with the link.
I will submit for publication tonight, so try to incorporate any thoughts by then.
I’ve tried to help directly:
1. A contribution to Maggie for her current travels,
2. Woman With a Vision contribution,
3. Saw my favorite sex worker!
Tangential article again, prefaced by the call to arms. Kiss kiss, Lily
https://lilywhitelefevre.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/big-5-romance-novels-by-and-for-the-petty-bourgeoisie/
Not only is it Friday the 13th, but it’s also full moon, and this unlucky conjunction has been much commented on.
However, today is also—most appropriately—Molly Malone Day.
I did offer to help a provider with some ideas on media presentations; I’ll link to them here when finished.
Today is also the anniversary of the marriage, in 1525, between the priest Martin Luther and the nun Katharina von Bora, which also seems appropriate.
I watched some of the proceedings of the Justice Committee of the N Ireland Assembly when they were taking evidence about prostitution, trafficking and Lord Morrow’s bill which would introduce the Swedish model. The proceedings are on Youtube, if you’re interested. There is a similar move in the Republic.
I was struck by just how malevolent some members of the committee were towards the witnesses. There were hijacks and ad hominem attacks. I did meet one of the witnesses a while ago, and felt obliged to apologise to her for the treatment she had received. I was also to meet another witness, a provider, for lunch; alas, she injured herself severely, and we didn’t meet. But she reminded me that I’d promised to help her and others with “media presentations”. I can’t claim to be an expert about this, but I do have some knowledge of presentation, and also how interviewers can act, and how best to make a case.
I rather rapidly threw a piece from my inchoate notes on this as my effort to support Maggie and her allies:
http://theempiricalreader.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/today-its-friday-13th.html
Just shared some of your thoughts with one of my good friend who had a family member in the trade. She has ambiguous thoughts with regards to criminalization and I am encouraging her to learn more about the issue (amongst other things by directing her to this blog). Happy Friday 13th, I am confident that, although it feels like a slow progression, truth and common sense will prevail in the end 🙂
Done and done! Posted a thread on one of my favorite message boards:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17459928#post17459928
My reaction to Somaly Mam and the rescue industry, in which I point out the difference between amateur and professional human traffickers. With a side trip through antitrust regulation, because that’s how I roll.
http://windypundit.com/2014/06/how-the-real-professional-human-traffickers-do-it/
Reblogged this on caprizchka and commented:
Per Karen Straughan, sex is the value that women bring to compensate the productivity value expended on their behalf. Marriage or institutional or religious or state sanction is unwanted and unnecessary to facilitate this exchange but rather only corrupts it.
sent an e-mail to Harper, Mackay and my local MP disagreeing with bill C-36 AKA the no one can have fun bill
Planning on doing that myself – seems to be a lot of “unhappy campers” over that Bill. Somewhat amusing that fundamentalist Christianity seems to “inform” many of the policies and ethics of Harper’s Conversatives, but that there is an Old Testament flavour to them.
In any case and FWIW, it seems that there’s a protest planned for this Saturday in Vancouver (1):
I certainly plan to be there and if I can get my act together I, as as a long-term client of the profession, may even try to again indicate my support for and appreciation of both the profession and those in it: “I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there.” (The Boxer; S&G). As Maggie has noted or suggested, “friends and families” – and “Johns” – may provide a crucial role in short-circuiting the rather antediluvian policies or philosophies implicit in C-36.
Somewhat apropos, a link to “John’s Voice”, the website of a survey of “johns” in Vancouver (2).
—
1) “_http://www.straight.com/news/663926/sex-worker-protest-planned-response-bill-c-36”;
2) “_http://www.johnsvoice.ca/”;
there was actually a national day of action scheduled for today in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and I think it was Montreal. Unfortunately, nothing in my neck of the woods
Maggie,
I must remember for next year. Here is my contribution of a rubbish blog post, but it does have a link to a radio interview I did along side the gorgeous though broken ankled Laura Lee.
http://elrondmiddleengland.co.uk/2014/05/19/mens-hour-18-may-14-why-do-men-pay-for-sex/
Reblogged this on a dog's breakfast and commented:
I believe in sex workers’ rights.
Reblogged here Maggie: http://amazingsusansblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/friday-the-13th/
Keep up the good work 🙂
Linked on my Facebook. I meant to write something of my own to lance the rage-pus accumulating from C-36, but I kind of ran out of time and energy. I’ve also been retweeting a lot this past week or so. 🙂 I’m not sure what it says about me that on this issue, I find myself on the wrong side of my usual political allies, and agreeing with others against whom I’m normally opposed.
I love this and I rebloggged in support. I also had a conversation about the sex industry with my running group tonight. I am excited to have 3 opportunities to discuss\support this next year. Please let us all know early and often when the dates are coming!! Meanwhile, I will get it on my calendar! Thank you!
Here you go, Maggie. I even rewrote the preamble of the bill.
http://millenniumoutlaw.com/2014/06/13/anachronisms-canadian-conservative-party-bill-c-36/