When the day at last comes that we win our right to live and work free from state violence, you will know that you helped that happen. – “Luck Has Nothing To Do With It”
Today is Friday the 13th, which as longtime readers know is the day I ask non-sex workers to speak up for us. Some years have as many as three of these special Fridays, but this is the only one this year; if you need suggestions on what to say, I suggest you consult this column I wrote for the occasion way back in 2012. And if you do write something, please let me know and I’ll add a link to it below (and tweet it as well). I do, however, recognize that some people simply can’t stick their heads above the parapet enough to write or speak openly about this, despite the fact that it’s quickly becoming more socially acceptable to do so; if you’re in that position, you can still help by donating money, something sex worker rights organizations are always in need of. There are such organizations in every country; since I firmly believe that charity begins at home, I urge you to donate to help sex workers in your own land first. In the US, SWOP can always use help, and I recently called attention to SWOP Behind Bars, which accepts donations of books for incarcerated sex workers. I don’t understand why she felt the need to adopt such a critical tone, but Melinda Chateauvert published a good list of sex worker organizations in need of all the funding they can get, and Red Light Legal is down to the last few days in its attempt to raise $15,000 to provide legal assistance to sex workers. Of course, there are plenty of individual sex workers you could assist, such as the heroic Heather Saul, who took out a serial killer who would otherwise have killed many other women. And if you can’t think of anyone else, you could always send me a little something via PayPal. It doesn’t so much matter what you do today, as long as you do something to promote sex worker rights; write, speak, donate, spread the word or all of the above. And I’m going to try to spend as much time as possible retweeting today, so if you write something or have a sex worker fund you want promoted, please mention me on Twitter so I can promote it for you!
Done: https://www.facebook.com/AmazingWomenRock
I once read someone’s theory that it is natural for men to dislike/distrust/fear whores (whores defined as sexually available women- paid or not). He or she thought it is evolutionary- a natural defense against not knowing if any offspring are yours.
These days that wouldn’t exactly make sense with tens of reliable birth control methods. So the ‘hate’ manifests in the modern day as some folks feeling, without really knowing why, that prostitutes are sleazy. And for that reason “sult-shaming” is here to stay. Thoughts?
Many people are not very rational in their likes and dislikes. I think the only thing with these is to try to establish a “follow-the-crowd” and make the crowd position that prostitution is an integral part of society and nothing to be feared.
From the Dept of Useless Information (actually a math(s) blog):
Done it! First Friday 13th on my new blog. (I’m the one who used to blog at Good Enough Mum – don’t know whether anyone remembers me!)
http://freethoughtblogs.com/geekyhumanist/2016/05/13/friday-the-13th-and-sex-work-advocacy/
Good timing, as it turned out; a parliamentary committee here is currently looking at whether to bring in the Swedish Model here, and three days ago Brooke Magnanti and Paris Lees gave evidence to them as to why this would be a very, *very* bad idea. The transcript is fantastic reading, and can be found at http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/prostitution/oral/33252.html; I linked to it in my post.
Happy Friday 13th, everyone!
Dr Sarah and Maggie: is this House of Lords bill on your radar?
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/advertisingofprostitutionprohibition.html
A fast scan of the first paragraph would make “advertising a service of prostitution, or a reasonable inference of prostitution as a service” a criminal offence.
That would, in practice, make it a criminal act to use, say, backpage.com for advertising as an independent escort (by “reasonable inference”).
In other words, if judgey *thinks* you’re advertising as a hooker, you are. Guilty, next!
If that passes, you can sell sex, but not advertise the fact, work in a safer environment, band together for safety, etcetc. It also gives something for the clients to finger the prostitute with (“saw her ad in the papers, Officer Plod”) or for the police to use to sweep the internet clear of prostitutes.
That would be a black day, Ladies. I hope I’m wrong about it, or that it fails to pass. 😣
Coincidently I wrote this today and just now saw your request for non sex worker comments on the anti-trafficking hysteria. I wrote this as a reply to a piece in Crosscut, a Seattle online news and opinion magazine that is usually very good.
http://crosscut.com/2016/05/how-the-tech-industry-is-fueling-the-local-sex-trade/?utm_source=Crosscut+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=141f57befb-Daily_Crosscut_Newsletter_2_12_152_11_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_efe7a35aed-141f57befb-279103529
Prohibitionist laws only cause harm to the most vulnerable, create a feeding frenzy for criminals, fill the prisons, and fail miserably benefit anyone, all at great expense to taxpayers. The anti-sex trafficking movement is no exception. Criminalizing drinking, smoking weed, being gay, contraception, adultery, cohabitation, pornography, and mixed race marriage are now seen as embarrassing failures. If doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is one definition of insanity, then the anti-trafficking movement is the poster child for crazy.
The evils that the anti-traffickers pretend their laws will prevent include kidnapping, slavery, wage theft, child abuse, and violence. All of these things are currently illegal and people who do them should be prosecuted. But as we have seen in the horrifically failed war on drugs, these crimes result from driving the activity into the criminal underground, not from the activity itself.
As we have seen in all prohibition failures, decriminalization is far preferable to draconian laws. Decriminalization cuts criminals out of the equation and allows the income stream from the activity to be taxed. While the anti-traffickers demonize sex workers’ clients, the reality is that the vast majority of men who pay for sex want to deal with consenting, adult, sex workers, not under aged or coerced people. Brave, intelligent organizations like Amnesty International and the ACLU are now promoting decriminalization of sex work.
The Anti-traffickers make much of rescuing children from coerced sex work. But they never talk about interceding in the lives of abused children before they get out on the streets and fall prey to criminals. For years, children have been taught to “beware the friendly stranger”. But the kind of abuse that drives children onto the streets is far more often perpetrated by relatives or clergy. Children should know who they can call for help if they are being abused, not forced to go it alone. And we should offer real help, not just warehousing them in converted jails.
So should we continue to make exchanging money for sex illegal? Of course not. But what the prohibitionists are talking about is really just criminalizing short term sex for cash. American society is all about the exchange of sex for goods and services. “Can I buy you a drink?” or “Let me buy you dinner.” are explicit offers of goods for sex. Does anyone not get what “Every kiss begins with Kay.” means? Would Melania have the hots for Trump if he were Donald the plumber? Sex work comes off as pretty honest and straight forward compared to trophy wives.
I felt it was imprudent and perhaps somewhat self aggrandizing to include what I thought to add as a last paragraph to my Crosscut comment, but I’ll include it here:
I’m an accomplished person who, at least IMHO has contributed to the greater good in a number of ways. I have two children and two grandchildren who are pretty terrific, again IMHO. And I have a life partner who I have been in polyamorous relationship with for over 50 years. We have had a number of very dear friends who have done various kinds of sex work. I have drunk alcohol, smoked pot, used contraception, married outside my race, been in a three person marriage, sucked cock, edited pornography, and almost committed adultery. And yes, I have paid for sex. So, OK, coppers – come and get me!
hope you don’t mind that I reblogged your post. it’s here: https://theshopsampler.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/the-last-thirteen-for-fourteen/
Just had an opportunity to do this. Two days late, but still.
[…] missed Maggie McNeill’s last Friday the 13th roundup, and it was the only one this year, but there’s something I want to get off my chest about a […]