Consensual Sex Work Practices Reproductive Health

Not all prostitutes want to be rescued. Consensual and successful sex workers do exist. I was the spokesperson for Sex Worker Outreach Project-Chicago (SWOP) at a Chicago presentation in June, sponsored by the Open University of the Left and the Chicago Socialist Party recently discussing the issues of Sex workers, criminalization and Human Rights.

Martha Rosenberg, journalist for CountePunch, staff cartoonist for The Evanston RoundTable and general political writer summed up the discussion panel best in the article; LINK; Spare us the Paternalism Says Organizing Chicago Sex Workers.

It is always tricky when entering into debates about human trafficking, especially with rescue organizations and conservative women movements that are for the most part anti-prostitution. When the Washington Post article, “Human Trafficking Evokes Outrage, Little Evidence” LINK; Washington Post Article was published September of ‘07, the women’s movements with radical ideas even outside of feminism were up in arms, and without data to back up their claims.

When looking at the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA or HR 3887), one must investigate its success, its hidden agendas as well as the driving force of the movement. If you look at Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) decision to outsource Ketchum as a coalition effort to find trafficked victims, the coalition included former heads of the Funds for a Conversative Majority and the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. TVPRA is driven by The Concerned Women for America, a conservative think tank group which is commonly known for their anti-prostitution agenda. View Concerned Women for America Page

The right-wing-backed human trafficking movement, part of the “anti-prostitution industrial complex,” deliberately blurs the line between sex work and sex slavery to further its moralistic agenda and line its pockets. On their own website, CWA’s mission statement claims; “to protect and promote Biblical values among all citizens – first through prayer, then education, and finally by influencing our society – thereby reversing the decline in moral values in our nation.” This organization is Pro-Live, Anti-Homosexual Marriage, Anti Migration (Keep the borders secure!) and basically a famous fundamentalist feminist organization thats lines its own pockets with manipulating the (Bush) administration.

While the government has spent over 500 million dollars in searching for Trafficking victims since 2000, they have brought a total of 148 federal cases nationwide. A far cry from the overestimated 50,000 alleged victims. Last year alone, HHS paid $3.4 million dollars in new street outreach awards to 22 groups nationwide.

The problem is trafficking has received far more attention than crimes such as domestic violence of which there are hundreds of thousands of documented victims every year. These conservative organizations aren’t rescuing domestically abused women at all. Money given to rescue groups for them find trafficking victims, which they cannot. Or for groups like Kechum to train people to train people to train people to counsel potential victims. If you want trafficking victims to come forward, the only way is to give Amnesty for all trafficked victims. The far more common trafficking situation is women trafficked into household, farm and sweatshop work which, not sexual trafficking. Trafficking laws are being manipulated within our very own legal system to arrest sex workers and build convictions. They do not seem to be helping women who are victimized in any capacity. Unionization and/or decriminalization seem to be the answer…

 

Prostitute’s murderer is sentenced to less than 2 years – Ontario Canada

Someone sent me this link…unbelievable

Man Kills Prostitute, Gets Less Than 2 Years. What the FUCK?
May 16, 2008 · 45 Comments

by Isabel

The day after admitting he killed a woman and dumped her body on a rural road, a St. Catharines, Ont., man was released from jail.

Judge Stephen Glithero sentenced Wayne Ryczak, 55, to one day in jail on Thursday for the death of 29-year-old Stephine Beck.

The one-day sentence is in addition to time Ryczak already served since his March 5, 2007, arrest — time the judge said was equivalent to 30 months.

“Devastated, we’re devastated,” Beck’s mother, Alice Dort, said from her home in Nova Scotia shortly after a police detective broke the news by phone. “This is just so unbelievable.” “There’s no justice. None whatsoever. I’m just so disgusted.”

The Crown asked for seven to 10 years in jail.

Ryczak’s lawyer requested two years less a day to be served in the community.

After deliberating for 20 minutes, Glithero said a 30-month sentence in the penitentiary would be appropriate and Ryczak had already served it. Ryczak was also given three years’ probation.

 

How Does One Go about Legitimizing Sex Work?

I think when one speaks of legalizing consensual sex work, it generally falls on deaf ears. Same with the term “de-criminalization” which screams government regulations. No thanks!

I believe the primary objection to present to society is to identify needed harm reduction as it relates to human rights and labor related human trafficking. It must also address the difference between sex trafficking V.S. consensual sex work. We must expose how the current laws confuse both issues, frequently turning trafficking victims into criminals. Most people are quite empathetic to trafficking victims. Its unfortunate however, the confusion and manipulation of trafficking laws and how they are sometimes used by law enforcement to entrap consensual sex workers. I believe the movement to decriminalize consensual work start at defining the difference between trafficking laws and consensual sex work.

Sex trafficking and human trafficking is nothing less than the raw exploitation of human
beings, compelling human beings to provide labor or to engage in commercial sex against their will, by means of force, fraud or coercion.

Shortly after the Spitzer scandal, many law enforcement stings and such were in the media including a sting in Philadelphia. The Chief of police was interviewed about the success of the sting and why they set it up to entrap escorts at nearby hotels. The short answer was something like; “These prostitutes come over state lines to provide sexual services which in many cases, fund their drug habits.” Oh yea, all whores are where abused as children and are now drug users is an easy assumption for society to follow. Nobody questioned the police officers answer? But what about the human rights of these consensual sex workers?

Another recent story; “Good News: Feds Bust Human-Trafficking Ring;
Federal authorities, with the help of local law enforcement agencies, made multiple arrests Wednesday in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio in connection with an international prostitution and human-trafficking ring. Police raided 19 massage parlors.” Dare I ask, when the fuck did a girl consensually working in a massage parlor giving “happy endings” become part of a human-trafficking ring? Were any of the girls unwillingly working at these brothels?

DePaul University’s College of Law and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority recently conducted a study of the relationships between 100 young prostitutes and their pimps. To summarize their analysis, A common scenario for sex trafficked victims is the boyfriend/pimp threatens her with rape or forced prostitution. Or worse, forces her to serve multiple “tricks” each day in a multitude of locations, while keeping most of the money for himself. This is a gray area as to whether or not this is a trafficking case with the current trafficking laws.

Many women’s groups support The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA, also HR 3887), which redefines trafficking to include many domestic prostitutes. Legislation currently focuses on force, fraud or coercion. Aggravated trafficking could expand the definition and if a similar bill is passed in the Senate and becomes law, it will mean that consensual sex workers could be treated as crime victims deserving of resources and institutional support, rather than as criminals. And their pimps and traffickers would face increased criminal penalties.

Expanding the trafficking definition would bring more attention to the extent of commercial sexual exploitation in the U.S. and contradict the perception that the Department of Justice moving forward in a positive direction in its fight against sex trafficking.

The current laws are inadequate to prosecute victims of sex abuse and exploitation, however various sex workers rights groups are concerned the revised bill would increase criminalization of consensual sex work. The biggest concern of course is federal law identifying every act of prostitution or persuading someone into prostitution now constitutes this crime that can be prosecuted as sex trafficking.” The concern is of course using trafficking laws to charge non victimized sex workers.

The initiative should be to protect women, lower and/or eliminate HIV/STD cases and provide education, housing and safety to all. Society needs to train and be trained in these areas so everyone can improve their lives. The court system has not proven to be a positive variable in positive change. Law enforcement isn’t necessarily the key to end domestic trafficking.

In Solidarity,

Jasmine

 

Who is SWOP-Chicago?

We are the Chicago Chapter of the nation-wide Sex Worker’s Outreach Project-USA.

Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago [SWOP-Chicago] is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of current and former sex workers in the Chicago area, on and off of the job.

SWOP, at its most basic, is an anti-violence campaign. As a multi-state network of sex workers and advocates, we address locally and nationally the violence that sex workers experience because of their criminal status. Operating in one of the most prominently violent societies today, sex workers in America experience this phenomenon pointedly in the context of their criminal status. Yet, sex workers are seldom afforded protection or recourse from violent acts committed against them because of the precarious, often graft-ridden relationship between sex work and law enforcement. Society tolerates violence against sex workers because of the stigma and myths that surround prostitution. Only until these falsehoods are corrected and sex workers are legitimized will we be able to effectively prevent and minimize the structural and occupational challenges of sex work. We are here for the Whore Revolution!

Check out our national network at www.swop-usa.org

 

Harm Reduction Training

Please distribute widely…
Harm Reduction Training Collaborative on; *Women, Drug Use and Trauma:*
*Successfully Addressing Women’s Issues in Recovery*
Date: *Friday, 06/06/08*
Time: *10am – 1pm*
Trainer: Maureen Rule, CMHC, Program Coordinator,
Tierra del Sol: Women’s Residential Recovery Program
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque , NM
Location: MATEC
1640 W. Roosevelt Rd , Chicago , IL

Workshop participants will:
Explore new ways of addressing women’s stability in housing and program
involvement, including:
– Discussion of and appreciation for how focusing on drug use as a prerequisite for addressing other issues (such as housing or mental health, for e.g.) may actually discourage positive changes around drug use–and other behaviors that may have become problematic.
– Explore language around drug use and new ways of looking at “relapse”.
– Address the role of 12-step programs as one of many choices for addressing women’s addiction and other health issues within the context of women’s experiences of trauma.
– Understand at least two harm reduction-based interventions that encourage development of self-care and constructive communication of needs/goals/ decision- making.
– Resources for further exploration.

Ms. Rule comments, “We are not dealing with problem people, but rather people with problems. The brain changes that occur with trauma and with constant bombardment of use are very real. Harm reduction…reduces the burden on providers …The basis is care, respect…Women need to be given a voice, and taught how to do that in a constructive way, to learn how to be validated,
how to get others to be open to hearing them, so that they can feel that they matter.”

K. S. CADC
Youth Services Director
Chicago Recovery Alliance
Chicago IL

www.anypositivechange.org

 

The Death of Deborah Jeane Palfrey…

This original post from boundnotgagged.com

http://deepthroated.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/sex-workers-tribute-video/  

Hey lovers,
Deborah Jeane Palfrey.  I can’t stop thinking about her. Her death cut me deeper than I ever could have imagined.
Her death has been heavy on the hearts of many a sex worker, indicative as it is of this juggernaut of a system that could grind us into nothing if we get caught up.  For me, I think her death translates into real fear.  A fear that is about fighting the good fight, and still going down.  If we manage to survive and thrive in a crazy industry; if we live ethically as sex workers and use all our faculties to operate our businesses and maintain what we believe is right, we still might end up dead.  Ms. Palfrey was a resourceful woman.  A woman connected, perhaps dangerously, to big players in the government.  And she got royally fucked. Someone, somewhere said, we’re going to bring her down.  We’re going to make an example of this one.  And they didn’t stop until she was swinging from a rope. “Upon news of her death there was no shortage of those who suggested Jeane Palfrey had been killed by cloaked enemies in the government. They miss the point. Jeane Palfrey of course had been killed by her government. She’d been unfairly ground down and hounded to death by shameless prosecutors and disinterested robed judges in our judicial branch.”
(Bill Keisling, Yardbirds.com )
I regret deeply now that I, we, did not do something more concrete to support her in her struggle.  It is a bare and unpleasant truth that the moment a sex worker comes under legal fire, s/he becomes untouchable.  Abandoned by clients, friends, etc…how did Palfrey end up in her mother’s home?  Why wasn’t she staying with me?  Where were her friends?  Where was her support network?
This blog was begun as a response to her original arrest.  She has, inadvertently, been an enormous catalyst in the sex workers rights movement.  And now she’s dead.
What the fuck.
There will be no procession, fanfare, or jazz funeral for the DC Madame.  Ain’t no crying in the streets for her, except by us, invisibly.  But I want to hold her up in this moment.
All the friends in Barcelona right now, doing the good work at the International harm reduction assoc. conference are making me remember that we are making progress.  Lateral steps toward a more just system.  And I want to thank Deborah Jeane Palfrey for her part in that.  As a contentious figure, a frustrating spin doctor, or a hero.   Whichever.