Susie

tamara o'doherty from simon fraser university criminology did research some time ago that does prove it is safer to work indoors and is included in professor youngs argument. the crown simply don't seem to have read our testimony..... it will mean crowns downfall...... see her full research/ thesis here; http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/9250?mode=full&submit_simple=Show+full+item+record Lack of violence among off-street sex workers June 28, 2007 By Marianne Meadahl Contrary to popular perceptions about prostitution and violence, more than two-thirds of off-street sex workers who participated in a recent SFU study say they don?t experience violence while working. Sixty-three cent of the study participants?who work in massage parlours, for escort agencies or independently out of their homes?have never experienced violent behaviour. Those who did said the majority of incidents were related to a client?s refusal to pay or to wear a condom. School of Criminology grad student Tamara O?Doherty, who conducted the study, says her findings suggest that the off-street sex trade is safer than it is for the 10?20 per cent of prostitutes who work at the street level. "The lack of violence as shown in this study doesn?t reflect what many people typically fear about prostitution in general?that it is a dangerous profession," says O?Doherty, who surveyed 39 off-street sex workers and conducted in-depth interviews with 10 women involved in the sex industry. The women were mainly Caucasian, aged 22?45, and earned an average of $60,000 annually working four days a week. Ninety per cent had some post-secondary education and more than a third had a university degree. O?Doherty says the findings suggest that potentially violent men target street prostitutes. That "should be no surprise," she says. "Street sex workers, forced to work in isolation with little or no protection from police, are ideal prey for violent men." O?Doherty argues that exploitative working structures and the quasi-legal status of prostitution severely compromise sex workers? safety. Instead of protecting these vulnerable women, she says, "we have enacted laws that further marginalize and expose them to harm." O?Doherty?s thesis supervisor, criminologist John Lowman, says the research is at odds with the Conservative government?s prohibitionist approach to prostitution. "This research suggests that Canadian prostitution law exposes street prostitutes to extreme violence, while many women in the effectively legal off-street trade are working violence free."

came to me from osgood regarding supreme court; As well, I think an update on the status of the case is in order. You may have heard that a couple of Christian groups, combined with REAL Women Canada, were granted intervenor status in the case. While we opposed their motion, they really aren't a big deal. They'll only get an hour or two at the end of the case to say their piece about Christian values and morality. Their position is not relevant to our argument that the current laws relating to prostitution are putting sex workers in a situation of danger. Hopefully Alan will be able to convince the judge to ignore the group's distracting and irrelevant position. All of the materials in the case have been filed, save for the Christian group's factum. The entire record, including all of your affidavits and transcripts from cross-examinations, comprises 86 volumes or 8 boxes of material. The case is set to go forward on Tuesday, October 6 (next week!) in Toronto. Our arguments will take the first two days. The Attorney General of Canada will then get two days to present it's arguments. We will then return to court on Monday, October 19 so that the Attorney General of Ontario and the new intervenors can present their arguments. We will then get a brief period of time to present any sort of reply that we may have. At that point, the judge, who we have learned is Justice Susan Himel, will take time to wade through everything and come up with a decision. This will likely take several months. I'll keep you all posted when we hear anything. I'd like to thank you all for everything you have done to help us along the way. None of this would have been possible without each and every one of you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments, etc. in the future. from terri jean........ Dear Friends, Please find attached to your email a Thank You Card from all of us to all of you. We couldn?t have made it without you. Please print it out and save it for your scrapbook. Love Always - T.J. Bedford. It is with sincere thanks and gratitude that I write to express our appreciation for your support and generosity that you have shown to the ?Safe Haven Initiative?. We have been at it for over a year now and time has gone by quickly mostly due to the strong work ethics of Professor Alan Young and his volunteer law students. We are proud to have this opportunity to confront the issues, defend the women who work in the sex trade industry and to help save lives. This experience has taught us how urgent the need is to improve the working conditions of prostitutes especially health and safety concerns. We are proud of the progress we have made thus far. It is my pleasure to be a part of this experience. 18 months is a long time to prepare to for a case, but knowing that there are lives at stake makes our job that more rewarding, and knowing that there are other like minded friends that still care and so generously support us makes it that much easier. Again thank you for your generosity and unending support. Sincerely, Terri-Jean Bedford & Professor Alan Young *The Safe Haven Initiative Constitutional Challenge to Canada?s Prostitution Laws Ontario Superior Court of Justice Tuesday Oct.6th to Friday Oct.9th & Monday Oct.19th 2009 361 University Avenue, Toronto Ontario

tanx everyone for signing! and keep signing to back city staff in negaotiations /VANOC City of Vancouver information bulletin September 24, 2009 City confirms support for Women's Memorial March in February 2010 The City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Police Department, community and other partners want to confirm their support for the annual Women's Memorial March and assure it will occur on the same date, time and route as in past years. The march is planned for February 14, 2010 to proceed through Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods. The Women's Memorial March is coordinated by the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre to take place every year on February 14 to honour the lives of missing and murdered women from the Downtown Eastside. While next year's event will occur as it does every year, it is taking place during the Olympic Winter Games period. The Vancouver Police Department and partners will work with organizers to ensure the march can operate safely during busy traffic conditions predicted for downtown Vancouver. During the Games, significantly more buses, vehicles and pedestrians will be in the downtown area. Over the past months, City staff and partners have been meeting with groups to determine the best way for events and festivals to be staged during the busy Games period. Media contact: Corporate Communications 604.871.6336 IB2009-11

Vancouver trying to change the March for Murdered and Missing Women- Olympics blamed http://www.petitiononline.com/feb14/petition.html It has been brought to our attention that the City of Vancouver, Olympic officials, and the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit are trying to change the historic Feb 14, 2010, March for Murdered and Missing Women in order to ensure 'flow of Olympic traffic' down Hastings Street. As residents of the DTES and supporters of the Memorial March, we completely oppose any change in date, time, or route of the Memorial March. This March has been happening for 18 years to honour our sisters who die each year due to the violence of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual abuse. It is something far more significant and sacred than the Olympic Games, which has already increased poverty, homelessness, and policing in our neighbourhood. The government is spending billions on a circus, while putting people aside. We, the women in the Downtown Eastside and our supporters, demand that: . There be no attempts to change or control our Feb 14th Memorial March . Not a single person be forcibly removed, evicted, or displaced from their homes in the Downtown Eastside and any other community due to the Olympics.

fuck.......brace yourselves.....abolitionism surging......

i wish i had funding. an event like you describe takes money, permits time, resources....i am one person and to be brutally honest i am getting tired of it. i am always out on my own dealing with this stuff. it would be nice if some one else did something... i never have time to work at sex work and am on 15 committees, no pay and trying to defend a commuity of sex workers i am not a part of in an anti trafficking nightmare. raids of legit safe work spaces or insinuating trafficked people work in strip clubs is are not going to help victims of trafficking. it will make it worse, drive it further underground and mean criminal charges for workers all over canada....as it already is causing. look at this article out this week..... i am named a career prostitute....fuck....so fuckin mad... i never lobbied for legal brothels we already have them...i lobbied for a cooperatively run safe work space for dtes workers and i won....we have public support...just no money...i don't understand how people can lie in print and it's not illegal... http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/opinion/story.html?id=4c4e7302-3d0c-44c9-ab3d-649a81d1f5b5&p=1 Pro-prostitution lobby wages war on Salvation Army Protesters will target prayer vigils Mark Hasiuk, Vancouver Courier Published: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 Name the greatest threat to Vancouver prostitutes toiling on street corners and in storefront brothels: A) pimps B) abusive, disease-carrying johns C) an apathetic public D) the Salvation Army According to Vancouver's pro-prostitution lobby, the answer is D, the Salvation Army. Tell them what they've won, Regis. The Salvation Army launched its local anti-human trafficking campaign last September after working on global sex trade issues for years. The charitable organization joins a growing movement of feminist and church groups who fear a spike in trafficking as the 2010 Winter Olympics draw near. Human trafficking is among the world's fastest growing criminal industries, rivalling the illegal arms industry and drug trade in scope and impact. According to the U.S. State Department, approximately 800,000 victims are trafficked annually across international borders. Victims include women and children from Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. In Vancouver, where brothels bloom like dandelions in some neighbourhoods, the magnitude of the problem is unknown. Due to a lack of law enforcement, Vancouver's sex trade industry--fuelled by domestic and international trafficking--remains a mystery. Like most other anti-trafficking campaigns, the Salvation Army campaign targets the demand side of prostitution--pimps and johns. Last month the Salvation Army hung posters, depicting young women being beaten and abused, above urinals in downtown bars. "This is a bold step for the Salvation Army," says Brian Venables, a Salvation Army spokesperson and chief architect of the campaign. "We've stepped out of the shadows and said this isn't going to happen anymore, and we're going to do what we can to stop it." The pro-prostitution lobby is not amused. The Salvation Army received several threatening emails about the campaign, but Venables says the criticism is misguided. "Our campaign is not against or about prostitution, it's about people who are forced into sex slavery," he says. "The issue is about those who don't have a choice." But according to Susan Davis, a vocal member of Vancouver's pro-prostitution lobby, anti-trafficking campaigns are dangerous. Such campaigns, she says, prompt law enforcement to raid massage parlours--which she describes as "safe work places"--and drive the industry underground. However, according to the city's licensing department, no massage parlours have been shut down this year. Davis, a 41-year-old career prostitute, also claims that "Vancouver police are raiding Asian massage parlours" in a "racist and anti-immigrant" assault on the industry. While the VPD cited "ongoing investigations," no massage parlours have been raided this year. In fact, more than 50 de facto brothels--officially known as health enhancement centres--operate in Vancouver. Countless other unlicensed establishments operate with tacit approval from city hall. Davis also attacked UBC law professor Ben Perrin, Canada's foremost expert on human trafficking. (The Salvation Army crafts its campaign on information complied by Perrin and others. The Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada and the U.S. State Department have confirmed Perrin's findings.) Perrin, she says, uses "fear mongering" and "demonization" to promote his anti-trafficking agenda. Perrin dismisses the attack, noting Davis unsuccessfully lobbied in 2007 for legalized brothels in Vancouver. "This a pro-brothel lobby group," he says, "whose business is threatened by individuals who try to help people exit the sex trade and who try to confront exploitive pimps and traffickers." Davis plans to mobilize other pro-prostitution activists and protest the Salvation Army's upcoming day of prayer, scheduled at churches and Salvation Army sites for Sept. 27. She also targets Salvation Army volunteers who will visit Downtown Eastside street corners to pray for the anguished and abused. Davis plans to produce pamphlets warning street prostitutes about the Salvation Army threat. The pamphlets, she says, will be distributed by the publicly funded Mobile Access Project--also known as the MAP van. MAP van spokesperson Kate Gibson says she was unaware of Davis's plans but didn't rule out distributing the pamphlets. "There's potential for a violent clash between sex workers and Salvation Army people, who have no comprehension of the way that we live," says Davis. "They assume we need rescue when in fact what we need is rights." Davis may not need rescue. The vocal members of Vancouver's pro-prostitution lobby claim to live charmed lives. But considering the widespread misery and abuse associated with the sex trade, her opposition to the Salvation Army campaign is desperate and her intentions are small. Nevertheless, when she waves her placard in protest outside a Salvation Army church, she'll be included in those prayers--whether she likes it or not.and it's not illegal...

Strategies against Salvation Army; Part 1- for vancouver...but anybody please contribute, critisize, or edit...i welcome any input.... March on any salvation army at location... by city hall(vancouver or your town), very visible 261 W 12th Ave Vancouver, BC V5Y 1T9 (604) 874-4721 Or divisional head quarters in burnaby. 3833 HENNING DR BURNABY, BC V5C 6N5 We need to make placards and arrange a predetermined time…laurel already made some kick ass ones you can see on our facebook group page- lies are sexy for van... So let’s say, meet @ city hall 3 pm and we will move over to SA location for about 3:30.let me know what works for people. We should do a press release and inform media where an when we will be protesting How about this: “Lies ARE Sexy” The Salvation Army’s ‘The Truth isn’t Sexy’ anti-trafficking poster campaign has set a new standard in ‘low’ featuring pictures of women being abused, a young Asian girl being kicked on the street and an under aged sex worker being stomped on the head on the floor. Anti trafficking campaigns such as the Salvation Army’s “the truth isn’t sexy” campaign have escalated fears about the sex industry and prompted police services all over Canada to raid massage parlours in particular businesses employing workers of Asian decent. The racist and anti immigrant tone of these raids is clear in the targeting of mostly Asian businesses and workers. No one supports exploitation of youth or any person, but that does not make it ok to contribute to perceptions of sex workers as dirty, broken, abused victims who need rescuing. The photos are extreme and unnecessarily sensational and clearly are a fund raising tactic. Information on their website related to numbers of victims is skewed and been disproved by many credible sources. Salvation Army are deliberately capitalizing on society’s fear of the sex industry and doing it to make money. Apparently lies ARE sexy....and they are exploiting it…… On Friday September 26,2009 Salvation army members are being asked to take part in a “prayer walk” to raise awareness about the victims of human trafficking. Members are asked to set up “prayer stations” in areas where street sex work takes place, massage parlours, exotic show lounges and police stations. Suggestions for prayer stations included a “bloody and stained” dress members are encouraged to create depicting violence against sex workers. And I quote; • Put water in the basin and pitcher. Set the basin and the pitcher on the table. • Set up the mannequins / coat racks on either side of the basin. • Take the old dress, and use the paint, chalk and scissors to make the dress look worn and tattered and as if there are blood stains on the dress. • Hang the tattered and stained dress on the left of the basin, and the white dress on the right of the basin. • Set the cracked mirror to the left of the basin, and the full mirror to the right of the basin. As if we are broken, dirty and need to be cleaned. Sex industry community members are no longer willing to stand by quietly while groups like the Salvation Army perpetuate myths about our lives and jeopardize our safety. As a community we are completely offended by this campaign and are working to hold accountable those responsible. We will meet them in the street and challenge their actions. We will take the fight to them since they refuse to meet with us. We will disrupt every one of their events and challenge them to justify what they have done. We respectfully request the Salvation Army end the “truth isn’t sexy” campaign and that members of the public do not contribute money to this harmful action. Join us on Friday September 26 at 3pm on the front stairs of Vancouver City hall as we march on the Salvation army in protest. Also, I am putting together an info sheet for CAEC I will include info aboutCAEC, TNT, WCCSIP,BCCEC hustle,swan on one side and trafficking facts on the other. Madame j sent me some great material from NY sex workers so I’ll pull some choice pieces….i may include Canadian stories and impacts of enforcement so people understand the violent nature of raids. People from other agencies can use it too by just cutting and pasting info about their org in place of CAEC,etc We can hand them out on our march and later downtown in the ahem pub crawl portion of our march. I spoke to kate at wish and map and we were thinking we should put together something to make workers on the street aware of what is going on and remind people that they have rights, can walk away, do not have to speak to them etc. it may be a way to prevent people from being triggered by SA prayer marchers… The Vancouver Courier called me and I think it was the reporter who hates us…eeep! I also spoke to a woman from the Globe and Mail today so it’s really heating up. I learned from the reporter the SA have hired a publicist to promote truth isn’t sexy and launch transition house for victims of trafficking in lieu of Olympics I really think we need to come up with a plan quickly as it is getting away from me fast….. I am planning to picket the fancy luncheon and transition house launch…… Any input welcome… and i am unsure of format for press release any assistance welcome it would be great to keep a common message. i am in court tomorrow but will work on hand outs on trafficking and info for outdoor sex workers on friday and get em out as soon as possible!! if any one needs to reach me (604)671-2345 and please feel free to take over a piece or edit my work, i welcome it! love susieXXXO

awesome article!!! love susie

http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200908240912?page=1&build=cache Kanawha County Tuesday August 25, 2009 Jury finds man guilty of raping prostitutes Defense attorney called women 'tramps' and 'whores' by Cheryl Caswell Daily Mail staff Bob Wojcieszak Thomas H. Gravely of East Bank was convicted Tuesday of raping prostitutes. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A jury found Thomas H. Gravely, 31, of East Bank guilty of sexually assaulting Charleston prostitutes, despite a graphic argument by his defense attorney that women willing to sell themselves for sex cannot be raped. The father of five children and midget football coach did not testify. But jurors watched a taped interview in which he confessed to picking up at least 15-20 prostitutes and holding a knife to their throats or choking them while he had sex with them. The courtroom was filled with Gravely's family and friends. At least a dozen members of a midget football team -- the Twin City Miners of Marmet -- sat in the hallway just outside the courtroom doors for the entire two days of his trial. A bailiff decided the youngsters, dressed in matching orange shirts and socks, would not be allowed inside. A grand jury indicted Gravely last September of multiple counts of first- and second-degree sexual assault. After the guilty verdict was returned, he was taken into custody to await sentencing at a later date. Jurors found him guilty of five counts of sexual assault on three prostitutes in 2007 and 2008. Those women said Gravely threatened to kill them as he attacked them. Ed ReBrook, Gravely's defense attorney, called no witnesses. But he summed up his case in a dramatic closing argument to jurors during which he called the victims "tramps" and "whores." "You cannot rape the willing," ReBrook said. "They got in those automobiles with the intention of having sex for money. "I would be horrified if any of the women in my life were raped, but I'm talking about decent, honorable women," ReBrook said, and then dramatically raised his voice. "Not whores who have sex with many, many men for money." Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach immediately asked Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman to stop ReBrook, but he did not. "They are whores," ReBrook persisted. "That is a perfectly usable word in the English language. "Finding this man guilty of rape lessens the dignity of every other woman," ReBrook said. "What they have done is turn sex into something disgusting. "They are not like your wife, your girlfriend or your daughter," he said. "They are street tramps. And what happened to them was, at least in part, their fault. "If stupidity was a crime, my client would be a three-time loser," ReBrook told the jury. "He may be guilty of assault, but he is not guilty of sexual assault." ReBrook said the testimony of the three prostitutes, who told in graphic detail how they made their living and how Gravely held a knife to their throats or choked them and forced them to perform various sexual acts, shocked and disgusted him. One woman, a 32-year-old who said she had an eighth-grade education, had been a prostitute since she was 14 and had a $3,000-a-day drug habit. She was the last witness on Tuesday before jurors began deliberating. She told the jury that Gravely picked her up about 4:30 a.m. in May 2007 at the corner of Washington and Bream Streets on the West Side. "He showed me the money," she said. "He said what he wanted. He was a good-looking guy." She said she noticed two child car seats in the vehicle. He drove her to the parking lot at SportMart and then pulled out a knife and held it to her throat while they had sex. "He told me if I would be good I wouldn't get hurt," she said. "You don't know them," she said of the 20 or so men she would go with each night. "It's scary. You don't know if the next car you get in you'll have to jump out of." None of the women, some of whom said they are no longer prostitutes, minced words while on the witness stand. Using graphic sexual language, they told of lives full of despair, addiction and sadness. Giggenbach said the law protects them from violent crime just as it protects everyone else. "That's a wolf right there," Giggenbach said, standing before Gravely and pointing. "A wolf who attacks the weak, the uneducated and the socially crippled, because he knows they are not going to go to the hospital or the police. "He's a serial rapist, 15 or 20 times in our community," Giggenbach said. "Lurking, stalking, waiting for the weak to come out at night. "You find him not guilty and you tell this man, 'You go right ahead, anybody in this community can do that,' Giggenbach told jurors. "Did they agree to go with him?" he asked. "Yes. If he had shown them the switchblade at the beginning? Heck, no." The prosecution also played for jurors a videotaped interview at the police station in which Gravely admitted to attacking 20 or more prostitutes while using a knife. Contact writer Cheryl Caswell at [email protected] or 304-348-4832

while i agree the no public spectacle sentiment makes it seem more benine,...take a look at the following prayer booth outline, bloody dress? talk about sensationalizing and if you follow the link it's even crazier, stuff about consumers...we pray to you oh lord, to please make men un horny and lay low their evil erections...... sorry link won't publish but it's under prayer walk on salvationist.ca caption "ideas for prayer station's" Station #4 - Healing for Survivors Scripture: Jeremiah 30:17 “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds’, declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion of whom no one cares.” Materials Station instruction poster (materials needed: poster board, markers) Sufficient copies of Prayer Guide – Station #4 (text provided below) Basket Table (small square table) Water basin Water Pitcher Blue material (approx. 12 feet long) Banner/Poster with the main scripture verse on it. An old dress Red paint Grey Chalk Scissors A new white dress A cracked mirror (full size) A whole mirror (full size) Mannequins / or two coat racks and two hangers Set Up Instructions: On a piece of poster board, write out the station’s name and main scripture. Put this introduction poster at the center of the station. (Suggestions: Hang the poster on a wall or place the poster on a stand.) Make copies of Put the basket of Prayer Guides near the introduction poster. Set up a table in the middle of the station. Drape the material over the table, allowing it to fall to the grown and extend on either side of the table. Put water in the basin and pitcher. Set the basin and the pitcher on the table. Set up the mannequins / coat racks on either side of the basin. Take the old dress, and use the paint, chalk and scissors to make the dress look worn and tattered and as if there are blood stains on the dress. Hang the tattered and stained dress on the left of the basin, and the white dress on the right of the basin. Set the cracked mirror to the left of the basin, and the full mirror to the right of the basin. Prayer Guide – Station #4 (text provided below), and put the Prayer Guides in a basket. Make sure there are sufficient prayer guides for all participants of the Prayer Walk

guidelines for praying.....?people are just nuts man......:confused: Use your senses to take in your surroundings. What do you see, hear and smell? What do these observations prompt you to pray about? You may find yourself praying aloud. If so, please be mindful of the person near you who may wish to pray silently and be distracted by your words. You may be led to sing a hymn or song aloud as you walk. Again, be mindful of others and separate yourself a distance away from those who may lose their concentration by your singing. If you are part of a group, it is important to reassemble as a group to share with the Body what you may have felt or heard from the Holy Spirit, as well as the emotions you may be experiencing. Pick a time and place to assemble so that you can debrief and close the walk in group prayer. 11. Make your prayers as specific as possible. For instance: Pray that the hearts of those involved in the sex industry in any capacity will be captured by God's immense love for them. Pray that God will make true love apparent to them and remove blinders of lust, greed, shame, desperation, and hopelessness. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities or powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height or depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. .Romans 8:38 ‐39 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. .John 12:46 Pray against the strongholds of the enemy. Pray that God will destroy the business structure that supports the sex trade industry. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. .Ephesians 6:12 Pray for workers to enter the harvest. Then he said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." .Matt. 9:37‐38 Pray for God to make a way for us to share the gospel. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I also am in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. .Colossians 4:2 Pray for fearlessness and love. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. . 1 John 4:18 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalms 34:7 Pray for everyone with thankfulness. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. .1 Timothy 2:1 Pray in confession of sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. .1 John 1:8 Pray for spiritual awakening. If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. .2 Chronicles 7:14

I am worried about this in particular SA in uniform approaching workers on street while holding signs and bibles,praying? many of us feel vulnerable or exsposed while at work in particular on street, approaching, harassing or humiliating in anyway is unacceptable and could trigger a worker sending them into self harm mode, making them use or need drugs and engage in high risk behaviour. Also, SA in uniform outside strip clubs or massage parlours, not only does that put workers at risk but also SA members?the potential for a violent clash is definitely there?? For any sex industry community members who feel outside of issues on the street?strip club and massage parlour are listed as a target?.. love susie September 26- Friday night prayer walk: Join the country-wide prayer walk! Gather with other corps and churches and pray in small groups at key locations in your city (such as the police station, strips where women sell themselves, strip club, massage parlour, local newspaper, etc.) Stand in the gap and pray for victims of human sex trafficking (see below for some community prayer walk guidelines). If your group cannot prayer walk outside of your building, set up a prayer walk inside of your church or in a public place (click here for prayer station ideas). Weekend of Prayer for Victims of Sex Trafficking is happening September 25-27, 2009. The weekend was an initiative of The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda Territory?s back in 2006, and we?ve been commemorating it every September since then. It has become an international call to prayer from the General of The Salvation Army, so the Weekend is commemorated in all corners of the globe where The Salvation Army is at work. In Canada, this year?s focus is on sex trafficking that happens within Canada, and that is expected to increase with the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Our theme is ?More Precious Than Silver?-to link with the Olympics, but also with the idea that victims are people-not merchandise to be bought and sold. This year we?re also intentionally trying to get Christians from churches outside of The Salvation Army to join us in prayer. We want to unite with as many believers as possible to pray for victims and ask God to put a stop to human sex trafficking

we are trying get john howard society who run john school here to revamp it. we want opportunities for men to get diversion, for workers to but it just seems better to me than ruining a guys life with a criminal charge....ya, it sucks to pay $500 but til it's decrimed...... here's what i wrote.... JOHN SCHOOL Background John School as it is currently known is a diversion program for sex consumers who have violated the communication provisions of the criminal code of Canada related to prostitution. While diversion is preferable to the consumers of sex bearing the shame of a criminal record, the program as it stands does not give consumers any useful information on how to engage in the sex industry( purchase sex) within the boundaries of the law and within the reasonable boundaries already established by the community at large. Further, information related to safe sex practices, other health issues, legal rights are also not discussed. Instead, ?offenders? are shamed with a barrage of the impacts of violence on sex workers and the reasons why people are forced into the survival sex trade. The mystery around the sex industry and lack of information for those wishing to purchase services contributes the numbers of consumers acquiring sexual services at street level. The BC Coalition of Experiential Communities are currently designing a set of occupational health and safety guidelines/ minimum labor standards to stabilize our industry. Included in the project will be a tool kit for sex industry consumers to engage in purchasing sexual services in an ethical way that respects age restrictions (no youth), safe sex practices, respect for the workers and explains ways to minimize harm(mess, traffic) to communities impacted by the street level sex industry. A john school program which took a harm reduction approach to these issues could greatly impact the issues surrounding the sex consumer?s lack of knowledge on how their activities affect the entire community and greatly reduce the numbers of consumers accessing sexual services on the street. In stead of telling them where they shouldn?t be, tell them where they can be. Goals To re examine the curricula and determine where there may be opportunities for addition or revision. To engage all stakeholders in the design of the program including business owners, residents, police, sex workers, sex consumers and sex worker support agencies. To ensure the sex workers experience is honored and valued and that sex workers who deliver the john school training are compensated and supported. To ensure sex consumers are given the tools to make safe, ethical decisions when purchasing sexual services which respect their needs, protects them from further criminal involvement, increases their awareness about the impacts of the sex industry on communities(condom mess etc) To ensure that diverse sex worker experiences( male, female, trans) and that all aspects of the industry (exotic dance, male hustlers, adult film, street level, escort, massage, etc.) are represented in the presentation and that workers from all levels have the opportunity to deliver the curricula. Expected Outcomes Decreased numbers of sex consumers ?cruising? in communities, less traffic Increased safety for residents of communities impacted by the street level sex industry. Decrease in community complaints related to the sex industry( condoms, public sex) Decreased recidivism of sex consumers- they will know how to engage within the boundaries of the law. During the Living in Community Project, residents and business owners in communities impacted by the sex trade indicated that their biggest concerns were; Residual mess(condoms, etc) Public sex acts Unwanted approaches of consumers to women who are not sex workers Violence- everyone agrees the level of violence endured by street level sex workers is unacceptable. Being faced with sex workers out with their children in the community. Through communication with sex consumers, it?s our belief that all of these issues would be impacted from one degree to another. By giving the consumer the information they need to engage the sex industry in a way that respects everyone in the community, these points of conflict between sex workers and communities could be eased. Next Steps Hire a project coordinator Review all current curricula Hold a series of focus groups with all stake holders to identify information for the presentation Finalize the design of the presentation and an information package for consumers to take away Implement the new program

i posted a comment on observers, i guess everyone has their own experiences. it's difficult to imagine working in an eastern block country... susieXXXO

halifax is my home town........ http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/sex-work-in-the-shadows/Content?oid=1223991 Sex work in the shadows by Meredith Dault It's Monday evening, Natal Day. While the rest of the city recovers from the long weekend, a woman sets out for work on Agricola Street. She trolls the strip, letting the stares and comments of passers-by roll off her back, until a "date" stops to pick her up. They drive together to a remote part of Bedford...an area sure to have fewer prying eyes, fewer prowling cops. But when she asks for her money, things turn ugly. The man gets violent, pulling a knife and holding it to her throat, before insisting the woman disrobe and service him. After she's done, he throws her out of the car without paying, leaving her naked and alone at the side of a dark road. Thought it's an act of assault, the woman's story doesn't make it into the local papers. It doesn't get reported on the radio. The reason: her job. For sex workers in Halifax, violence is a frighteningly common daily threat...from harassment and beatings to knifings, rape and, occasionally, murder. But fearing they'll be arrested or harassed by police, many women who have been attacked on the job tend not to report the crimes...no matter how brutal. It's a vicious circle in the truest sense of the word. "People have no idea as to the violence going on against sex workers, cause it's not being reported," says Rene Ross, executive director at Stepping Stone, a non-profit organization based in the north end that supports both former and current sex workers, most of whom do street-based "survival" sex work. Since the majority of violent attacks go unreported, those who perpetrate the crimes get off scot-free. "When it is reported," says Ross, her steady voice straining with frustration, "it is all too often dismissed by a society that views sex workers as disposable." Therein lies the rub. Our culture has a double standard when it comes to sex. On a superficial level, we're obsessed with it. From the softcore TV ads that penetrate our living rooms to pole-dancing fitness classes and thongs for tweens, there's nothing we like more than a little titillation. It's the real stuff that scares us to bits: The people who sell actual sex are among our culture's most marginalized and vulnerable, often viewed as throwaway people who are somehow deserving of the treatment they get. And then there's the criminal issue. Today, it's legal to be a sex worker, but illegal to do sex work or advertise your wares. That's like being a legal house painter and trying to run a business in a scenario where it's illegal to paint a house or ask anyone if they want their house painted. It forces those who do sex work to operate underground, leaving them with little support and very few options. And that's why, when things go wrong, sex workers often feel they have nobody to turn to. Tracy (sex workers' names have been changed for this story), a soft-spoken woman who worked in the sex trade in Halifax for 20 years before retiring last year, shrugs when she talks about on-the-job violence. "You can't do anything about it," she says bluntly, her tone resigned. Lynn, seated nearby, is new to the city. She's chatty and straightforward, saying sex workers have to deal with violence "on a continuous basis," but that for many, going to the police is a futile undertaking, resulting in ridicule more often than results. As a parallel, she describes a friend in another city who, stalked by an obsessive john, went to the police. "As soon as they found out she was a sex-trade worker, they let it go. But what does that have to do with anything?" says Lynn indignantly. "That guy was stalking her!" She pauses, then says with dismay, "It just seems like we're not important." In 1985, three sex workers were murdered in Halifax. The details of those murders are becoming lost with time, but Ross relates what she's been told: One was named Tina Baron. A second, Brenda Garside...or Garson...was killed at the old Waverley Hotel. A third was named Kelly, but Ross doesn't know the woman's last name..."She was not the same Kelly whose body was found in the grain elevator," she says, placing the sex workers' murders firmly in the context of general violence against women. In response to those murders, Stepping Stone was established in 1987, as a project of the Elizabeth Fry Society, to provide peer outreach support for people who work in the sex trade. It became independent in 1989 and is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Stepping Stone operates on a "harm-reduction" model, meaning it will provide help only when asked for: Stepping Stone doesn't try and get people out of the sex trade against their will, though it will support people who want to get out. The organization currently supports about 115 people a month (about 30 percent are former sex workers) on a budget of roughly $200,000 a year. Besides providing housing help (the organization placed 136 people in housing last year, though funding for that program has just been cut), court support and advocacy, Stepping Stone also does street patrol a few nights a week, passing out condoms and copies of the "bad date" list that describes recent violent incidents and people to avoid. Over pizza in Stepping Stone's tidy kitchen, their hands wrapped around cold bottles of root beer, Tracy and Lynn express their frustration with the way they are often harassed by the police (though they'll readily admit there are a number of good ones out there, they both agree "that there are a lot of dirty cops in this city") and the way they are judged by the community-at-large, because of the work they choose to do. "I've been retired a year and I still get harassed," says Tracy of the cops. "I couldn't even sit on my front steps and smoke a cigarette, because the police would make me go inside 'cause they thought I was working. "I can't even jaywalk," she continues wearily, "because there's this one cop who says if you even jaywalk, you're gone. I try to be so good. But it's just like they're always waiting." Sergeant Richard Lane agrees the police's relationship with the city's sex workers is a complicated one. Introducing himself as "Richie," a name that seems too diminutive for his impossibly muscular frame, Lane, who is in charge of "special enforcements," has clearly spent time wrestling with the issue of how his force deals with policing sex work. "The majority of them are victims of one sort or another," he says sympathetically. "They don't need to be victimized again by the justice system or the police." And though he's quick to mention that his unit...the vice section...has a good relationship with "the girls on the street," he acknowledges, subtly, that that may not be the case in some of the other units. The struggle, says Lane, is finding a balance between "what the public wants and what the individual wants...we get a lot of community complaints from people who live where prostitutes are actively walking the stroll in front of their houses." The problem, he says, is drugs. Many in the community see prostitution as inherently tied in with drug use...a problem they don't want to see lingering on the sidewalk. But the true relationship between the two is a deeply complicated one. Though the police may believe that the majority of Halifax's street-based sex workers are hooked on crack, Stepping Stone's staff insists that's just an cruel stereotype. "A lot of people work and don't use," says program coordinator Jeff Liberatore. "But," says Diane, who worked in the sex trade for 30 years before retiring a decade ago, "a lot of people use [crack] and don't do sex work. I don't see addiction and sex work together as a problem. It's just an added choice as a way for [addicts] to make their money, but addicts make their money in a whole lot of different ways." As far as she's concerned, they're completely separate issues. But crack was definitely a game changer for sex workers in Halifax. It hit the streets with force in the early 1990s...about the same time Tracy got involved in the business. Though she's clean now, Tracy admits turning tricks was an easy way to help her feed her habit. Certainly, says Tracy, crack's presence on the streets "brought a lot of girls down. It almost brought me down." "There's something about crack that takes over a person," says Diane. "I've used a lot of drugs in my life, but crack cocaine was one of my worst addictions. It just consumed me more and more. My whole life was about using and making money to get more drugs." That desperation has had a frightening impact on street-based sex work. Diane, a lean, tanned woman, is blunt about the change: "The money is not out there now, and I think they are more desperate now. It's a lot more 'survival' sex. When I worked the streets, the money was good. We all had set prices. When crack came, women started dropping their prices." It became common for a desperate woman to turn a trick for $20...the price of a rock of crack. "You couldn't make any money," says Diane. The johns "would go see the other girls who were charging less." Tracy says that if she hadn't gotten off the drug, she was "gonna be dead." She sums it up deftly: "There's been a lot more violence and crime since crack cocaine came." If the relationship between sex work and drugs is complicated, so is the question of how people find themselves working in the sex trade in the first place. "Everybody has a different reason for going into sex work," says Ross, "it's not a straight cut-and-dry." Our culture, of course, tends to explain sex work as fuelled by drug addiction or early childhood abuse. But more often than not, the unifying factor is economic. "It's not necessarily something we love doing," says Lynn, who says she started in the sex trade at age 12. "We do it 'cause we have to. Because welfare doesn't give us enough to live off." Certainly, sex work can provide far more money than a full-time, minimum wage job...an important consideration, especially for women who may be raising children on their own. "It's easy money," says Lynn bluntly, before correcting herself. "I should say it's not easy money, it's fast money. I've had guys tell me that it must be the easiest job. Well, sometimes I feel so dirty." But right now, as far as she's concerned, sex work is her best bet. For Diane, sex work was a better option than her job as a hotel clerk. "I had a friend who came to see me with all this money... all these bills. So I asked, 'How did you make all this money?' Then I took a leave of absence from the hotel and got into the sex trade." But that was 30 years ago. Today, retired sex worker Diane says she'd be "very nervous" to work the streets. "I won't walk my dogs out there now," she says. "People will kill you for $20. I've heard too many stories, seen too much stuff. It's a lot different out there now. It's a lot more dangerous now than it ever was." Adding to the danger is the frustrating "boundaries" issue: When a sex worker is arrested, she has the option of being released with what are called "boundary conditions"...she is banned from parts of the city where prostitution is known to happen and is released only on condition that she sign off on a map outlining those areas. Otherwise, she stays in jail until she can meet bail or goes to trial. "If a certain area gets known as an area where a john can go and pick up a prostitute," says Lane, "then if you take the girl out of the area, it'll eliminate the problem." Halifax is one of the last cities still using boundary conditions as a policing tool to address prostitution, and the restrictions have only been applied to female sex workers, not to male sex workers and not to drug dealers. On the peninsula, the off-limits area extends from Cogswell to Young, Agricola to Brunswick. In Dartmouth, it spans a huge swath between Windmill and Victoria, all the way north past the MacKay Bridge. The problem is that many of the services sex workers need to access...child care, food banks, the North End Health Clinic, probation offices, even Stepping Stone...are within the bounded areas. And if a woman lives within the bounded area, she can find herself on unofficial house arrest. If a woman is picked up in an area she's been banned from, she's considered "in breach of her conditions of release" a far more serious charge than the initial charge of "communicating." It can lead to jail time. Lane insists women under boundary conditions are free to come and go in a bounded area as long as they aren't working. "Most of them get charged with violating the conditions when they're back on the corner waving at cars," he says. But Ross says that isn't the case. "How do you prove to someone that you are just going to the food bank?" she asks. "We've had people harassed just for going to the grocery store." "A few of my girlfriends are on the methadone program," says Tracy. The clinic on Gottingen Street is within the bounded area. For them, getting treatment means risking arrest. "It's so frustrating. And the cops love that. It's the only thing they have...it's the only way they have to get us now." "Is it the best solution?" asks Lane of boundary restrictions. "Probably not the best. But it's the best solution we have for the problem." As he sees it, getting women off the streets...getting them healthy, getting them jobs and getting them "away from the abuses they suffer," is the goal. Ross, however, says the only way to decrease the abuse sex workers suffer is decriminalization, which would put "power back into the hands of sex workers," allowing them to maintain their independence with more protection and less harassment. A better relationship with the police would presumably decrease the violence and would improve working conditions. In his report on violence in Halifax, the result of mayor Peter Kelly's Roundtable on Violence, criminologist Don Clairmont recommended that Halifax create sanctioned red-light and stroll areas for sex workers. But Ross says this type of legalization of sex work won't necessarily solve the violence problem. "Where would a red-light district go in Halifax?" she asks. "Way out where the women are being attacked now? It would be like shooting fish in a barrel." Though they're not always obvious, there are currently unofficial strolls all over HRM...including in Dartmouth, Sackville, Bedford and Fairview. "People say, 'Where are they? I don't see sex workers on the street.' But all that means is that sex work is being pushed further and further into the margins," says Ross. Sex work has moved to back alleys and industrial parks...where it's far more risky for the women. Because they're afraid of getting caught by the cops, Tracy says women will sometimes jump in a car before they have time to assess whether conditions are safe. "Sometimes you'll throw caution to the wind and you'll go with someone who you don't know. Like this guy, he took me, I don't know where...somewhere in the country and then he started getting violent. And what could I do? I took off out of his truck and hitchhiked back to town." "Quite a few rapes and beatings happen outside of the city," Ross says carefully. "I've heard about women tied to trees, raped, drugged." She's quiet for a minute, struggling to explain the brutality and hate some sex workers have to deal with, then says simply, "If someone is willing to rape or beat a sex worker within an inch of her life, he's not an upstanding member of society. I don't see how that's not going to translate to other violent crimes." "If somebody is sexually assaulted with a knife held to her throat...somebody who does that to a prostitute would obviously do that to somebody else," agrees Lane. "It's just the opportunity is there for them to get those girls into a car, and that's the big danger." In Toronto, a group of police officers works solely on cases of assault against sex workers. Halifax, however, doesn't have those kinds of resources. The man who left the naked woman at the side of the road on Natal Day was eventually picked up by the police...but only because the woman, too vulnerable to do anything else, called for help. But the average john picked up by the police (they're caught trying to pick up decoy women) merely pays a fine and is sent to "john school" where he learns "the truth about what really goes on" in the sex trade. Lane says he rarely sees a john arrested a second time. For Lane, policing prostitution is a delicate balancing act. "The violence is a huge issue," he says, "and the quality of life issues for our public that live in the areas [where sex workers work] is an issue." The solution to keeping sex workers safe, he says, is to "get these girls off the street" and into better situations. He says if a sex worker has been the victim of a violent crime, police will look past the prostitution offence out of concern for their safety. But Lane is clear: as long as sex work is criminalized, it will be policed. Rene Ross writes the words "sex worker" on a piece of paper. Then she draws a circle around "sex" over and over again. "At the end of the day," she says, without lifting her pencil, "it's about the morality of this. It's the reason for the marginalization, the stigmatization." If there's one thing Ross wants people to understand, it's that sex work is work, and that the people who choose to do it for a living deserve the same safe working conditions and harassment-free living as anyone else. What she'd like to see is a climate where violence is taken seriously...and where the police listen to sex workers, rather than victimizing them. "I want them to know that I'm somebody's daughter," says Tracy. "That I'm a mother, somebody's friend. And that we're just trying to make it in this world, just like any other human being." Meredith Dault is a freelance writer and sometime broadcast journalist. She'd like to thank everyone who graciously offered up their brain for picking in the writing of this article.

so here's what i have so far.....if any one wants to, send off an e-mail to the addresses below. we are going to picket a fundraiser they are having and i want to do a press release as written below, if anyone has any comments or edits please let me know.... and where ever you are contact your local offices too... International Bill of Human Rights Article 20 All propaganda for war shall be prohibited by Law Any advocacy of national, racial, cultural or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law. ?Lies ARE Sexy? The Salvation Army?s ?The Truth isn?t Sexy? anti-trafficking poster campaign has set a new standard in ?low? featuring pictures of women being abused, a young Asian girl being kicked on the street and an under aged sex worker being stomped on the head on the floor. Anti trafficking campaigns by abolitionist groups have prompted police services all over Canada to raid massage parlors in particular businesses employing workers of Asian decent. The racist and anti immigrant tone of these raids is clear in the targeting of mostly Asian businesses and workers. So far we know there have been raids in Halifax, Ottawa, Grand Prairie, Vancouver, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, Barry and Calgary. It also seems Niagara Falls are warming up to "get rid" of their prostitution problem too. The system at large believe we are all pimped, trafficked, on drugs and victims with no choice in what we do- they see no distinction between workers on the street, high end escorts, exotic dancers or adult film performers. The same is true of sex industry business owners and consumers in the stigma that casts us all. In a police raid there is no warning. Police will enter the premises in high alert. In exotic show lounges this is done by a show of force through great numbers of officers in uniform and carrying guns entering as a group and intimidating everyone present. In a raid of a micro brothel or massage parlour the violence is a step up to where doors are kicked in, guns drawn, everyone is put on the floor and hand cuffed. Supports are seldom provided and for the most part workers are treated like criminals These are standard operating procedures for Police Services and are intended to protect police from unseen threats such as guns or other weapons during an operation. Police, as most of Canadian society believe all sex industry community members are forced into working and so also believe officers will be at risk during raids as a result of organized crime involvement. These can be extremely frightening experiences and can lead to emotional trauma. Campaigns such as the Salvations Army?s ?the truth isn?t sexy? have gone on in Canada for 100 years. In the past people went as far as to create an ad campaign depicting sex workers as evil and as the vectors of disease. Even a poster depicting Hitler, the Emperor of Japan and a sex worker all arm in arm was created and the caption stated "the worst of the three". Their campaign of speeches, posters and radio spots was so broad and far reaching that this stigma exists to this day. We can see in the way abolitionist groups always promote sex industry workers as victims, helpless, easy targets, on drugs and unable to defend or look after our selves and in the Salvation Army?s depiction of violence against sex workers, skewed data on their web site and total lack of respect for the people they are harming. In Vancouver 3 members of the Asian sex industry community have been murdered as a result of this arrogance and many safe working environments have been lost. No one supports exploitation of youth, but that does not make it ok to contribute to perceptions of sex workers as abused victims who need rescuing. The photos are extreme and unnecessarily sensational and are a fund raising tactic. Why doesn?t the Salvation Army campaign feature pictures of seamstresses in sweat shops or migrant farm workers? The Salvation Army are deliberately capitalizing on society?s fear of the sex industry and doing it to make money. Apparently lies ARE sexy....and they are exploiting it?? I challenge the Salvation Army to justify this anti trafficking campaign, the subsequent raids, the harms, loss of safe work environments and deaths it has caused. We respectfully request the Salvation Army end the ?truth isn?t sexy? campaign. If you would like to support the lies ARE sexy campaign against the Salvation Army?s ?the truth isn?t sexy? campaign please contact: First?....esther? joyce? Me??. Or if your organization would like to support the Lies ARE Sexy campaign by sending a letter to the Salvation Army please contact; Jonathan Michel, Public Relations The Salvation Army BC Division, [email protected], (604)296-3819, c. (604) 340-6324; Brian Venables, Director of Public Relations & Development, The Salvation Army BC Division, [email protected], (604) 296-3821, c. (778) 227-7291 Or Zoom Media the company hosting these posters on their billboard space; 910 Richards St. Suite 206 Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 3C1 T: 604-709-5625 F: 604-709-5630 [email protected]

http://www.examiner.com/x-17712-Cleveland-Open-Relationships-Examiner.y2009m8d19-Star-Whores-return-of-the-courtesan Star Whores: return of the courtesan? August 19, 8:27 PMCleveland Open Relationships Examiner Gaylen Moore Despite an increasing public tolerance for erotic diversity, the mixing of sex and money is till taboo in the minds of most people. Very few public figures are willing to come out and publicly support the rights of sex workers. There are a variety of obvious reasons for this ? the ever-present threats of public scandal, conflicts with the moral codes of almost all of the world's major traditional religions, and of course a generally low of opinion of non-monogamy of any sort. Other possible reasons for the oppression of sex workers, however, are not quite so obvious. Consider the nature of socio-economic and political power, for example. If it were respectable for women to publicly gain wealth and influence through sex, it seems there would be a significantly larger number of women in society gaining power and wealth. Indeed, it seems as though the entire balance of power between the sexes could shift. And, perhaps even more worrisome for almost everyone who favors old-fashioned family values, this shift in economic and political power would be in favor of women who are utterly unashamed of their erotic lives. (Obviously there are male prostitutes as well, but here we will focus on the female version.) This is certainly not to say that women are only capable of gaining power through sex. Both logic and history demonstrate that women are perfectly capable of gaining vast power on the world stage through brainpower, determination, and sheer guts. But if sleeping to the top were a respectable sort of profession in itself, imagine the number of options that would open up for women who, under the current social paradigm, would be unlikely to gain any sort of acceptable public recognition. No doubt a great many people feel nauseous just thinking about it. Lucky for these people, they rarely have any reason to think about it. It seems almost inconceivable that prostitution could ever be respectable, and so long as it remains a profession of ill-repute, there is relatively little danger of prostitutes publicly advancing to the top of American government, or (openly) working their way into the boardrooms of the fortune 500. For lovers of history and anthropology, however, the "inconceivable" is, oddly enough, easily conceivable. There have been times and places in human history in which sexually liberated women did indeed openly gain significant wealth and socio-political influence through the creative expression of their erotic charms. The general term for them is courtesan. The life of a courtesan was vastly different than the life of a common prostitute ? indeed, vastly different that the life of, well...anyone. Courtesans were high-class, publicly show-cased companions for the wealthiest and most powerful men. By modern sensibilities this arrangement would seem to have scandal written all over it, but for the most part just the opposite was true. Widely known for their wit, charm, elegance, and various talents, courtesans published novels, wrote poetry, studied academic subjects forbidden to other women, sang, danced, set trends in the fashion industry, and openly influenced some of the most powerful governments in human history ? largely by flaunting their sexual allures it in ways that other women could not. Classical Greece, renaissance Italy, and 18th century Japan are among the notable cultures where courtesans flourished. The term 'courtesan' was originally the female version of "courtier" (as in aristocrat or nobleman) which means "of the court." This seems to fit, since courtesans were, indeed, often found openly entertaining the court. Veronica Franco was perhaps the best known courtesan of the Renaissance. She was the subject of a fascinating book by Margaret Rosenthal entitled "The Honest Courtesan: The Life of Veronica Franco," but movie-lovers may recall her as the central character in the film "Dangerous Beauty." In 1577 she successfully defended herself against charges of witchcraft in front of the Inquisition. It is worth noting that courtesans were often accused of witchcraft around that time ? another reminder that strong, independent women can be frightening to many people. In ancient Greece the courtesans were called 'hetaeras,' and one very notable hetaera was nicknamed Phryne (her real name was Mnesarete), who is believed to be the inspiration for numerous great works of art (at least 16 oil paintings and 31 sculptures ? most notably serving, it is said, as the model for the sculpture of Venus). Like many courtesans, however, Phryne was sometimes a trouble-maker. In a famous trial (often found depicted in the previously mentioned oil paintings, for example, the see the picture at the top of this page) Phryne's life was literally on the line as she stood accused of blasphemy. When her lawyer ? who was, of course, also one of her lovers ? saw that the trial was not going well, he came up with a brilliant plan. Since physical beauty was commonly seen as a mark of divine favor during those times, he reached over and exposed Phryne's breasts to the jury. She was acquitted. (Notice the painting shows Phryne doing the "full monty" but that is not considered to be historically accurate.) And then there is this great story: After the Macedons ransacked the city of Thebes, Phryne offered to rebuild the city's protective wall with her own money. This was certainly a magnanimous gesture on her part, but she did impose one requirement. She insisted that the wall be decorated with an inscription which Christina Valhouli translates as: "Alexander may have knocked it down, but Phryne the hetaera got it back up again." The authorities declined her offer. Now, one might ask: What does all of this have to do with modern times? Perhaps nothing, but let's take a moment to let our imaginations run free. What might a modern-day version of a courtesan be like? Some women today are compared to courtesans, but given the deep stigmas against liberal sexuality, these comparisons are somewhat strained. We can do better. Science fiction writers often allow us to exercise our imaginations, and indeed there we do find some examples of futuristic courtesans. Take the TV series "Firefly" for example. One of the primary characters, Inara Serra (played by Morena Baccarin), is a Companion ? which is just another name for courtesan. Inara- who is nicknamed "the diplomat" by her crewmates on the spaceship Serenity - enjoys a high social standing. Her presence lends legitimacy to the otherwise rebel crew. In one episode, when the captain needs someone with great influence and respectability to help in a delicate rescue mission, the audience is tricked into thinking that a preacher is the person he has in mind, but in a wonderfully scripted twist, we find that by far the most obvious choice was not the preacher, but Inara, the courtesan. But Firefly is fiction set in the 26th century. What about something in real life today? Here one might take a look at the life and work of Veronica Monet. Ms. Monet is a certified sexologist and sexual rights activist who likes to shake up the status quo through her writing, video productions, and public speaking tours. She is not super rich, and by the standards of general opinion she might not be consider "high class," but Michael Castleman had this to say about her: Veronica Monet is a prostitute. But she is more like a 21st century geisha or Renaissance courtesan than a street hooker. She's a well-informed, intellectually exciting, sexy woman who uses her brain as much as her body in pursuit of her professional goal -- to make her clients feel like kings and make a good living for herself. Later in the same article he says: Playboy called her video, "Real Women, Real Fantasies," "a groundbreaker in the feminization of porn." She has appeared on dozens of radio and TV shows, among them, "20/20," "Politically Incorrect," A&E's "Love Chronicles" and several shows on the Playboy channel. And she's happily married to the love of her life, a computer-industry executive who knows exactly what she does and is well acquainted with the Web site she uses to market her services. Obviously Ms. Monet is in an open marriage, but this is one of the least radical aspects of her life! All you would need to add is a dose of high-class respectability, and Veronica Monet would be a full-fledged modern-day courtesan. The same could be said for Cosi Fabian. Here is what Carol Lloyd has to say about Ms. Fabian on page two of her fascinating Salon article entitled "Angels of sex": At 49, Cosi enjoys the cachet of an elder intellectual in a profession known more for flesh than scholarship. Despite her writing, speaking engagements, seminars and appearances at conferences, Cosi has not retired from sex work as many others have. Later Lloyd offers this interesting quote from Cosi herself: The public seems to think that women who do this work surrender their selves and become chameleons for their clients. It's the antithesis. I am never more myself than when I'm doing this work. The subtitle for "Angels of Sex" is especially interesting: "How a new breed of prostitutes are turning stigma into stigmata." Recall the "divine gifts" that helped Phryne escape execution at the hands of the ancient Greeks? Some of today's "angels of sex" are exploring the connections between sexuality and spirituality in deep and interesting ways. Today's "sacred whores" are also healers. Isn't that an interesting twist? Most people don't think of sex as sacred, and they don't think of it as a potential form of spiritual, emotional, and even physical healing But such ideas are slowly making their way into the public consciousness with the help of writers and educators like Betty Dodson, Annie Sprinkle, Dossie Easton, Carol Queen, Joseph Kramer, Margaret Wade and others. Even without the flourishes of Goddess worship, Tantra, and other overtly spiritual components, one can earn a more secular, academic degree in sex therapy, psychology or counseling and get certified to be a sexual surrogate, which is to say, a sexual health practitioner. Sexual surrogates are essentially trained and certified sex workers who make it their life's work to heal with warmth, dignity, sensuality and compassion. Of course one should not get the impression that all is joyful and wonderful in the realm of sex for hire. Given the overwhelming social stigmas and legal concerns still haunting sex work, it is not difficult to see why so many common prostitutes spend their lives wallowing in the crime-ridden, drug-drenched gutters of society. But how many of these women really have to live in this condition? What if it became possible for people to pursue a legitimate, socially-accepted career in sex work? Is it possible that someday a majority of prostitutes might be considered high-class companions, sexual healers, educators, artists, legitimate businesswomen, sacred whores, and perhaps even philanthropists? In history, courtesans ? despite their status, wealth, education, and relative independence ? were still living in a fully male-dominated society. They were rich because rich men made them rich, and they had their political influence in otherwise male-dominated political structures. Give the social and philosophical advances made by modern-day feminists, however, it seems plausible to suppose that future courtesans might live in a significantly different context. Many of today's sexual health practitioners and sacred sex healers, for example, have female customers. Overall, however, it seems likely that most sex workers in the near future will still have to depend primarily on men for their money, at least in the beginning ? just as any business person initially depends on a specific, profitable clientele ? but once established in their business, then what are the possibilities? If Firefly is any indication, it seems that even the sky itself might be no limit.

sorry men...did ya hear the one about the crazy madame.....? there was a madame back in frontier days and she had the busiest brothel in town...... now she were a greedy cunt and as it was frontier days. there were no where to expand to.... she had a great big bedroom and suddenly thought..."fuck, i could get 2 more rooms in and still have space for me!" so she started taking bids on the job to partition her bedroom into 3 so more workers could turn tricks. first guy said," sure i'll put up a partition...it'll cost ya $2000" being a frugal cunt, the madame said..."let's see what kind of deal we can get":butt: so the next guys says ..."sure, i'll build you a partition, it'll cost you $1000" the madame thinks..."fuck, i'm sure i could get some poor bastard to build this partition for free" another man comes in and says...."sure, i can build you a partition...it'll cost you $400..." madame thinks....$400....sounds good....i can probably make him trade in for service and get my partition for free!!!! so, the guy builds the partition and our madame goes up ad takes a look...."looks great!....things are a little slow ...i have no cash on hand....would you be willing to take some of your pay with or all of my girls ...they'll do anything you say....?" he smiles and says..."you mean for service?" our madame says yes and he says..."i want you!".... our madame is a little taken aback and says..."well,'m a little long in the tooth for you but what the hell!" and takes him upstairs....... she asks him...."what would you like me to do?" "get on the bed"!!....he instructed her..."now take off your clothes"....and she did......"now spread your legs"..........our madame says.... "what should i do now?" he inserts one finger in her pussy and his thumb up her ass and says.... "pay me my money or i'll rip this PARTITION OUT!!!!" love susieXXXO

i am launching an anti- anti trafficking campaign...campaign...............please e-mail salvation army and help us stop ever increasing violence and de stabilization of our industry anti trafficking campaings by groups like the salvation army in vancouver made the police raid AMPS, where VPD entered guns drawn everyone on the floor... scaring the workers to death ( is this how we treat victims of trafficking?)and took no supports or interpreters for the victims of trafficking many of whom spoke very little english and then when it was discovered the workers weren't trafficked.....they were deported. so now, they won't call police when they are robbed or assaulted because police intimidate them and they don't want to be deported. we knew it would cause harm but we had no idea how bad it would get.... first the asian sex worker killed in burnaby. then tony(security guy) killed in yaletown defending the lives of 2 women during a robbery, now an asian massage parlour worker is missing? i wonder how rape relief and miss farely feel about all the harm they've caused with their anti trafficking campaign and subsequent raids/ deportations and lack of trust for police generated amongst these workers... also, it seems like even more workers are migrating here as a result of anti trafficking campaign claims of "big money" for the sex industry during the games (which has been proven untrue-it will be a bit of an economic crash -if you want the report message me or go to PIVOT we site) it's seems they are causing the very thing they tried to prevent...... they lobbied vancouver and BC governments and police to enforce bawdy house laws to "save" the victims of trafficking with no consideration for the safety or stability of adult consentual sex workers ....and look at the outcome.... i just wonder if they have any conscience at all about all the sex workers they have harmed....... i am not victim!!!!i am strong and chose sex work....i am not on drugs or sexually abused ....i come from a good familyand my parents are good people. Attacks on sex workers in particular female sex workers by other women result in great pain and in some cases death for the workers affected. In the past women went as far as to create an ad campaign depicting sex workers as evil and as the vectors of disease. I have even seen a poster depicting hitler, the emperor of japan and a sex worker all arm in arm and the caption reads "the worst of the three".Their campaign of speeches, posters and radio spots was so broad and far reaching that this stigma exists to this day. We can see in the high numbers of women reportedly attacking sex industry community members and in the way feminist abolitionist groups still promote sex industry workers as victims, helpless, easy targets, on drugs and unable to defend or look after our selves. This latest campaign of hatred has gone on for 100 years some of us refer to it as the prohibition war. Since the beginning of this war human rights have come to the fore front and now the sex industry community is seeking recognition as a distinct culture deserving of protection under the charter. We hope to end the campaign to ?end sex work? and have our rights to choose employment, be protected from hate propaganda against us, and to be protected from discrimination based on who we are. abolitionists promote hatred of sex workers and cause wide spread harm with their arogance....attacking me personally when i try to speak publically and sending uniformed children to disrupt events that could impact our safety and create change. i challenge salvation army to justify their work in vancouver, the subsequent raids and the harms/deaths it has caused.

Pivot Legal Society is a human rights organization in Vancouver that uses legal advocacy, strategic litigation, law reform and legal education strategies to protect the rights of sex workers. The lawyers working on Pivot’s sex workers’ rights campaign are available to provide free legal information and advice to sex workers on the following topics criminal law employment and labour law workers comp municiple law immigration law human rights law child apprehension- we are all considered bad parents business law We have limited ability to assist with family law or tax law questions, but we will attempt to provide some information to you in these areas. For a free and confidential 30-minute conversation with a lawyer, contact Katrina Pacey at (604) 255-9700 ext 106 or email kpacey[at]pivotlegal[dot]com.

i have a CSIS file......:cry: i discovered it about 4 years ago.....i won't describe how i found out....lol it means limited contact with my family, some of whom are in the military, i am considered a risk to national security. love how they isolated me from my family!!! any person who challenges the status quo in this country is a terrorist. welcome to post 911 people, we signed away our rights and no one even said a word....... and what exactly is organized crime? me....am i organized crime?....because i am organizing criminal sex workers? that is their assertion. i would like to coin a new phrase "dis-orgainized crime"....cause if i am considered organized...we are ALL in trouble!!!:oops:lol i am beyond caring about their files, i have been living with it for a few years now....but it isn't easy being seperated from my family, missing weddings, not knowing my niece, etc. i would like to caution everyone from taking it too lightly. no one has defined any limitations to access to info collected and there is no clearly defined purpose for gathering said info. what will they do? who will see your personal information? will you be able to travel to the US? i can't go south... actions like this "list" development are more passively aggressive towards our community but still pose a significant threat to us and our futures. imho remember when all jews had to wear stars? seems to me they had lists back then too.... as anti trafficking campaigns gain momentum we are seeing raids in halifax, ottawa,winnipeg,grand prairie, calgary and vancouver.it doesn't surprise me to learn CSIS and RCMP are working on it. they have to justify their budget somehow and with fucking goof ball stevie in power they have to look like they are doing some thing about that "prostitution problem".unfortunately it puts us all at risk. in UK raids actually helped the sex worker movement by exposing that most workers were not trafficked, pimped or on drugs.it was stated 80,000 women in england were trafficked but during raids only 225 were discovered.... in vancouver we are working with police and they have assured me no interference in vancouver for adult consenting workers.but they could be lying and i have no way to verify. VPD raided asian massage parlours looking for "trafficked" women and found none....like 20 or something. but elsewhere it could be dangerous, remember, we are challenging these laws and if any one is charged we could challenge on a provincial level and implement a moritorium on enforcement due to the laws being under review as harmful. PIVOT legal society have staff paid specifically to answer legal questions for sex workers.no matter where you are in the country so give 'em a call. Interactions with Police and Criminal Justice-excerpt from trade secrets What can you expect if you encounter police? The system at large believe we are all pimped, trafficked, on drugs and victims with no choice in what we do- they see no distinction between workers on the street, high end escorts, exotic dancers or adult film performers. The same is true of sex industry business owners and consumers in the stigma that casts us all. In a police raid there will be no warning. Police will enter the premises in high alert. In exotic show lounges this is done by a show of force through great numbers of officers in uniform and carrying guns entering as a group and intimidating everyone present. In a raid of a micro brothel or massage parlour it is a step up to where doors are kicked in, guns drawn, everyone is put on the floor and hand cuffed. Supports are seldom provided and for the most part workers are treated like criminals These are standard operating procedures for Police Services and are intended to protect police from unseen threats such as guns or other weapons during an operation. Police, as most of Canadian society believe all sex industry community members are forced into working and so also believe officers will be at risk during raids as a result of organized crime involvement. These can be extremely frightening experiences and can lead to emotional trauma. Remember you have rights!! Try to relax and not get angry further complicating your situation. Free legal advice can be found in any region of Canada so say nothing and call a lawyer! If you are incarcerated as a result of your arrest, remember once again that prison employees see you as on drugs, forced, exploited etc. Prison employees may try to give you medication such as methadone which could be harmful if you don’t need it. Be sure of any medication you are given and remember you have the right to refuse it. Being incarcerated can be extremely frustrating but once again, try to keep your cool to prevent further complicating your situation.

Southern Poverty Law Center: "No woman should be forced to sacrifice her personal dignity and human rights for a paycheck ... These women -- some of the most vulnerable people in our society -- are being raped, violently assaulted, and otherwise exploited .... " No, this isn't a story about sex trafficking. This is a story about immigrant women working in factories in fields all across the country. And SPLC's response is not to criminalize their work, thus penalizing the victims, but rather to help them file lawsuits against their employers and attackers. You can read about one such case, U.S. EEOC, et al. vs. Tuscarora Yarns, here. It struck me as a stark and important contrast to the antiprostitution activists who claim to be working to help victims of exploitation but who are really further victimizing them by criminalizing their livelihood instead of prosecuting abusers. SPLC's strategy makes it clear that they understand the issues: All people have a right to earn a living. No person should be subject to abuse, violence, or exploitation at work. Workers in many industries put their bodies at risk to do their work, but those risks should be minimized and worker safety is everybody's concern. This is a lesson that feminists who claim they want to protect women in the sex industry ought to learn. In its report on guest worker programs SPLC cites an Equal Employment Oppportunity Commission report from 1995 in which workers told government investigators that they had to have sex with their supervisors in order to get or keep jobs, and that the fields were called "green motels" or labeled "fields of panties" (fil de calzon) because of the regularity with which bosses forced workers to have sex. Obviously sexual abuse at work is not unique to the sex industry. Southern Poverty Law Center has the right approach: Object to the abuse, support the workers, use the law to penalize the abusers and stop the exploitation. They also understand the need for networks of organizations that can provide legal assistance and education, and the importance of grassroots community organizing to help workers advocate for themselves and fight for their rights. Their approach sounds very much like the one advocated by the sex worker rights movement! Why, then, do so many who understand the need to fight abuse and exploitation in other industries get it wrong when it comes to sex work? Surely in sex work there is exploitation and abuse. Yet only in relation to sex work do we so universally blame the victims and refuse to acknowledge that working conditions are variable, with some workplaces being safe places to work and others being dangerous. It would be laughable to suggest criminalizing farm work or manufacturing work because such industries are rife with exploitive working conditions and abusive management. How can we live without produce and products? But sex is also an essential part of life, and many scoff at the idea that sexual services should be legal precisely because of concerns about exploitation and abuse. (See the recent legislative battles in Rhode Island for an instructive lesson on the politics of recriminalizing prostitution.) Just as there are minimalists in the material sense, certainly there are ascetics and asexuals who live quite well without much sexual interaction. But for many of us sex is important to happiness and health. So why can we not understand the buying and selling of sexual services? The difference must lie in the dominant culture sense that sex is dirty, dangerous and yet paradoxically to be saved and given for free only to those you really love. When we can see sex as an important part of human life, and something we all have a right to enjoy whether or not we are married or have romantic partners, and as something that we can choose to give to others in a range of different exchanges, then we can appropriately address the abuses that do exist in the sex industry without criminalizing workers and blaming victims. Meanwhile, I wonder if Southern Poverty Law Center wants to take on the issue of sex work. They certainly seem to understand the importance of self-determination, dignity, and worker safety. ... Information about the image above, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license, is provided on the U.S. National Archives Flickr page for this photo. Original caption: Safety garb for women workers. The uniform at the left, complete with the plastic "bra" on the right, will prevent future occupational accidents among feminine war workers. Los Angeles, California. Acme, ca. 1943 U.S. National Archives' Local Identifier: 86-WWT-33(41) Subjects: World War, 1939-1945 Labor Women Persistent URL: http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=522882 For more information about records related to women and women's issues at the U.S. National Archives, visit: www.archives.gov/research/arc/topics/women/. Repository: Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001. For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the U.S. National Archives' Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html. Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. The U.S. National Archives maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html.

Vancouver Agreement and Ministry of Public Safety/Solicitor General Join in Three-Year Funding Agreement for Mobile Access Project (MAP) Vancouver, BC ? The Mobile Access Project (MAP) van will be on the streets of Vancouver again after the successful negotiation of a funding agreement between the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Vancouver Agreement partners (an urban development initiative including the government of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver). MAP, an overnight van now in its sixth year of providing safety and services for women survival sex workers living and working on the streets of Vancouver, has been off the road since June 13, 2009 due to lack of funding. The partners to the Vancouver Agreement and the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General confirmed their commitment today to a year-to-year contract for MAP, approved for the next three years. ?Allies of MAP have rallied to urge funding for this service, which offers women respite in the overnight hours when they are most vulnerable out on Vancouver streets,? says Kate Gibson, Executive Director of the WISH Drop-In Centre Society. ?We are thrilled to have these levels of government come together to support this essential service.? ?Funding provided by the Government of BC and the Vancouver Agreement partners tells women working on the streets of Vancouver that they matter,? adds Jeanne Legare, Chair of the WISH Board of Directors. ?It tells them that we must stand up to the violence they face and that we must do everything in our power to stop it and to protect the health and safety of all women in our communities.? MAP began in 2004 as a partnership between the WISH Drop-In Centre Society, the Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education (PACE) Society and the Vancouver Agreement Women?s Strategy Task Team, responding to a call by current and former sex workers for mobile health and safety services for women working on the streets of Vancouver. Since 2004, MAP has provided an outreach van from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am, seven nights a week, with a route that takes it as far east as Boundary Road, south to Marine Drive and on through the Broadway, Fraser and Kingsway corridors, Vancouver East industrial areas, the Downtown Eastside and Davie Street. Staffed by a driver, a support worker and a peer-support worker, the van provides resources, health supplies, crisis intervention and important links to shelter, emergency services, support and reporting of ?bad dates? or predators. MAP is scheduled to be back on the road by early September, a welcome presence sorely missed since June. ?The van literally saves lives and reduces the environment of violence and high-risk behaviours on the streets at night,? says Gibson. ?The loss of Lisa Arlene Francis, whose body was found in the Fraser River July 23, 2009, has been a tragic reminder of the continuing dangers of the survival sex trade. The return of the MAP van is an important step in providing realistic alternatives to some of the most vulnerable women in our society.?