As some of you know, decriminalizing prostitution and sex worker rights has been something of interest to me.  I feel that sex work is a needed and beneficial part of society, and hope to start becoming more active in such issues as I trasition out of my direct participation in escorting.  At the heart of what I feel is most important about decriminalzing prostitution is how the laws and stigmas surrounding sex work force workers underground and perpetuate abuse and exploitation of women, children, and also men in this industry.  Beyond the fact that I feel I should be able to make a living in any way I choose to use my body, be that sweating behind a stove cooking in a fine dining restaurant or providing companionship for the evening, I believe it is these laws that create more victims within our industry then the industry itself would if it were decriminalized and allowed workers the ability to report and deal with abuses more easily.

The 3rd Annual National Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work, and the Commercial Sex Industry was hosted at the University of Toledo last week, and has been spearheaded by UT tenured professor Celia Willamson and Wayne State University's Lynda Baker.  The conferences main focus has been on educating community advocates on how to identify and deal with victims of prostitution, but at this years conference there was a noted inclusion of more positive views of sex work and also of sex workers rights.  Part of my motivation for attending was to help represent those in sex work that do not feel victimized by the industry, but I also saw this as a networking opportunity to start getting more involved in the issue as a whole.

The conference was a full two days with 18 options of discussions to attend on each day.  Topics ranged from "Transgenderism and sex work: Exploring controversies within feminist theroy and activism" to "The magdalena Pilot Project: Motivational interviewing as outreach to substance abusing women street sex workers" as well as discussions specifically about teen/survival prostitution, international sex worker conferences and demonstrations, radical feminism and resocialization programs.  Each day was ended with three options of roundtable discussions to brainstorm particular areas.

The conference was extremely well run.  Sessions were limited to one hour presentations, and most of the presenters used power points and offered handouts to aid in the discussion.  Each presentation has a moderator present, I think to make sure there were not any serious shouting matches from opposing camps, but I did not see any escalations in the discussions I attended.

I got something out of each of the presentations, even the ones from those that would have my existance obliterated if they had their way...  Most of all, I came away with the realization that if my profession and my industry is *ever* going to gain any sort of legitimacy within our society, our industry, as a whole, must start to more actively address the negetive consequences and effects that are also present within our community.  As a result, my immediate plan is to become involved in a street outreach program here locally, but also try and mobilize other sex workers and clients to also get involved in whatever way they might be comfortable.  I also want to do some fundraising to help in the operation of a new safe house in my area that will help get exploited women and children in sex work off the streets and away from those that want to victimize them.  I also think that by becoming more involved in this area, I will be more able to offer well rounded opinion and expereince in any writing I do in the future on this subject.

Also, I did see a few of the women involved in running the Vegas conference on decriminalzing prostitution at this event, and made some serious inroads networking there.  I went to dinner with some of the conference attendees Friday evening, and also went to breakfast with the key organziers of the Desiree Alliance conference on Saturday, namely Carol Leigh from BaySWAN/COYOTE, Robin Few from SWOP-USA, and Susan Lopez-Embury from Desiree Alliance.  I'm looking forward to working with all of these women on future projects, and helping each other in our common goals.  

I look forward to sharing some of those thoughts with all of you, and hope to bring a hightened awareness of this issue to society as a whole.  

xoMegan

I was at the Las Vegas, NV conference last July along with Bev Fisher and a number of speakers made reference to the conference you report on with a bit of trepidation because they feared that a moralistic assumption against providers would hold sway.

It is so heartening to hear that the conference was open and accepting to the points of view you expouse.

I wonder if, in disscussions about "victemization", if anyone discussed how the laws themselves are the cause of, not cure for, much of the victemization that occurs to women (and men) in sex work.

there were some serious anti porn/prostitition people there.  But I don't feel the people involved in organizing it are that way, and I think they are just starting to realize that there is a broader spectrum then just what they see in dealing with primarily street based workers that are often the (most visible) target of the abuse and exploitation.

Certainly your last comment about laws causing victimization was a topic of some discussions, but whether it was heard by everyone is another story...  

But the more that point is made, the harder it will be to ignore.  We just have to keep getting it out there, and again, I think also doing what we can to own up to and address the issues that society views as negetive consequences surrounding our industry to show our awarness of the bad in amongst the good.

xoM

create a lot of our own "undoing"!  

Thanks for a well worded summary of this conference.  What I like is that it sounds like a very well thought out discussion of the issues surrounding work in the sexual entertainment industry.  And like it or not, this industry has been around since before written history - so get over it... even in ancient israel - there was "adult entertainment"!  and as far as Christ is concerned, I do not recall him ever saying "hey, let's go stone the prostitute!"  Quite the contrary.

The crime is victimization.  And to be honest, the ladies that I tend to see, tend to be indy's who are smart, witty and for the most part, realistic about the biz.... and their service to their community.  They are the first to forbid abusive behavior... while many who are legally married - promote abusive behavior....

In a perfect world, in which we just don't live....

and yea, I am a conservative, but every day I wonder more and more, what do I have in common with the likes of the ultra conservatives.... almost nothing....  just wish more politicians and "news types" would be honest and objective.....

What I was getting at is that you felt welcomed enough to put forward the "pro-sexual-freedom" viewpoint without feeling intimidated.  I think that's the balls.

I love the thought that people of very different view points can be in the same room and converse rationally, it gives me hope for this country yet.

to you to the United Left-wing-looney-fringe-pinko-hippy-radical-blame-America-first-feel-bad-for-criminals-let-the-world-go-to-the-dogs Club.

I'm a charter member.  

on Messrs. Foley, Reynolds, and Hastert and the apparent conspiracy of silence. Makes you wonder how Foley jumped down Clintax's throat for getting a Lewinski when his own interests lay in underage boys, depsite his protestations that alcohol was the real culprit. Talk about conservatives and their "undoing," this makes the liberals accused of being less than more like saints. Hmmmmm?

If making money using your brains is ok then why is there so much fuss about making money using your body? A therapist is a "mental" provider. And for the religious, self righteous people:
a) God gave us both - mind and body.
b) WTF are you doing on this site?

it would jail you for impure thoughts as well.

We all make mistakes, and some we should pay for.  Using a position of power and privalege to take advantage of an underling is not right, no matter if it is heterosexual or homosexual in nature.  This is why the RC Priesthood is in deep duty!  Had the CEO of a major corp been caught doing what Clinton did, he would have been forced out.  And that would be the correct thing.

Make no mistake about it, I believe that not only should Foley resign, but that he should also face criminal charges, although I understand that the age limit in DC is 16!  And while I do understand that it is 16 to protect a 17 or 18 yr old who dates a 16 year old and they happen to do the deed, I also know that 16 year olds need to be protected from the 52 year old predators - no matter the sex differences between them.... What I would like to see is a law that says until a person is 21 - haveing sex with them if there is a greater than 4 year difference in age is a criminal offense!  PERIOD!  I say that as a Dad, but also as a person who frequents escorts and strip joints.  Quite frankly gals under the age of 21 have no place in the industry - they are just too young to understand the long term effects.  Sorry, but tis true... but while we are on it, lets go down the list:
1) Abortion, for a party that touts individual choice and freedom - the Reps have this wrong, wrong, wrong....
2) National defense, last time I saw, it would be necessary to transport large #s of troups here to the US to invade in any meaningful manner.... Unless of course, you have an unproteced, enenforced border that is landbased between two countries.... both parties are too much in debt to the open border with Mexico... and in my thinking - both parties have let us down.
3) Health Care - while I do not support overhaul of the health care system, I do support overhaul of the true culprits of the high cost of health care.... Liability insurance for health care providers and heath care insurance coverage, or third party payer inequity.  This is truly the CRIMINAL part of the system.
4) Education.  No party, but especially the republicans want to do what really needs to be done.  First, get rid of the tax status of ALL higher education institutions (to say nothing of the outrageous tuitions).  They make money!  Especially from the Federal grants.  Second, hold them accountable for actually providing career guidance - for the REAL job market... I have too many ivy league graduates in my office asking for career guidance with degrees in sanskrit.....  sheese.... most university professors have NEVER held a job outside of the educational system... and they have a truly warped view of the rest of society.  So GW and company fail on this.
5) A Failure to Lead.  For this I fault a long line of presidents - but GW is in that line.  His visions are often clouded by the need to prove himself to "Papa Bush" or someone...   and we get stuck with the bill....
6) Defficit - Bush is a spend and "don't tax" I'm sorry but that may work in the short term, but eventually we will pay... probably in pesos! lol!
7) Aging infrastructure...... Energy alternatives.... so much more.

So.... please do not confuse me with a right wing nut... but I really cannot stand the hypocracy of the left either.... BOTH are guilty...

Once speaking with a friend - he was crying about the unfairness of the recent TV docudrama on 9/11 and how it painted an unfair & untrue picture of what happened on 9/11 and was favorable to Bush.  I calmly pointed out that Michael Moore's portrayal was equally biased and unfair but in the opposite direction.  Instead of acknowledging what we all knew to be true... he got mad!  and called me unfair... and by the way, didn't I realize that the Moore's thingy, did not win an award in Cannes in the documentary category.... sheese!  phuleese.... as far as I am concerned - BOTH SIDES are acting in self-destructive behavior - if we wish to keep the US.  And folks, travel, think we have it bad????   in other parts of the world, even Europe, choices, the push for conformity, the lack of equality, and so on.... is all there.  

We are slowly but surely taking this country apart because of the partisanship that is rampant and the inability of either side to co-exist and to figure out the best way to   do that!  so, does that make me a liberal or a conservative?  or someone who wants a return to sanity.

You find some interesting thoughts... First Miracle?  Water into wine...  Jesus hung with an odd assortment of dudes (and dudettes!) - Prostitutes, lepers, sinners, non-jews, tax collectors, but mostly people - who made mistakes....  all the time!  but they were the first Christians....  and who is to say that paying a woman for sex is a sin.... that is not even one of the 10 commandments!  to have sex with another persons wife or to even want her is a sin.... but if both are single!? hey, I am in da clear!  lol!!!  

yea, interpretation, selective reading of the text, out of context.... hummmmmmmmmmm sounds like the Dan Rather School for Theology!  lol!

Just remember boys and girls - Dan Graduated from the SAM HOUSTON STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE IN HUNTSVILLE TEXAS!  Not exactly Harvard.  He also very briefly went to law school.... but did not finish... hummmmmmmm what happened there?

What a dude.  but typical of those who read and analyze.....

Unfortunately, I don't know where to go with it besides a website and a blog.  IMO the right to seek consensual sex should be basic.  How is anyone to pursue happiness and take no pleasure?   Not only that, I've seen that illegality persecutes women, creates more trouble for their lives, and exacerbates social problems.

Unfortunately, North America was was first colonized by the most prudish sect of Christianity.  The puritans, so militant and prudish that they were the Taliban of their day, and they created a lot of misery for Britain.  Their culture still mars this country.

I always wondered why prostitution should be illegal and have noted the harm that criminalizing it does.  I believe people need pleasure, and that if it is surpressed, they tend to indulge in pleasures that are lower yield and more harmful: drugs, junk food, and watching violence on TV.  It has been noted before how this society avoids sex and simple pleasures and revels in violences as entertainment.  

When I met my first trysters, I realized that they were worthwhile people, and felt sympathy for the fact that they live in fear.  

Legalizing gambling took most of crime out of it.  I don't think we should aim to legalize prostitution, because then it gives worst weapons to the moralists: regulation and special taxes can be more persecuting than criminalization.  In this    social environment, decriminalization is the only place to go, until society becomes more accepting of it.

I agree with you that doing this will depend upon people involved in the business addressing the problems society has come to associate with it.  I would like to be involved.

but prudishness is not one of them.

In fact that had a custom called bundling which consisted of an unmarried man and woman trying each other out in bed for a while to see if they click before marrying.  For a society that depended on increasing its population to survive, it made sense, bible or no bible.

I beg to differ with you. The Puritans who came to America were the most radical of the sect.  Any act of sex had to be monogamous and in the context of marriage. Prosecutions for adultery and pre-marital sex were common.  "Improper" speech was strictly punished.  Sex was considered to be of public concern, and the courts would actually compare the date of marriage to the date of the delivery of the baby.  If it came up short, the couple was prosecuted.  Improper sex was considered to be a public manner, and people would snitch each other out.  

This all being said, their actual moral code was not too much stricter than other protestant sects, it was just obsessively enforced to the letter, right down to dotting the i's.