The sex industry’s reaction to even mild questioning of its position demonstrates how any discussion about prostitution is shut down in Australia.
When an industry is used to having its way day after day and rarely being called to account, it’s a rare moment when a serious national current affairs program such as ABC’s Lateline (welcome back!) decides to explore the realities of life for women in the industry, give voice to survivors and provide coverage of the Nordic Model which criminalises not the prostituted women but the buyers of these women, now taken up by a number of countries.(Last year, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe both passed non-binding motions on prostitution that recommended the adoption of the Nordic Model throughout Europe and France has also taken steps to adopt the same).
This is one clip of four from the Lateline program March 13. (The other interviews can be found on Lateline’s website). This extract, titled ‘Reaching out to Sex Workers’ shows Kate Connett, an outreach worker with Project Respect, on her brothel visitation rounds. As a survivor of the industry herself, Kate’s bravery is commendable. Thank you for speaking out Kate.
Lateline’s coverage was fair. Pro sex industry figures and Nordic model critics were represented. But even this mild coverage was attacked by the Scarlett Alliance and their friends especially on social media (search twitter @Lateline @Scarlett Alliance #Lateline). We need to ask why the sex work movement is so hostile to any suggestion that prostitution harms women? Looks like a case of vested interests, with the industry doing all it can to silence dissent.
The sex industry’s reaction to even mild questioning of the its position demonstrates how any discussion about prostitution is shut down in Australia.
However a new movement – led by a number of women who were once involved in the sex industry – is calling on Australia to adopt the NORDIC model. It is growing in strength daily and so many of us are hoping that a policy model which recognises prostitution as violence against women and punishes the perpetrators and not the victims, is implemented here as soon as possible.
See also:
’10 Myths About Prostitution, Trafficking and the Nordic Model’, Meagan Tyler, Feminist Current
‘Why is paying for sex legal in so many countries? Because the laws are made by men’, Rachel Moran, New Statesman
‘How Amnesty International is harming prostitution survivors’, Caroline Norma, MTR.
‘Why are we forced to fund Scarlet Alliance’? NORMAC Media Release
‘Collective Shout calls on ACT Government to adopt Swedish prostitution model’
‘Sex work advocates attempt to no platform journalist Chris Hedges, Rabble.ca
…Hedges went on to say, “This is just an example of the utter hypocrisy of the liberal establishment which, on this issue, has abandoned poor women – primarily poor women of colour – to a form of sexual slavery and abuse.”
He calls Collis’ response “an example of how spineless and morally bankrupted the liberal establishment is, particularly on this issue as well as on many others. Every time it’s uncomfortable to stand up for something they run for the exit door. Yet they position themselves as moral or good people.”
‘The Scarlet Alliance/Sex Worker Collective’s Misogyny: Why They Should Not Be Funded’
Sweden Factsheet on Prostitution and Trafficking
March 15th, 2015 at 10:28 pm
Primary reason why spokespersons for mens’ pimp industry incessantly claim ‘wah sex work is empowering to women and there mustn’t be any questioning of male pseudo sex right to female bodies’ is because – wait for it – male pseudo sex right to female bodies is sacrosanct! It has existed for centuries and so it must continue – men in huge numbers will spontaneously combust (a myth) if they are not accorded their male pseudo sex right to sexually prey on women and girls.
Not forgetting Scarlet Alliance is funded by mens’ pimp industry which is why this vile women-hating organisation has the financial means to constantly promote its women-hating propaganda.
However good to know women are not accepting mens’ lies en masse because women who were formally involved in men’s pimp industry have now come together collectively to call on Australian government to criminalise males who attempt/and or who do purchase women in mens’ pimp industry.
But given male controlled governments continue to profit economically from mens’ pimp industry as well as male owned corporate bodies such as hotel chains; mens’ porn industry; mens’ malestream media; will male controlled governments finally accept women are not mens’ disposable/interchangeable sexual service stations?
Answer depends on whether or not male controlled/male dominated governments finally accept fact women aren’t dehumanised sexual service stations and males never had pseudo male sex right to sexually prey on women and girls with impunity, by claiming ‘sex work is empowering to women and girls!’
March 18th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Scarlet Alliance claims to represent ‘sex workers’ across the country, but in truth, you can’t even join Scarlet Alliance unless you agree with their stance that Australia should decriminalise pimping and buying women for sex. So if you’re a prostitution survivor, they don’t care about you. If you’re in the industry but you are against measures that would make it easier for men to buy and exploit you, or give more power to pimps, then they don’t care about you. They don’t represent those in the industry in Australia, they represent only the select group that agree with their vested financial interests. Do we really think the sex industry represents the interests of indigenous women who sell sex in exchange for food or cigarettes?
I’ve seen some truly disgraceful treatment of survivors by the sex industry. People who target, bully and taunt prostitution survivors because they have dared to speak the truth about the rapes, abuse, torture and human rights abuses they have experienced in prostitution. The aim is to silence prostitution survivors, or any dissenting voices. Some of the extreme, relentless, even organised campaigns against individual survivors I believe is to push these already traumatised women to suicide. Who cares what happens to these women as long as the industry keeps getting rich from selling women for sexual exploitation?