Yet Another Useless Sexworker Conference In Las Vegas in July http://desireealliance.org The sexworkers who believe it is their right to be a public nuisance on the streets is yet again having another feel good conference that accomplishes nothing. Worse, it makes it harder for those that respect the public enough not to be a public nuisance who want to educate the public and argue decimalization of PRIVATE consenting adult sexwork, legal in virtually all the world except the U.S. The agenda for the public nuisance street hooker has been a total failure around the world. Special zones have been tried and failed. The Berkeley referendum was great but soundly defeated over public nuisance street hookers wanting their right to be a nuisance. They argue how they are victims of society, vulnerable to crimes on the streets etc. I have one very simple suggestion - GET OFF THE STREETS ! If you are so drugged out you can't show up to work for an agency, or do outcall, don't blame big bad society for not wanting you in their face, in front of their homes and businesses with condoms in the yards and ordinary women being solicited by Johns as they go to the corner store in areas infested with public nuisance street hookers. All the energy of these many feel good conferences if it was just directed to PRIVATE sexwork it would be great. But their efforts are totally doomed by their insistence on having the right to be a public nuisance and reinforce the public view against sexwork. Most of the public see all sexwork as the public nuisance often drugged out hooker on the street. No way will laws make that legal - again total failure where tried in Europe and other places. 7/15/06 After Conference Update and Reports- Divided Sexwork Community over Real Reform Potential After Conference Update and Reports- Divided Sexwork Community over Real Reform Potential I support private sexworkers and promoting the public awareness that private sexworkers are far different from the drugged out public nuisance street hooker. I support private sexworkers so much I seek promotion of ideas that can be accomplished with increased public awareness of the differences and the waste of public resources going after PRIVATE consenting adult sexwork. Sadly this issue divides those in the sexwork community between those of us that seek to work on practical reform where there are no victims and for the same rights as most of the rest of the world has regarding PRIVATE sexwork, and those that have their fantasy of making street hookers legal and damn the public view -they want their "rights" to be a public nuisance. Sex Workers Converge on Vegas Some Phoenix providers are upset about my being straight about the facts, especially what I say at http://www.sexwork.com/legal/UselessConference.htm l I had posted her notice about the conference once and didn't think it needed to be repeated since I believe it hurts the cause or private sexwork not help it. That is what she calls censorship. Her rant with no facts just rants: --- Your hateful nd divisive tactics perpetuate the disillusionment of sex workers' rights activists and potential future activists. Your comments about the recent conference in Las Vegas, which more than 120 people attended, are baseless, selfish and inappropriate. If you truly care about seeing changes for sex workers, please end your hatred, and perhaps more of us would concisder participating in your other boards. Your comments at this link: http://www.sexwork.com/legal/UselessConference.html  are of particular concern because this alliance of many different organizations with many members with many diffent backgrounds are developing a successful model that can truly be a catalyst for change. Rather then spewing hate, they're promoting safety and dignity for sex workers by providing 'Know Your Rights' information for both clients and providers, educating workers and advocates about how the legal system operates, creating access to legal information and inspiring a new wave of activists, advocates, sex workers and clients. (Dave comments see article I posted on the list "Know your Rights" which is far more practical at http://www.sexwork.com/legal/Knowyourrights.html  ) Your mean-spirited approach is not inspiring and is not revolutionary. You provide inaccurate information about sex laws in other countries (for real infomation check out http://www.nswp.org/) (Dave notes: just exactly what do I say that is inaccurate?) You say awful, hateful things about people who are truly working hard toward the very goals that you claim to support, and you've made people lose interest in your lists because you provide biased, inaccurate and slanted information. It's unfortunate that you are abusive toward the only real allies that you have. Since everything else that I''v ever sent you gets censored or edited,(I posted her notice with comments I didn't think it was of interest to keep re posting info about the conference) I can assume that you will not be posting this on yout future posts, so I have blind cc'd several providers and hobbyists in AZ so that they can be assured that they're not alone in their feelings of distaste for your hateful tactics. I look forward to a day when we all work together for rights and equality of all people who engage in consensual sex, whether for money or not. Sincerely, Kimberlee Cline Tucson Provider --- Dave's Reply: Whew, what an emotional rant. If you ever want to calmly discuss issue I am always interested. I don't hate anyone. What in my article isn't true? What do I say that is incorrect other than referring me to a website that doesn't even load. (now does most articles are years old and I find nothing that relates to anything I say as being incorrect just the usual decrim of ALL prostitution including street hookers) Just how is trying to force public nuisance street hookers on the public that will never be accepted help sexworkers 90% of which respect the public not to solicit in front of homes and businesses. All it does is make the public less likely to change any favorable laws for private consenting adult sexwork. I don't censor anything. I mentioned the conference and gave my commentary. If you want to have a dialog I always am willing, not just attack rants with no substance other than an emotional outburst. --- My Report on Las Vegas Conference They had their conference and got their media attention. A lot of their goals for decimalization I agree with except.....as I've said before.... They lump all prostitution together and the main thrust is to force public nuisance street hookers upon the public. Destroys any hope of getting support for private sexwork since there is no way anyone is going to get public acceptance of street hookers , a HUGE nuisance issue with so many neighborhoods upset across America and Canada insisting on more enforcement and more severe criminal penalties. It has been tried using special zones in Europe and other places, all of which have been total failures. As long as there is no distinction between the public nuisance street hooker usually on drugs and often with a pimp, these efforts are great feel good conferences but further HURT the cause of private sexwork. We just saw this with the AZ new law requiring 15 day mandatory jail sentences for prostitution across AZ. This is the result of the outcry against the street hooker problems for the most part. If such groups would only form to support PRIVATE consenting adult sexwork something might actually get done or at least help public awareness the supports tougher criminal penalties for street hookers in their neighborhoods with no chance whatsoever if any reform until we get public awareness to see the difference between street hookers and private sexwork. Street hookers are illegal virtually in the entire world. Private sexwork (at least outcall and in many places incalls) is LEGAL and no big issue in almost all the world except the U.S. Until some sexworker groups wake up and deal with reality instead of their fantasy world there will be increased public demand for enforcement and severe sentences for all forms of "prostitution" not caring that maybe 90% of "prostitution" is private by providers who respect the public not to be in their face and endanger themselves by being on the streets. Yes, we need HELP for the street hookers, drug treatment programs such as I was involve in many years ago in MN, we need to help prostitutes be safe and not be a public nuisance. But decrim public prostitution will never happen, has failed where tried around the world, and is hurting the cause for decrim of private sexwork so U.S. providers and clients can enjoy the same private consenting adult sexual freedoms I enjoy in Canada and is available in most of the world except the U.S. Some media highlights One sex worker who demonstrated on the front steps of Clark County's courthouse, who identified himself as Starchild, said consensual sex between two people shouldn't be a crime simply because money is exchanged. "No one is getting hurt," he said. Dressed in a fishnet shirt, the candidate for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors said he has worked as an escort and doesn't want any more regulations in the sex industry, saying that there is no evidence that regulations could make sex work more safe. Dave comments, this sounds great and is true and what I promote for private sexwork. But the goal of the groups is total decrim without regard to the huge differences between private where no one is getting hurt and street hookers where millions of residents are sick and tired of the nuisance. The Metropolitan Police Department has recently started cracking down on prostitutes in Southern Nevada. At the end of June, the Metropolitan Police Department's vice unit conducted a weekend sweep of street prostitutes that netted 184 arrests during the two-day operation, dubbed Operation PIMP, for Prostitutes Incarcerated by Metropolitan Police. (All street hookers which the public does not want "in their face" on the streets. Lt. Curt Williams of the Las Vegas police vice squad said Thursday that he didn't think prostitution should be legalized because of the other crimes associated with it, such as robberies, beatings and drug use. "From our perspective, we don't think that legalizing it (prostitution) could alleviate those problems," he said (Again the assumption that all prostitution is street hookers with no attempt to separate it from private sexwork). Alexander said sex workers' claims of rape and violence too often are ignored by police, (Not in Scottsdale where the violent rapist and attacker is now serving 100+ year in prison after I got Scottsdale PD to take the attacks very seriously, got victims to come forward and were treated like any other victim by Scottsdale PD and the AZ Prosecutors office). she said one of the most pressing threats to sex workers were anti-human trafficking laws passed on the federal and state level that can be interpreted as applying to strippers, dancers and escorts. "Most human trafficking is not about sex work, it's about construction," Alexander said. Federal officials say 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked to the United States a year; about 75 percent of federal prosecutions have involved sex trafficking. Dave says I'm glad I am not the only one pointing out this new law where "sex trafficking" an emotional terrible sounding idea includes CONSENTING private sexworkers under the Federal Law Bush signed early in 2006 as I've reported many times. We are in agreement about these terrible misconceptions but again until proactive groups separate private sexwork from street hookers, they will enjoy their fun at conferences but accomplish nothing towards decriminalization. For more articles on the conference including the Washington Post Article and pictures. http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&resnum=0&spell=1&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&q=sex+workers+vegas My article "Sexworkers United in Europe Insisting on being a Public Nuisance" at http://www.sexwork.com/whatisnew/EuropeanHookers.html I look at http://www.DesireeAlliance.org  and see nothing that addresses the concerns of citizens about the street situation. The 1996 Australian proposal is wonderful, for escorts and brothels but doesn't address street issues and is years out of date. I have been reporting on the Australian situation and huge problem with street hookers for years: From 2000 an extensive summary of the Australian situation at http://www.sexwork.com/coalition/australia.html Updated 9/05 at http://www.sexwork.com/coalition/queenslandbrothels.html Likewise New Zealand whose Prostitution Reform Act of 2003 which is outstanding as example for escorts and brothels resulted in a huge problem and upset citizens demanding change when it did decrim street hookers See late 2005: New Zealand Decrim - Possible Example for the U.S. and Canada at http://www.sexwork.com/legal/New%20Zealand%20Example.html And 3/06 update at http://www.sexwork.com/legal/NewZBrothelsTooRestricted.html The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 made ALL adult prostitution and brothels a legal occupation in New Zealand but may have too many restrictions on brothels. In fact the government has online their "Brothel Operator Certificates." There are reasonable health and safety requirements such as using condoms, local bylaws can restrict signage and brothel locations, and a provision to outlaw pimping. The entire Act is at http://www.sexinnz.co.nz/news2.htm#REFORM%20ACT%202003 However there is great concern that it also decriminalized street hookers and the legal situation is unclear. Section 14 of the Act allows local governments to make bylaws "regulating the location of brothels of any scale, but not extending to other businesses of prostitution." It was hoped that by making brothels legal women would choose to work from their own homes (as allowed as home business in zoning rules) and get off the streets. But after the Reform Act there are still many street hookers which it seems can't be restricted under the Act. At the moment there is pending a bill do change the Act to be sure street prostitution is again a crime. From April 2006 Mayoral Presentation to Manukau City Council: "I have come to represent both the Council and the residents of the city, to speak on an issue which has become of great community concern in Manukau – street prostitution and the issues which accompany it. Residents no longer want to tolerate sex workers and their clients taking over community centres both day and night, nor to accept sex acts taking place close to their homes or in doorways of shopping centres. Residents do not consider it as inevitable, here to stay or something which must be accepted. They have legitimate concerns about what they see as degradation of their neighbourhoods...Council’s vision is to promote the well-being of all residents by providing for adult prostitutes to work within safe and legally established brothels - not on the streets....I want to impress upon the committee that the Council, in its submission to the Prostitution Reform Bill, strongly noted the absence of provision for street prostitution. But our proposals on the matter were rejected. Council believes the issue will not go away without new powers being granted to the Police through this bill. We do not seek repeal of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, and indeed the Council supports many of its provisions...Prostitution would continue to be provided for within safe, regulated and legal brothels. Street prostitution is not conducive to any of the purposes set out in section 3 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 - to safeguard the health and safety of sex workers and to ensure all workers in the industry are over 17." Obviously I agree and support and promote many of the ideas of many countries but every attempt to ignore the street prostitution issue has been a failure other than to clearly make it illegal. I see absolutely nothing on SWOP or anything at the Desiree site or any other that address the issue. All of this experience worldwide supports the fact that they are on a self defeated path and no reform will happen if they insist on not addressing the street prostitution issues. Obviously I think the ideas I've developed over the years since I founded the Decriminalize Private Adult Sexwork Coalition" at http://www.sexwork.com/coalition/index.html  But instead of practical workable ideas the sexworker groups ignore the street issue and therefore will never accomplish anything positive in my view.