Outstanding Article !
Who Will Rescue Us from Those Who Wish to Rescue
Us Against Our Will?
January 26, 2005
by Norma Jean Almodovar
The "rescue and reformation" of prostitutes has always been a big business. In
the late 19th century, "fallen women" (prostitutes) had literally hundreds of
Rescue Organizations vying for their souls and the money that went with their
"salvation." Most of those prostitutes unlucky enough to be so rescued could
count on a life of slavery as inmates in the laundries, asylums and
penitentiaries built by "faith based" organizations who raised thousands of
dollars from the church-going public, horrified by the stories of the "poor,
betrayed and fallen women" of the streets. It wasn't until the mid 1990's when
an inadvertent act of greed uncovered the scandal in Ireland of the Magdalen
laundresses -- "Maggies" as they were called -- whose slave labor in the
laundries had enriched the coffers of the local Catholic Churches there for well
over 100 years.
In the later part of the twentieth century, a curious phenomenon occurred: the
far left radical feminists, who had been for many years preaching the gospel of
prostitution as a violation of human rights and sexual exploitation -- got in
bed with religious conservatives who were all too happy to accept the new
wording for their age-old moral crusade against prostitution. The religious
conservatives had, for the most part, lost the public's sympathy with their
crusade against personal moral choices such as homosexuality and abortion, and
needed a new holy war to inspire their congregations. But to reach the general
populace, the wording needed to be altered so as not to be perceived as just
another "moral" campaign. The radical feminists had the jargon already
constructed- "anti-trafficking" was a fight against the sexual degradation of
women and children -- not a fight against immoral behavior, and thus could the
public be persuaded it was imperative to pass new laws and spend of millions of
dollars to "rescue" the "sexually exploited." Whose heart strings wouldn't be
stirred at the thought of young children and women forced to perform sex acts
upon evil, lust-filled men? Who wouldn't be justifiably disturbed at the thought
of greedy pimps making billions of dollars off the sale of those poor, exploited
persons?
There was only one problem: prostitutes had begun fighting for their rights in
the early 1970's and had become vocal about wanting to decriminalize consenting
adult prostitution. Around the world, prostitutes' rights organizations were
started by young, articulate, politically savvy women and men who believed the
original feminist creed of self-determination. We had the audacity to think that
the mantra "my body, my choice" for abortion rights also applied to us and our
bodies. Can you imagine our surprise when we were told that there is no such
thing as "choice" to engage in commercial sex?
"Sexual exploitation" is a subjective concept and requires the use of other
inflammatory and deceitful words to reinforce it. So radical feminists and
religious conservatives adopted a take no prisoners approach, and simply
disallowed from being heard the voices of us activists who favor
decriminalization of all private, consenting adult commercial sex.
Radical feminists and religious conservatives insist that no distinction be made
between consenting adult commercial sex and true sexual slavery. Using skewed
law enforcement statistics- which also do not differentiate between consenting
adult prostitutes and those persons of any age who are coerced into sex slavery-
the global community is duped into believing that there are possibly millions of
trafficked victims worldwide who are nothing short of "modern day slaves."
Without clarification, these statistics are truly alarming and shocking -- and
certainly when there is force, fraud and underage persons involved, it is
without a doubt a very serious problem.
I should point out that domestic violence is also a very serious problem within
marriages and other non-commercial relationships. Anyone who visits a battered
woman's shelter without knowing that domestic violence is an aberration and not
the norm, would no doubt be inclined to want to criminalize marriage in order to
protect women from such violence.
Imagine if our laws did not make a distinction between an act of rape or child
sexual abuse and consenting adult sex; how would the victims of rape and child
sexual abuse be helped by the arrest of every adult person who engaged in
consensual sex? Would the victims of rape be helped if we arrested them? Does
anyone believe that arresting a prostitute "for her own good" is of any value
whatsoever? If prostitution is inherently exploitative, why are prostitutes
considered criminals?
It is time to change the laws so that police and international agencies can
truly assist those who are forced into sexual or any other type of slavery.
Decriminalize all private, consenting adult prostitution -- and allow adult men
and women to determine when and if we are victims of exploitation. When we need
rescuing, we promise we will call you.
Norma Jean Almodovar, a retired prostitute and former employee of the Los
Angeles Police Department, is Founder and President of ISWFACE (International
Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education), and Executive Director of
COYOTE LA (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics).