Feminists
fight over prostitution
September 24, 2006
For the third year, people from across the country will gather this week for the
University of Toledo's national conference on prostitution. But a tense
undercurrent will course through the meetings on Thursday and Friday, just as it
did during both previous UT annual conferences:
Not everyone agrees on something as seemingly basic as the definition of
prostitution. In this corner, are "the folks who believe prostitution equals
exploitation - period, any way you cut it." In the opposite corner of the ring,
"the second camp [believes] women don't sell their souls, they sell sexual
services. Much like a woman sells her hands for typing, a woman will sell her
vagina for sex."
Both camps are unyielding. They often refuse to appear together for panel
discussions, and some women on both sides of the debate speak of showing up for
conferences under police escort. "Over the last decade, this side [tries] to
push legislation through or something. Then the other side shows up and they try
to knock it down." At the first UT gathering a round-table session seeking
common ground turned into mediation: "People sat in a room and hated each
other."
Robyn Few, a former exotic dancer and prostitute, is the founder of the
California-based Sex Workers Outreach Project SWOP). She has spoken at each UT
conference and is coming again this year, presenting the
prostitution-as-empowerment outlook. "We have women who don't believe women
deserve choice over our bodies. Believe me, that puts sex-worker rights back 100
years," she argued.
(Dave notes however they insist on the right of street hookers to be a public
nuisance which is why they have failed at all attempts at reforms in the U.S.
Sadly their is no major group promoting decrim of only Private consenting adult
sexuality that does not include street hookers which should be illegal. Private
sexwork is legal in almost all the world except the U.S. Street hookers are not
legal except in New Zealand which may soon be changed due to huge public outcry
over the public nuisance and problem it has created. But SWOP is determined to
continue their failed strategy with no insisting on public nuisance street
hookers being included in law reforms. In Canada while private prostitution has
always been legal, there are the issues of liberalizing bawdy house and ageny
laws. As in the U.S. the outspoken pro prostitution groups are doomed to failure
since they also insist on street hookers having the right to be a public
nuisance)
And to those who insist prostitution is exploitation, Ms. Few said: "I made my
choice, and it was my choice. And I know hundreds of women and men in our
society who've made the same choice. We are normal, living, community-service
assets to this society, and we live next door to you."
Melissa Farley is one of the nation's best-known prostitution abolitionists.
While not on the UT agenda this week, her counter argument is widely embraced by
those who agree that sex discrimination, poverty, and racism push women into
prostitution. As Ms. Farley wrote on the Web site of the Coalition Against
Trafficking in Women: "Women who 'choose' prostitution are sexually abused as
kids at much higher rates than other women. … Other ways that they 'choose
prostitution' include poor or no education and no job that pays the rent.
Prostitution is a choice based on lack of survival options."
Celia Williamson, meanwhile, still tries to bring both schools of thought
together. "Our conference is an academic one, so we invite all the voices to be
heard. At the beginning, I always have to say, 'You're going to hear different
points of view. Be respectful.' " Full article at
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060924/COLUMNIST03/609240366/-1/SPORTS10