ADULT Sex work: Beyond the stereotypes

1. ADULT Sex work: Beyond the stereotypes Thinking about: what we know, how we how we know it and the implications of myths and misconceptions

2. Sex work is illegal False Selling sexual services for compensation is not and has never been illegal in Canada

3. Sex workers, their partners and their friends are vulnerable to criminalization True Sections 210, 212 and 213 make it virtually impossible to work without breaking the law

4. Most sex workers are street based False 5 – 10% of industry is street based – most work in other sectors

5. Sex work is a women’s issue False It is a human rights issue

6. No one would choose to “sell themselves" False “Its better then flippin burgers and MacDonald’s” moral argument

7. Well then... No one would freely choose to work street based False Workers choose based on personal and familiar needs, flexibility, personality, preoccupations ......

8. Okay then .....once they are in they are trapped False Stigma renders ex-workers silent and invisible....however criminal records do limit options

9. Sex workers are drug addicts False Subsistence (survival) sex compared to sex work

10. Sex workers are controlled by pimps False “Lock up your daughters” folk devils and moral panics

11. Sex workers have low self esteem False “being rewarded for being physically attractive and sexually competent is not an obvious barrier to self-esteem” (swav)

12. Sex workers’ come from dysfunctional families, abuse..... False Another statistically unsupported ‘explanation’

13. Sex workers are victims of their exploitative clients False Clients versus aggressors

14. Sex workers are responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS False (in Canada,) Sex workers are the original safe sex experts

15. Sex workers’ lives are disorganized and dysfunctional False Sex work is something a person does not something a person is.....Workers have friends, homes, they play sports, take their kids to hockey practice, love their parents , fight with their siblings. ......In other words they are just like everyone else!

16. Canadians think sex work is immoral and want it controlled False Canadians are generally ambivalent about consensual sex between adults ....it is the nuisance they do not want

17. Sex work is dangerous True Tragically this is very true, like other jobs the job is dangerous

18. Rates of Non-fatal Violence PACE survey Robbed – 53.2% Physically Threatened – 73.3% Threatened with a weapon – 60.3% Physically Assaulted – 47.3% Forced to have sex against will – 56.7% Forced to have sex with weapon – 38.8% Kidnapped/confined – 30.9%

19. Rates of Fatal Violence • Street sex workers 60 – 112 times more likely to be victims of fatal violence (Lowman) • Between 1991 – 2004 – 171 female sex workers murdered (stats can) • 45 % of homicides unsolved (stats can) • Increasing rates of violence

20. Sources of violence • Physical and sexual violence from aggressors, and clients • Theft from clients, aggressors and police • Harassment from neighbours and vigilantes • Police violence and misconduct • Police harassment

21. Another mythSex work is inherently violent False Criminal intent violence is not inevitable or a risk of the job – it is result of the context in which workers must operate. Therefore it is preventable.

22. Explaining the Violence 1Criminalization • Pressure from clients • Limits opportunities to access security of third party controlled establishments • Criminal Record

23. Explaining the Violence 2Enforcement Practices Conditions labour practices • Street workers • Relocated to dark areas • Do not work in teams • Do not take time to assess clients • Can not communicate/clarify with clients

24. Rates of Fatal ViolenceBritish Columbia • 1960 – 64………………. 0 • 1965 – 69………………. 0 • 1970 – 74………………. 0 • 1975 – 79………………. 3 • 1980 – 84………………. 8 1985 “communicating law” comes into force • 1985 – 89………………. 22 • 1990 – 94………………. 24 • 1995 – 95………………. 50+

25. Explaining the Violence 3Lack of Protection Can not call the police Targeted by aggressors Limits options in cases of domestic violence ”I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.“ Gary Ridgeway

26. Candy: He won’t let me go. He takes me down by the marina, down by Hull. Rips the buttons right off my dress, starts beating me up. Nothing sexual, he just wants to hurt me. Beating me up. Finally somebody calls the cops, they come. You know what? They arrest me! For prostitution! They let him go! And I – no bra or underwear, dress wide open, black and blue, bleeding and they arrested me! The Hull police. You know. Because – and I told them, “yeah I was working on the Market and this guy picked me up and he’s beaten the shit out of me!” Fucking arrest him! I got rights. (Ottawa street based worker)

27. Explaining the Violence 4Police inaction • Police failure to afford violence against sex workers the same consideration as non-sex workers • Do not respond to sex violence against sex workers (Lance Dove and Robert Pikton)

28. Police InactionVancouver’s Murdered WomenFailure to take seriosly • Refuse to accept evidence of foul play • Refuse to acknowledge possibility of serial killer • Did not investigate murders • Questionable claim that absence of bodies prevented investigation

29. Explaining the Violence 5Discourse of Disposal ‘Disposable’ Women (Lowman) Constructs workers as • Responsible • Irresponsible • Unworthy Sex work as master status

30. The Discourse of Disposal • Nature and extent of media coverage • Public indifference • Lack of political will “Hooker and woman raped” Vancouver Sun

31. So then….. • Myths and misconceptions : • Are based on discourses of protection, salvation and immorality • Are not based on evidence • Result in marginalization and stigmatization of workers • Support policing and criminalization • The policing and criminalization of sex workers • Increases their vulnerability to violence, • Further stigmatizes and marginalizes workers • Undermines their ability to realize their human and labour rights What to do? ……….Decriminalize