Demand Abolition: “Boston Sex Buyers Report”

Last month we noted noted Newsweek’s article on “The John Next Door”. Here is more detail on the underlying report, published in July with support from Demand Abolition and the Hunt Alternatives Fund: Why do some men buy sex while others abstain or even decry such damaging and degrading acts? If we are to eliminate demand […]

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Newsweek: “The John Next Door”

Here are some excerpts from an outstanding article in this week’s Newsweek that reports on a new study by Dr. Melissa Farley, director of Prostitution Research and Education: Farley’s findings suggest that the use of prostitution and pornography may cause men to become more aggressive. Sex buyers in the study used significantly more pornography than […]

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Secrets of Relationship Happiness You Won’t Learn from Porn

If you watch a lot of porn, you might begin to think that “Use ’em, Abuse ’em and Lose ’em” is what a man should do. You might think treating your partner roughly was normal. You might think that satisfying long-term relationships are impossible to sustain and not worth it. And you’d be wrong. A […]

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“‘Big Tent’ feminism? Sounds great. Feels a lot like the status quo.”

Meghan Murphy posted an excellent critique to The F Word on June 3: The sex industry is not, and has never been a feminist space. It is, in large part, a space that is owned by, and operated for men. It is a space that treats women as commodities… How big is your ‘tent’ when […]

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Vanity Fair: “Sex Trafficking of Americans: The Girls Next Door”

We’re glad to see this impressive 5/24/11 article is the most popular at VanityFair.com today. Among other things, it notes how escort ads in The Hartford Advocate facilitate prostitution. As Northampton honors the abolitionist and feminist legacy of Sojourner Truth this weekend, perhaps our local Valley Advocate will take a long, hard look in the mirror. […]

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NOMAS: “Does Consensual Prostitution Exist?”

Dr. Robert Brannon, chair of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism, has published a fine analysis of choice and consent in prostitution. Here are a few excerpts from “Does Consensual Prostitution Exist?”: If we say that a person (e.g. a woman) is consenting to have sexual intercourse with a stranger, what actually do we, […]

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New Report: “Targeting the Sex Buyer – The Swedish Example: Stopping Prostitution and Trafficking Where It All Begins”

Open publication at issuu.com (free)See also:Abolishing Prostitution: The Swedish Solution – An Interview with Gunilla Ekberg by the Rain and Thunder CollectiveHuffington Post: “Break the Chains of Modern Slavery: End Demand”After years of parliamentary debate, in 1999 Swedes passed the Sex Purchase Law, which criminalized buying and decriminalized selling sex. This placed the emphasis on […]

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Preferred Terminology for Sex Trafficking and Prostitution

Lisa L. Thompson, Liaison for the Abolition of Sexual Trafficking, The Salvation Army National Headquarters, has kindly authorized us to share this chart. She developed it for the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST). Preferred Terminology for Sex Trafficking and Prostitution See also:Kristyn Komarnicki Writes about Choices…I really struggle with calling these women ‘sex […]

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Kristyn Komarnicki Writes about Choices

Kristyn Komarnicki is the editor of PRISMmagazine.org. She provides an excellent comment under Amy Ernst’s March 1 opinion piece for The New York Times, “Notes From a Young American in Congo: Sex Workers”. Here’s an excerpt: …I really struggle with calling these women ‘sex workers.’ Work implies a level of dignity and choice that is […]

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