An outstanding article from The Prostitution Experience rebuts the notion that prostitution somehow becomes OK at the age of majority, or that child and adult prostitution can be disentangled. FreeIrishWoman writes: This is the dichotomy of adult and child and they are viewed as very separate, very distinct, so that there is a clearly perceived […]
Child Molestation
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. […]
Reiter’s Block: “A Stockholm Syndrome in Women’s Poetics?”
Reiter’s Block has kindly given us permission to reprint this article: A Stockholm Syndrome in Women’s Poetics? Gently Read Literature is a monthly web journal of essays on contemporary poetry and literary fiction. In “The Myth of Women’s Masochism”, her essay in the September issue, Stephanie Cleveland takes aim at the eroticizing of violence by […]
Ars Technica: “Ex-child prostitute sues Village Voice over sex ads”
Ars Technica reports today: Ex-child prostitute sues Village Voice over sex ads A teenage child trafficking victim has filed a lawsuit against Village Voice Media, for knowingly allowing her pimp to post ads for her “services” on the popular backpage.com. The pimp, Latasha Jewell McFarland, has already pleaded guilty to prostitution charges, but the victim […]
The Rebecca Project: “Dear Craig”
The Rebecca Project For Human Rights appeals to Craig Newmark and Jim Buckmaster to close the Adult Services section of Craigslist. Download a high-resolution PDF of this letter. Learn more. See also: YouTube Video: “The Rebecca Project” Yahoo! News: “Craigslist faces new prostitution investigation” (5/4/10) The unfathomably popular online classifieds (and everything else) site Craigslist is back in […]
Demand Change Fact Sheet: “Prostitution: fact or fiction?”
OBJECT and Eaves in the UK have kindly given us permission to reprint this fact sheet on prostitution. Download the high-resolution PDF. See also: Examiner.com: “German’s legalized prostitution brought more exploitation than emancipation to women” (5/26/10) …sex trafficking has increased 11 percent from last year and 70% over [a] five-year period. While many advocates for legalized […]
Pictures from The Clothesline Project at Smith College
Here are pictures from The Clothesline Project at Smith College, November 1-8, 2009. The Clothesline Project is an exhibit intended to break the silence around sexual assault and gender violence. It is a vehicle for people affected by sexual violence to express their emotions or share their stories by decorating shirts, which are then hung […]
New York Times: “For Runaways, Sex Buys Survival”
Those who speak about “choice” in prostitution should consider the choices faced by the young and homeless. The New York Times reports on 10/27/09: For Runaways, Sex Buys Survival…Most of the estimated 1.6 million children who run away each year return home within a week. But for those who do not, the desperate struggle to […]
A Closer Look at Sweden’s Success with Reducing Prostitution; Skeptics Rebutted
We have previously written with approval of Sweden’s approach to prostitution. In 1999, Sweden made it a crime to buy sex but not to sell it. The Swedes removed legal jeopardy from prostituted women but increased it for pimps and johns. After the police were trained in the implementation of the new law, the incidence […]
News Roundup: Age of Entry into Prostitution Declining
Ads from the June 12 Valley Advocate: “Consenting Adults” proclaims one of the ads above. An odd phrase to apply to a legitimate massage service, but perfectly understandable for a commercial sex business. Smokescreen phrases like these are often employed by defenders of prostitution in attempts to stifle debate. They are not convincing. Studies that […]