National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. 80% of transnational victims of human trafficking are women and girls. Visit the Polaris Project‘s page on Change.org to get informed and help pass anti-trafficking legislation.The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton, an Episcopal priest in New Jersey, blogs at Telling Secrets about social justice and feminist issues in the […]

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A Review of Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys: Professionals Writing on Life, Love, Money, and Sex

NPN’s Jendi Reiter reviews Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys: Professionals Writing on Life, Love, Money, and Sex by David Henry Sterry and R.J. Martin, Jr. (Brooklyn: Soft Skull Press, 2009). This fascinating but uneven anthology of personal essays by current and former sex workers gives readers a glimpse into the complex emotions of […]

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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 […]

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Letter to Gazette: “Urges Valley Advocate to stop running escort ads”

Today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette publishes a letter to the editor from NoPornNorthampton’s Adam Cohen. Links have been added to the text below for the convenience of the reader. The Gazette (a daily) and the Valley Advocate (an alternative weekly) are owned by the same company, Newspapers of New England, and serve similar regions in Western Massachusetts. Urges […]

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November 13-14 Symposium in Philadelphia: Trafficking in Sex and Labor

Please circulate this flyer widely. Download the full-size PDF (95KB). Register here for the symposium.See also:Hunt Alternatives Fund: Demand AbolitionDemand Abolition supports the modern-day slavery movement by combating the demand for sex trafficking. By conducting and disseminating research, convening key stakeholders to share best practices, and educating policymakers, Demand Abolition catalyzes systemic social change to […]

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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 […]

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CNN.com: “‘John schools’ try to change attitudes about paid sex”

CNN.com reports on welcome efforts to focus on the demand side of prostitution (8/28/09): ‘John schools’ try to change attitudes about paid sex…Across the country, about 50 communities are using John Schools. Atlanta, Georgia, and Baltimore, Maryland, are among dozens more cities that plan to launch similar programs by the end of the year……experts estimate […]

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Partners In Health Helps Give Prostituted Women Real Choices in Malawi

Prostitution defenders like to think that most in the sex trade freely choose their work. This June 2009 article from Partners In Health tells what happens when prostituted women in Malawi are given a real choice: From “waitress” to waitress…Poverty and gender inequality are woven into these women’s life stories. Few have had the opportunity to pursue […]

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Iceland Criminalizes Strip Clubs

Object, a UK organization, has kindly given us permission to reprint the following bulletin from their Stripping the Illusion July 2009 update: case study: Iceland“We have now shown that we understand the connection between pornography, prostitution and human trafficking.” Gudrun Jonsdotti, spokesperson for Stigamot, an Icelandic sexual violence support center.“A complete victory has been achieved […]

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