Key Anti-Prostitution Laws Struck Down By Ontario Court

[Wetcoaster]

YOU CALLED ME

And please enlighten me as to why my opinion is inapplicable and uninformed .

I have educated myself on the basic laws of prostitution in your country , and in my HONEST opinion , they need to be changed .

As always here to enlighten

[Wetcoaster]

There's a pretty good history of it in numerous threads. I remember Ron and you having a pretty good back and forth more than once. But whatever floats your boat Wet

[aGENT]

You rely upon a statement from a Melbourne (Australia) escort service owner to then extrapolate that prostitutes in Canada are not generally forced into the profession by circumstances (addiction, poverty, etc) or forcibly recruited by traffickers and pimps as the uncontradicted evidence before the courts in Canada supports. That constitutes relying upon evidence that leads to an uninformed opinion.

In my case I not only have book larnin' but also direct and relevant experience.

[aGENT]

The problem with Ron is that he often misapprehends the written and case law and I correct him. That is something quite different than the position that you contend.

[Buddhas Hand]

Nope that is incorrect.

I have supported amending laws where it makes sense.

In this case negating the Criminal Code provisions at issue in this case leaves prostitutes more exposed to exploitation by pimps and human traffickers.

[Buddhas Hand]

Or was he trying to say that if our laws were more like the ones he's referring to, that the women's circumstances might BECOME similar...?

[Wetcoaster]

Bang on JR .

[Buddhas Hand]

You rely upon a statement from a Melbourne (Australia) escort service owner to then extrapolate that prostitutes in Canada are not generally forced into the profession by circumstances (addiction, poverty, etc) or forcibly recruited by traffickers and pimps as the uncontradicted evidence before the courts in Canada supports. That constitutes relying upon evidence that leads to an uninformed opinion.

In my case I not only have book larnin' but also direct and relevant experience.

[Buddhas Hand]

Actually not as my posting history puts paid to such a claim.

[Wetcoaster]

Actually Yes , and i thought you were intelligent enough to pick up on that .

Here is a link to an organisation i support , www.scarletalliance.org.au/laws/vic

on that site you will find the laws in relation to prostitution in the state of victoria , i tried to post them up but this site would not let me .

To avoid further confusion on your part , i am stating that , if your laws were simmiliar to our laws , then the working conditions of sexworkers in your country would be a lot safer , like they are for most sex workers here .

To you they are just clients , to me, they were my friends .

[Buddhas Hand]

Actually the vast majority of prostitutes that I have encountered were victims.

[Buddhas Hand]

Reducing Violence Against Sex Workers

:

What are the Policy Options?

Executive Summary

In November 2010, the current human rights record of the United States was reviewed by the United Nations Human

Rights Council. As part of this process, members of the U.N. made a series of recommendations toward improving

human rights in the U.S. In recommendation #92.86, member state Uruguay called on the Obama Administration to

“

undertake awareness-raising campaigns for combating stereotypes and violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and

[transgender people],

i and ensure access to public services paying attention to the special vulnerability of [sex]

workers

ii to violence and human rights abuses.”iii

This recommendation from the global community highlights human rights issues that have gone unnoticed for too

long. Sex workers—that is people who engage in sexual commerce for income and subsistence needs—are members

of families and communities in all parts of the United States. Because of stigma and criminalization sex workers—and

those profiled as such—are subjected to violence and discrimination, and are impeded from accessing critical services,

such as healthcare, and the right to equal protection under the law. State agents themselves, specifically police officers,

commit physical and sexual violence against sex workers. These abuses are particularly rampant in poor and working

class, urban, majority African-American and immigrant communities and also greatly affect lesbian, bisexual and

transgender (LGBT) people. Globally, the U.S. federal anti-prostitution policies, such as the “anti-prostitution

pledge,” have had dire consequences for international HIV/AIDS efforts.

The U.S. Federal Government can show progress in addressing human rights abuses against sex workers by a)

accepting recommendation #92.86, and engaging in concrete, politically-feasible steps that can minimize human

rights abuses including at a minimum:

1. Building capacity for states to address human rights violations through research and dialogue.

2. Modifying or eliminating existing federal policies that conflate sex work and human trafficking and prevent

sex workers from accessing services such as healthcare, HIV prevention and support.

3. Investigating and preventing human rights abuses perpetrated by state agents, such as law enforcement

officers.

4. Investigating the impact of criminalization, including state level criminal laws, on sex workers and other

groups.

Context and Importance of the Problem

People of all gender identities and sexual orientations are involved in sex work in the U.S. work in a wide array of

settings such as clubs, brothels, in their or other’s homes, in hotels, outdoors, and in other spaces. Sex workers are

also family members and community representatives; many are parents; many work in other forms of employment or

study while also being involved in sex work.

Violence and other forms of human rights abuses against sex workers are endemic in the United States. All sex

workers face these issues but outdoor workers, transgender people, people of color, migrants, low-income people and

youth consistently bear a heavy burden of police abuse and harassment, institutional discrimination, and violence.

Violence stems from many sources including a widespread belief that sex workers are not eligible for police or legal

protection because of criminalization.

iv Police themselves often do not protect sex workers or perpetrate abuse

themselves. In a New York City-based study, 27% of sex workers surveyed had experienced violence at the hands of

law enforcement.

v Another study in Washington D.C. found that more than 50% of sex workers who went to the

police for assistance were either ignored or further abused by officers.

vi Lack of protection from violence, stigma, and

human rights abuse by state agents has a devastating impact; in one study the standardized mortality rate for death by

HUMAN

RIGHTS

FOR

ALL

CONCER

homicide among sex workers was nearly 18 times higher than the general population.

vii Criminalization and stigma

affect sex workers in a myriad of other ways including a cycle of arrest, incarceration, exclusion from housing,

healthcare, education and other job opportunities, and re-imprisonment.

If prostitution was legal , then many of these problems could be solved

BASELESS MY SWEET PETARD

[Wetcoaster]

Reducing Violence Against Sex Workers

:

What are the Policy Options?

Executive Summary

In November 2010, the current human rights record of the United States was reviewed by the United Nations Human

Rights Council. As part of this process, members of the U.N. made a series of recommendations toward improving

human rights in the U.S. In recommendation #92.86, member state Uruguay called on the Obama Administration to

“

undertake awareness-raising campaigns for combating stereotypes and violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and

[transgender people],

i and ensure access to public services paying attention to the special vulnerability of [sex]

workers

ii to violence and human rights abuses.”iii

This recommendation from the global community highlights human rights issues that have gone unnoticed for too

long. Sex workers—that is people who engage in sexual commerce for income and subsistence needs—are members

of families and communities in all parts of the United States. Because of stigma and criminalization sex workers—and

those profiled as such—are subjected to violence and discrimination, and are impeded from accessing critical services,

such as healthcare, and the right to equal protection under the law. State agents themselves, specifically police officers,

commit physical and sexual violence against sex workers. These abuses are particularly rampant in poor and working

class, urban, majority African-American and immigrant communities and also greatly affect lesbian, bisexual and

transgender (LGBT) people. Globally, the U.S. federal anti-prostitution policies, such as the “anti-prostitution

pledge,” have had dire consequences for international HIV/AIDS efforts.

The U.S. Federal Government can show progress in addressing human rights abuses against sex workers by a)

accepting recommendation #92.86, and engaging in concrete, politically-feasible steps that can minimize human

rights abuses including at a minimum:

1. Building capacity for states to address human rights violations through research and dialogue.

2. Modifying or eliminating existing federal policies that conflate sex work and human trafficking and prevent

sex workers from accessing services such as healthcare, HIV prevention and support.

3. Investigating and preventing human rights abuses perpetrated by state agents, such as law enforcement

officers.

4. Investigating the impact of criminalization, including state level criminal laws, on sex workers and other

groups.

Context and Importance of the Problem

People of all gender identities and sexual orientations are involved in sex work in the U.S. work in a wide array of

settings such as clubs, brothels, in their or other’s homes, in hotels, outdoors, and in other spaces. Sex workers are

also family members and community representatives; many are parents; many work in other forms of employment or

study while also being involved in sex work.

Violence and other forms of human rights abuses against sex workers are endemic in the United States. All sex

workers face these issues but outdoor workers, transgender people, people of color, migrants, low-income people and

youth consistently bear a heavy burden of police abuse and harassment, institutional discrimination, and violence.

Violence stems from many sources including a widespread belief that sex workers are not eligible for police or legal

protection because of criminalization.

iv Police themselves often do not protect sex workers or perpetrate abuse

themselves. In a New York City-based study, 27% of sex workers surveyed had experienced violence at the hands of

law enforcement.

v Another study in Washington D.C. found that more than 50% of sex workers who went to the

police for assistance were either ignored or further abused by officers.

vi Lack of protection from violence, stigma, and

human rights abuse by state agents has a devastating impact; in one study the standardized mortality rate for death by

HUMAN

RIGHTS

FOR

ALL

CONCER

homicide among sex workers was nearly 18 times higher than the general population.

vii Criminalization and stigma

affect sex workers in a myriad of other ways including a cycle of arrest, incarceration, exclusion from housing,

healthcare, education and other job opportunities, and re-imprisonment.

If prostitution was legal , then many of these problems could be solved

BASELESS MY SWEET PETARD

[Buddhas Hand]

Again this seems to be an issue involving a country other than Canada with a vastly different criminal law regime - state based criminal codes.

Perhaps you can find some relevant evidence that applies to Canada and the issue under discussion in this thread so your opinions vis a vis CANADA are not so badly uninformed.

A good start would be to read the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Prostitution Reference - Reference re ss. 193 & 195.1(1)© of Criminal Code (Canada), (the Prostitution Reference), [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1123 - that would be relevant.

[Wetcoaster]

This article intimates , that making prostitution legal enables sex workers to have a safer working enviroment , and less prone to abuse by the their clients and the police .

Are you deliberately trying to be obtuse ?

[Dazzle]

Decriminalizing acts with prostitution (and/or advertising for it) should, in theory, make the industry safer for women AND men who are involved.

I found the Supreme Court case very interesting, where they were deliberating over the car and whether it constituted as a "private place".

[Buddhas Hand]

You seem to be missing the point ,i am saying that your laws are what is contributing to the problems sex workers have in your country , and if those laws were changed , sexworkers would have a safer enviroment to work in .

I am really disapointed in you wetcoaster , even though we disagree on some things i had respect for your insight and intelligence , but you had to destroy that by posting immature , childish , personal attacks on me in another thread .

[Buddhas Hand]

Decriminalizing acts with prostitution (and/or advertising for it) should, in theory, make the industry safer for women AND men who are involved.

I found the Supreme Court case very interesting, where they were deliberating over the car and whether it constituted as a "private place".

[Dazzle]

^ Get used to disappointment.

Anyhow, without further delay, let's talk about your topic.

Prostitution and human trafficking are definitely connected. And it is the laws governing prostitution, or rather, the laws involving solicitation that make underground economies function exceptionally well.

People make money because things are ILLEGAL.

And when there's the illegal factor involved, there will be exploitation.

Bootlegging alcohol, for example, during the Prohibition period, is an example of an underground economy.

[Wetcoaster]

You seem to be missing the point ,i am saying that your laws are what is contributing to the problems sex workers have in your country , and if those laws were changed , sexworkers would have a safer enviroment to work in .