[IPSM] First Nation Women Prostituted 'in Overwhelming Numbers'

[Macdonald Stainsby]

This debate needs to be nipped in the bud;

Unfortunately, Mr X has been posting anti-sex worker materials for quite 
some time, on many lists. His point of view is that "Andrea Dworkin is 
the Karl Marx of feminism" (direct quote). I have tried with second 
wave, anti-sex worker feminists to engage in discussion on this matter 
before, with both him and others. It doesn't work-- there is no room for 
the belief that the sex-trade is a legitimate profession for these 
second wave feminists, nor the notion that red-light districts can and 
do often save lives. Discussing matters directly with active sex-trade 
workers is not an option for these folks, for any who profess a choice 
to do such work are "brainwashed" and self oppressed.

I agree 100% with Macho's take on this, but the debate it inspires will 
not and cannot go anywhere productive; if the conversation about all of 
this continues, the list will unfortunately have to become moderated, 
and moreover it will detract from the indigenous focus of the list-- 
However, that is not to say at all that the murders of women in the 
Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, 50% of whom are women by estimates, is 
not an issue to discuss: it is that the latent sex-worker-phobic 
approach of the poster will overshadow the important, immediate need to 
discuss how to make these streets as safe as possible: this will not 
include legalization as an option to these folks, who are guided by the 
organization Rape Relief in ideology, & who will then tell us that 
legalization/decriminalization of the sex-trade (and all of the 
destigmatization of this horribly marginalized community that would come 
with) would lead to yet-MORE violence.

I suggest that people not engage this debate, no matter how strongly one 
feels on the subject.

In solidarity,
Macdonald
Anti rape, anti Rape Relief)

Macho Philipovich wrote:
> i'm totally uncomfortable with the point of view and message of this
> article by melissa farley.
> 
> the article is in support of the "struggle against legalizing prostitution
> in Canada".  i'm not at all excited about seeing sex trade workers become
> watched and regulated by the state, but i'd prefer it to the situation
> now, where many are criminalized, incarcerated, and forced to work in
> areas where they're at severe risk of violence.
> 
> the thing that's most upsetting is that farley and friends are trying to
> influence law and policy about sex work but it doesn't appear that any of
> them are making an effort to find out what people in the sex trade want,
> to offer them services and alternatives, to let them lead the struggle, or
> to really engage with them on any level.  all they're doing is adding to
> sex worker stereotypes of metal health problems, drug addiction, and
> sexual abuse histories.
> 
> i'm sure these folks mean well.  one of the linked articles claims they
> don't want to criminalize sex workers, just pimps and johns.  if they
> spoke to anyone working in the sex trade, i'm sure they'd discover that
> when johns are criminalized, it only pushes street workers into more
> hidden areas where they're more susceptible to violence.
> 
> please folks, it's important to support your local sex workers, but be
> careful that what you're doing is decreasing the violence, not increasing
> it.
> 
> -macho
> 
> 
> usman x said:
> 
>>http://www.aviva.org/namica.htm
>>
>>http://sisyphe.org/article.php3?id_article=1407
>>15 décembre 2004
>>
>>First Nation Women Prostituted 'in Overwhelming Numbers'
>>
>>'I have been given permission by the publishers of Journal of
>>Transcultural
>>Psychiatry to offer this article to anyone at this time who could use this
>>information in Canada.  My coauthors and I feel that it is a contribution
>>to
>>the Canadian struggle against legalizing prostitution in Canada.  Among
>>others, what we found is that First Nations young women are prostituted in
>>overwhelming numbers in Canada.  This fact is usually not brought up
>>during
>>the discussion about legalization, and we hope that this article
>>contributes:
>>
>>'Prostitution in Vancouver: Violence and the  Colonization of First
>>Nations
>>Women.' We interviewed 100 women prostituting in Vancouver Canada.  We
>>found
>>an extremely high prevalence of lifetime violence and PTSD. 52% of our
>>interviewees were women from Canada's First Nations, a significant
>>overrepresentation in prostitution compared to their representation in
>>Vancouver generally (1.7-7%).  82% reported a history of childhood sexual
>>abuse, by an average of 4 perpetrators. 72% reported childhood physical
>>abuse, 90% had been physically assaulted in prostitution, 78% had been
>>raped
>>in prostitution. 72%  met DSM IV criteria for PTSD. 95%  said that they
>>wanted to leave prostitution.  86% reported current or past homelessness
>>with housing as one of their most urgent needs. 82% expressed a need for
>>treatment for drug or alcohol addictions. Findings are discussed in terms
>>of
>>the legacy of colonialism, the intrinsically traumatizing nature of
>>prostitution and prostitution's violations of basic human rights.'
>>Source:
>>Melissa Farley, 'Transcultural Psychiatry, 42(2). June 2005'.
>>
>>Website: www.prostitutionresearch.com
>>
>>
>>---------------------
>>"The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely
>>the oppressive situations which we seek to escape,
>>but that piece of the oppressor which is
>>planted deep within each of us." Audre Lorde
>>http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/margins-to-centre
>>
>>
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> 
> 
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