[SWAF-Potluck] Canada Repeals Archaic Bawdyhouse Laws

[Andrew Sorfleet]

I’ve had a request for more details, so I thought I’d share some here.

December 3, 2018, Canada House of Commons Bill-C75 repealed Criminal Code section Bawdy House for Purposes of Indecent Acts, removing Canada’s last archaic law against prostitution used to target gay bathhouses.

You can read Bill C-75 here: It’s HUGE!
http://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-75/third-reading

2nd Reading Bill C-75 in March 2018 only amended Criminal Code Bawdy House Section. Activists prepared a Joint Statement and asked sex work organizations to sign on. #activism
http://www.aidslaw.ca/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bill-C75-Joint-Statement_FINAL.pdf

Remember, the Liberal government did not want to do this. It was only the pressure of the gay and lesbian historians group, a network of queer, trans, sex worker and HIV groups, and Murray Rankin's motion that brought this about.

It may not seem like big sex-work news. The Supreme Court of Canada Bedford decision struck down the bawdy house section on prostitution in 2013. However, PCEPA did NOT repeal the bawdy house Section, which included offences for indecent acts, used against gay bathhouses, swingers, sex clubs etc. where more than two persons are present.

Both community activists and pundits have pointed out many flaws in Bill C-75. Regardless, when your activism amounts to having an effect - however small - is cause for celebration! Big shout out to the gay and lesbian historians group who spearheaded this win, and to all the other organizations thats took part.

Just to make certain, this does not mean keeping a brothel is now legal. This has no effect on the new Criminal Code laws (Section 286) implemented by the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act 2014.

In solidarity,
Andy


Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 4, 2018, at 12:29 PM, Andrew Sorfleet <a.sorfleet at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 3rd reading of Bill C-75 passed in Canada’s Parliament last night and is on it’s way to the Senate. S.69.1(1): The definition common bawdy-house in ss.197(1) of the Act is repealed.
> S.73: The heading before s.210 and sections 210 and 211 of the Act are repealed. #Celebrate!
> 
> Once Bill C-75 passes the Senate (in tact) Canada’s archaic bawdyhouse laws will be struck from the Criminal Code!
> 
> Thank you amazing activists who made this happen! #decriminalization!
> 
> Of course, it is still not legal to run a house of prostitution in Canada under the Harper law S.286 of the Criminal code. But this this historic moment would see the last of Canada’s archaic colonial laws prohibiting prostitution removed from the Criminal Code of Canada!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/swaf-potluck/attachments/20181205/841b1fbe/attachment.html>