[Wamvan] Fwd: question about WAM

Mon Jun 13 20:33:24 PDT 2011

I've spent a fair amount of time researching and covering various reports on
and analyses of prostitution legalization /decriminalization/ abolition
issues.  I think as with most issues every solution has its own problems,
meaning that nothing about it is actually simple in reality.  Some members
of the list may find of interest this blog post I wrote about Libby Davies'
position on the issue, which includes some useful links:

http://mtpleaseaunt.blogspot.com/2008/10/libby-davies-work-on-sex-worker-issues.html

Davies clarified her position to me as favouring decriminalization but not
legalization - the latter would open to possible scenarios such as
licensing, zoning, mandatory health checks, and corporatization of
prostitution.

Here is a link to where the last few years of WINGS half-hour radio programs
are archived:
http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramList.cfm?seriesID=53684
Our coverage of prostitution goes back a full 25 years and I don't have
online links to any of the earlier ones that might have been of interest,
such as Prostitions and Unions in Australia, and Prostitutes' Human Rights
(originally aired on WPFW in Washington DC).

Here are three specific fairly recent examples that you could download or
stream online, featuring a variety of perspectives.  Each is a half hour
long.  Let me know if you have any trouble with the links as I can provide
them from another source:
*
WINGS #25-10 UK & Europe Sex Laws*
http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramDetail.cfm?programID=104487  This
one contrasts the UK Labour Party and Liberal Democratic Party ideas.
*
WINGS #02-09 Rescues from
Brothels<http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramDetail.cfm?programID=84208>
*
The group Sanlaap works with women in prostitution and police to rescue and
educate girls who have been trafficked into the brothels of Calcutta.
Interview with Indrani Sinha, founder/director, Sanlaap, Calcutta, India
http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramDetail.cfm?programID=84208

*WINGS #35-09 Red Light on Redlight*
*Description:* On October 10, 2003, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's
Shelter held a public forum to discuss whether the Canadian city should open
a "redlight district" before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Among the five
panelists who said no were two First Nations women -- Terri Brown of the
Native Women's Association, and Cherry Kingsley, from the International
Centre to Combat Exploitation of Children, herself formerly a child working
in the sex trade.
http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramDetail.cfm?programID=93224

Somewhere - I don't see the link right now - I believe WINGS also has a
program about the highly racialized nature of corporate prostitution and
pornography.

Maria Perdotter did a very balanced story about the Ontario decision for an
edition of Groundwire - the national campus and community radio news
(produced at CJSF).  That show link is here:
http://previous.ncra.ca/groundwire/index.cfm/2010/10/26/GroundWire-Oct25Nov8-Sex-in-Prison--Homeless-Shelters--Prostitution-Laws--NO-TANKS-
(Mandavni also has a story in that edition).

I also call your attention to an episode of The F-Word reflecting on the
Ontario decision when it first came down - I have seen the link on the
Vancouver Coop Radio website, but don't have it to hand right now.

On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 3:53 PM, Tami Starlight <tamistarlight at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi Jaclyn and members of WAM Vancouver.
>
> I believe we need to discuss this in detail at our organizational meeting
> tomorrow.
>
> My position is very simple.
> Abolition is quite destructive and usually comes from women & men (in that
> order) who have tons of privilege and are not (experienced) sex workers.
> Much like drug prohibition and anti abortion. Trust me, there is much in
> common with these. Certainly falls within my understanding that nothing is
> "disconnected" and that all things are connected. That all people being
> equal, people should be allowed to live the kind of life they wish. (as long
> as it does not adversely affect others - or mother earth too greatly) Yet,
> in a world out of balance and based on a societal system of imbalance and
> inequality, well that is impossible, We can strive for steps towards
> something better.
>
> So in conclusion.
> Views that restrict than liberate are not part of what I wish to be part
> of.
>
> I appreciate your reply to the group as a whole Jacklyn.
> I believe that transparency and accountability are vital to WAM Vancouver.
> Just as important as the founding principals, anti oppression and equality
> to which many of us have fought long and hard for. (& continue to)
>
> I hope to connect with you on skype or landline sometime Jaclyn?
> (please email me personally with some days & times that work for you?)
>
> Meegwetch/Thank you/Merci
> *Tami M. Starlight*
> Vancouver, Canada
> tamistarlight at gmail.com
> tami.cosmic (facebook)
> tami_starlight (twitter)
> 604-200-2445home
> 604-790-9943cell
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 3:34 PM, Jaclyn Friedman <
> jaclyn at womenactionmedia.org> wrote:
>
>> Just to be clear, chapters are free to operate how they like, as long as
>> they are in accordance with our values. If WAM!Vancouver wants to take
>> positions on issues WAM! as a whole doesn't take positions on, that's fine,
>> as long as it doesn't conflict with our core values. It would have been both
>> considerate and helpful to know why you were asking, and where my answer was
>> going, so I could have given you the actual information you need.
>>
>> -Jaclyn
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 6:29 PM, Frieda Werden <frieda.werden at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Joanna,
>>>
>>> I wrote Jaclyn and another WAM international member individually with a
>>> general inquiry about how WAM works; I did not post or receive anything from
>>> the WAM list - I don't belong to it at present, although I sometimes see
>>> items from that list that are forwarded to other lists I belong to.  I don't
>>> know if WAM has a policy about not forwarding items, and if they do whether
>>> people who forward items are violating the policy.  However, I'm sure I
>>> haven't received anything defaming anyone or violating confidences, just
>>> various kinds of leads for feminist media and announcements about WAM
>>> activities and media covering WAM.
>>>
>>> Not knowing that Jaclyn is on our list, I was careful not to say anything
>>> specific about our chapter in my query; but indeed my question to Jaclyn was
>>> stimulated by an item up for discussion in tomorrow's meeting.  It wasn't
>>> clear to me whether WAMVan was going to try to come up with an
>>> organizational stance on the issue, and I wanted to know whether that would
>>> be something normal for WAM or not.
>>>
>>> Apparently it is not.
>>>
>>> So, good that a discussion is planned, and good that no organizational
>>> stance will be created and enforced. I just heard that the Ontario Court of
>>> Appeals has upheld the original ruling.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 2:45 PM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Frieda,
>>>>
>>>> Did you forward your communication with Jaclyn to the listserv for a
>>>> particular reason? Did you get her permission to share the correspondence?
>>>>
>>>> I can't speak for WAM international, but at WAM Vancouver, members and
>>>> organizers have a range of opinions on sex work, and our prerogative is not
>>>> to push for consensus. Rather, we'd like to maintain a safer, respectful
>>>> space for the open discussion of feminist issues.
>>>>
>>>> However, we still have core values that we would enforce. For example,
>>>> since WAM international is gender-inclusive, WAM Vancouver will also not
>>>> tolerate discrimination on the basis of gender orientation.
>>>>
>>>> Does that make sense? Please contact me if you have any questions.
>>>>
>>>> You can read more about WAM international's core values here:
>>>> http://www.womenactionmedia.org/about/values/
>>>>
>>>> Joanna
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 3:32 PM, Frieda Werden <frieda.werden at gmail.com
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>>> From: Jaclyn Friedman <jaclyn at womenactionmedia.org>
>>>>> Date: Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 12:03 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: question about WAM
>>>>> To: Frieda Werden <frieda.werden at gmail.com>
>>>>> Cc: Ariel Dougherty <arielcamera at gmail.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> No, we don't. That's not part of how we work.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 3:00 PM, Frieda Werden <
>>>>> frieda.werden at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Does the international WAM develop and take stands on issues, such as
>>>>>> whether the members should support or oppose either legalization or
>>>>>> abolition of prostitution?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>>>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> _______________________
>>>>> Women, Action & the Media
>>>>>
>>>>> 617-876-5310
>>>>> www.womenactionmedia.org
>>>>>
>>>>> 7 Temple Street
>>>>> Cambridge, MA  02139
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>>>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Joanna Chiu
>>>>
>>>> Freelance Writer
>>>> joannachiu.com <http://www.joannachiu.com/>
>>>> twitter.com/joannachiu
>>>>
>>>> Organizer, WAM! Vancouver
>>>> wamvancouver.wordpress.com
>>>> twitter.com/wamvancity
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> _______________________
>> Women, Action & the Media
>>
>> 617-876-5310
>> www.womenactionmedia.org
>>
>> 7 Temple Street
>> Cambridge, MA  02139
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wamvan mailing list
>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wamvan mailing list
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>

-- 
Frieda Werden, Series Producer
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
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