International Day of Protest against the Violent Abuse and Murder of Sex Workers

by Anne Tue Jul 16, 2013 22:32

Below is a letter from Astrid Renland, a criminologist and the manager of Prostituertes interesseorganisasjon i Norge (PION), a sex workers’ rights organisation in Norway.

On July 11th, 2013, the Swedish sex-worker activist Jasmine died after being stabbed to death by her ex-husband. Jasmine had finally been able to meet her two children again after a long battle against her violent ex-husband and Swedish social services over the custody of her children. Why did she have to fight for her own children? Because she was discriminated against as a sex worker.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Jasmine several times. She was among the most decent people I’ve ever met, and also one of the strongest. Jasmine used her own lived experiences in her activism for sex worker’s rights. Her ex-husband, on the other hand, used her work against her to keep her away from her children.

Social services had initially deemed her unfit as a mother and caregiver, because Jasmine worked as a sex worker. Although she was later awarded shared custody of her children, her ex-husband denied her access to her children, until eventually, she lost custody at a trial last February, as the court now found her lacking a connection with her children. During the final trial, Jasmine’s right to see her children was reinstated. But the second meeting with her son ended with death, despite supervision by a social worker.

Before she died, Jasmine posted comments on Facebook about how wonderful it was to meet her children. She had dreaded to meet them because she was afraid they would reject or not recognise her – a fear that turned into an incredibly happy reunion for both mother and the children. But the next message was from Jasmine’s mother who reported that she was stabbed to death. She was 27 years old. Two young children without a mother have now, like the rest of their family, friends, work colleagues and activists, lost someone they will continue to love and value highly.

Jasmine will end up in the statistics of domestic violence. Her death is an unimaginable tragedy, but it is also a story of Swedish authorities’ prejudices and discrimination against sex workers.

The same could have happened in Norway; to work as a sex worker is widely seen as incompatible with being a caregiver. If someone is found to sell sex during ‘raids and rescuing’ activities, they will automatically be reported to the local child care offices by the police. There are cases where there are no signs of child neglect or other issues that may affect children’s wellbeing, but nevertheless they end up as child care case, often justified by nothing more than social stigma and prejudice against women who work as sex workers.

Prostitution research shows that many sex workers experience more violence in their private lives than they do as sex workers. This is mainly a result of their partner’s knowledge that the threshold to report violence is higher because of the women’s type of work. Many sex workers report that their work is used against them in cases of divorce and battle for child custody. As a result, the majority of sex workers in Norway use a lot of energy to keep the work hidden from family, friends and public authorities.

Rest in Peace Jasmine; may your story result in reflection, regret, anger and solidarity.

- Astrid Renland
Oslo, 15th of July 2013

by succubus Tue Jul 16, 2013 19:56

"What is our Holy Mother the Church doing about all this I wonder?"

Hiring (the youngest of) them to snort cocaine off of their belly buttons, no doubt!
The services of prostitutes are widely used by those in power. Religious or otherwise.

Since society began, the privileged have fed their sexual appetites off of poor people and their young, turned to the prostitution of their bodies for survival.

These people have no real morals or beliefs behind closed doors. Only power, position, wealth. Of course they engage in sexual debauchery. That's part of it.

The foot soldiers just go on paid holidays to Thailand, where they remove their collars.

by W. Finnerty Tue Jul 16, 2013 19:45

There was I thinking that prostitutes had been hunted into extinction throughout the entire length and breath of Ireland: like the snakes and the wolves.

The contents of this article suggest otherwise, and I'm deeply shocked.

What is our Holy Mother the Church doing about all this I wonder?

by ginger Tue Jul 16, 2013 19:01

My corporate job makes me and everyone working for that company a kind of prostitute.
The planet gets fucked by them and I and others are paid to help do it while they watch and profit

I kiss my bosses asses and sell them my time for not quite enough money. They fuck me any chance they get if it gives advantage. They use veiled threats such as "you're lucky to have a job at all" or "you'll work late saturday if you are committed to the project"

The threat is to throw me and my family at the mercy of a welfare / health system not fit for purpose which they and theirs work using their political and financial influence to dismantle so there is no safety net and hence their threats are more frightening to workers and they can cut wages more and raise profits. Because, as we all know, the workplace is a dicktatorship not a democracy (whatever that word really means!)

Most of my time is purchased by this large company with enough money for me just to get by.
This time is taken from my life, my family, my child, my community, never to be replaced.
It is time I could be doing something fulfilling instead of something I can only describe as soul choking tedium. The company produces useless technical "toys" whose production cause degradation to the environment in some out of sight third world country. Nothing useful that serves the community, only playthings for the bored rich.

At least a straight fuck for money is honest and to the point. Because the fact is, most of us are fucked for money 7 days a week by corporations and we don't even see it.

by JoeMc Tue Jul 16, 2013 18:49

An Irish Times article on the increasing numbers of Irish people experiencing food poverty , Ciara .
Survey reveals one in 10 Irish people experiencing food poverty:
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/surv...10626

by Ciara Tue Jul 16, 2013 17:15

''His piece does in fact prove that poverty, lacking necessities, and desiring convenience all point toward a woman’s choice to pursue prostitution.''

In todays society nobody in Ireland lives in absolute poverty where they are food poor etc,but yet these women CHOOSE to desire more convieniences and non essentials,and can only buy into this by pursuing a chosen career in prostitution,why not be a watiress or a bank teller?

There are options in our society,but that doesnt stop people from becoming drug dealers either.

They knowingly leave nothing but devastation and destitution behind them no matter where they go,endangering sexual health and lowering moral standards - this i find deeply unforgivable and i cannot sympathise with such morally corrupt women.

Look at the ex sex worker who wrote the book on her memoirs of being a sex worker,i believe the book is called 'Paid for'.. Do you think she wrote this book to enrich society,make it a better place?Or make a quick few million bucks?

You decide.

by Ciara Tue Jul 16, 2013 16:24

''They fear that and worse every night''.......Well why do they persist in putting themselves in that situation?Like i said before i can't have much sympathy for them if they resort to choose this type of low down shady behavior..They choose this life these sex workers do,it is sex slaves that don't choose that life and are often beaten into doing sex work..I have sympathy for sex slaves,but not sex workers,i think there is a mountain of difference between the two.

by JoeMc Tue Jul 16, 2013 16:15

"Gutter people" is probably what the sex workers got called by the men who killed them. I wouldn’t have sympathy for anybody incapable of sympathising with sex workers - especially on a thread that is dedicated to murdered sex workers. That's not to say that Ciara's concern about a potential partner contacting an STD if he visits prostitutes is unjustified. Such things do happen , but sex workers fear that and far worse every night.

by Ciara Tue Jul 16, 2013 15:24

The act of explcitly purchasing sex only from another human being is a degrading and lowly act.

I have no sympathy for either client or sex worker in any case.I think they are both of the gutter to be honest.

I wouldnt want to know a man who purchased women for sex,and im very sure women would be put off if they knew a potential partner purchased women for sex in the past.It would make them think differently of them,not to mention playing russian roulette with your sexual heath.

Where is the protection from STD's? And i know that there are prostitutes that do offer sex without a condom,invariably they are on the pill or have a coil inserted.

Obviously they charge more for sex without the condom.

by JoeMc Tue Jul 16, 2013 13:42

Lenora Ivie Frago , a twenty-three year old woman working as an escort in Texas, refused to have sex with a client ,Ezekiel Gilbert , on Christmas Eve night in 2009. Gilbert became enraged, demanded back his 150 dollar escort fee and shot Ms Frago in the neck when she refused to hand it over leaving her paralyzed . She died of the injuries she sustained seven months later.

Gilbert’s trial for murder ended last month .His lawyers were able to successfully argue that their client’s actions were justified under a Texas law that allows people to use deadly force to recover property during a nighttime theft .The jury decided that Frago’s refusal to have sex with Gilbert or to return the 150 dollar escort fee constituted theft .

Following his acquittal, Gilbert thanked God, his lawyers and the Bexar County jury for being able to “see what wasn't the truth” and for the “second chance” . He said that he “sincerely regretted” the loss of the life of Ms. Frago,

http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Jury-acquit...7.php

by Rational Ecologist Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:16

I agree wholeheartedly with Ciara's sentiments; however, the term sex worker does tend to give a respectable gloss to Prostitution. The way forward is the Swedish model, which penalises the purchasers of sex; mainly men. Apart from environmental decline/destruction-and indeed very much linked to same-the abuse of women is the biggest issue on the planet.
Time for men to stand up and challenge other men.

by ciara Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:36

The fact there is DEMAND for sex workers in EVERY COUNTRY in the world is a statement in itself,and also that patriarchy and misogny is alive and well in society.