The Green Light District

Recommended Reading #7: Shame, Association, and Transcendence

I read this article last week (thanks to Barry Dank for bringing it to my attention) and found it one of the most compelling I had read in a while. It strikes me as such an important offering—not filled with anger or vilification toward those who may have expressed perspectives that appear to foster sexual repression and hypocrisy, but a straightforward examination of the societal and psychological factors that may be contributing to such a phenomenon. To me it seems that directing fury at and simply “writing off” those who have appeared to demonstrate such perspectives (maddening as they may seem) does not seem particularly helpful. I appreciate the view presented in this article that articulates a big part of what may be forming the basis of rampant sexual repression and vilification in current human society.

This essay from Ms. Roberta on ERWA this month discusses the phenomenon of an association of fears in general with fears related to sexual trauma, nonconsent, and/or harmful consequences.

Given the topic of “Sex and Sin” on Oh Get A Grip! last week, Lisabet Sarai offers what I found a lovely discourse on the potential of sex as a spiritual experience.

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Recommended Reading #6: Religious Intrusion

Referral to this is not meant to be inflammatory or incite hostility but rather because the piece seemed/seems important to me in illuminating the circumstances Kristof describes.

While the content of this seems painfully obvious to me, that actually accounts for why I appreciated it so much.

An interview via SexIs magazine with the fabulous Dr. Dick, sharing a bit of his background and the incredible context of the work he does and has done in the past in service of sexuality.

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Fallacy and Distinction

Recently on AKIMBO, the blog of the International Women’s Health Coalition, Audacia Ray posted about the June release of the 10th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report by the United States Department of State. I have not read completely the 373-page report but rather browsed it a bit, spot reading a few paragraphs on different pages. What I read I (not surprisingly) found heartbreaking.

There is no intention in me whatsoever to undermine, dismiss, or observe with any lack of appropriate reverence the horrific phenomenon of human trafficking. I do feel concern, however, about a conflation of human trafficking or sex trafficking specifically with sex work in general. As Audacia pointed out when she provided the link, the ugly phenomenon of human trafficking encompasses far more areas of industry than just sex work, and indeed, in my brief perusing of the report, much of what I saw related to other forms of industry. And yet, sex trafficking seems to be the area most associated with human trafficking to the public, and in some cases this emphasis seems to be used to argue for continued (or increased) criminalization of prostitution.

This is not to necessarily accuse the perspective that proposes this conflation of exploiting the tragedy of human trafficking, but it does seem important to me to provide another perspective(s). The current phenomenon of human trafficking seems to me related to a number of economic, social, psychological, evolutionary, and consciousness-related factors beyond the scope of this post, and a consideration of human trafficking or sex trafficking as synonymous with sex work seems to me severely misguided. I see no intrinsic connection, much less interchangeability, between the two.

I read two online articles recently that I interpreted as presenting fallacious assertions about sex work and human trafficking.* Both were at an anti-sex-trafficking website called Hope for the Sold. The first was published June 8 of this year and is a response to a video of Pye Jakobsson discussing sex worker rights and the Swedish model of criminalizing the patronization of sexual services. The second is a follow-up article in response to comments received on the first.

In the second referenced article, Michelle Brock of Hope for the Sold states,

“Legalization grows the size of the sex industry, which includes a rise in demand for paid sex.”

This seems to me a possible subtle fallacy. The legalization of alcohol at the time of Prohibition did not seem to increase the demand for it. The demand was already there. Maxim claims prostitution as the world’s oldest profession. In this country and much of the world, capitalism is an official and strongly ingrained social system. Sexuality is intrinsic in us. Combined, the demand for sexual services does not seem to need much help.

Does it seem likely that an increase in the demand for manual labor has occurred because it is legal to work in that industry? For domestic work? Is that why we think human beings are trafficked for these purposes? Because domestic work and manual labor being legal are increasing the demand for it? To me that makes little sense. As with sex work, the demand seems to be already there and not to need any help. I see no basis for a supposition that sex work being legal increases a demand for it, or really that demand is or would be affected very much by legal status at all. Human trafficking seems to encompass numerous factors, contributors, and circumstances not exclusive to or even necessarily directly related to sex work or any of the particular industries in which it is occurring.

In the first article, Ms. Brock asserts,

“[Ms. Jakobsson] fails to see that prostitution and sex trafficking cannot be separated.”

Really? So does that mean manual labor and manual labor trafficking cannot be separated, and domestic work and domestic work trafficking cannot be separated? What will we do about that? Try to abolish a demand for manual labor and domestic work? Criminalize them? Criminalize the purchase of such services? I fail to see how “prostitution and sex trafficking” any more “cannot be separated” than other kinds of work from their respective trafficking occurrences.

Which brings me back to the heartbreaking point that there are many other areas and cases in which human beings are currently being trafficked besides sex work. The fixation on sex trafficking to the exclusion of other areas of trafficking is one of the things that signals that a bias against sex work itself may be in operation.

It does not seem productive to me to perceive an “us against them” circumstance between those who support decriminalization of prostitution and those who seek to eradicate human trafficking. There is nothing mutually exclusive about these positions; on the contrary, I don’t recall ever encountering or hearing of anyone who supports the decriminalization of prostitution not also unquestionably desiring the elimination of human trafficking.

What seems important to me is to present an alternative perspective(s) to any which may be focused on a hostility toward sex work itself and thus draw superficial, ignorant, or arbitrary connections between decriminalization and sex trafficking that may be more related to ingrained cultural perspectives than what is actually occurring. (I do not use “ignorant” there derogatorily but rather advisedly—ignorant of an understanding of consensual sex work, a category into which much of the population may fall—and not necessarily by fault of their own: there is little in mainstream society to illuminate this understanding for the general public.)

As I ponder how to close this post right now, what feels forthcoming is a sincere reiteration of respect and love for everyone, encompassing the heartbreak for the tragedy of human trafficking and the holding of unconditional love in this deep wish for the Awakening of all humanity.

Love,
Emerald

*This post focuses particularly on the perspectives postulated in the articles related to human/sex trafficking. There are a number of other assertions in the referenced articles regarding the selling of sexual services in general to which I also have a response that I plan to address in a separate (forthcoming) post.

“Hey you, don’t tell me there’s no hope at all, together we stand, divided we fall…”
-Pink Floyd “Hey You”

Posted by Emerald | Filed under: Sex+ Government, Sex+ Society, Sex+ Work| 7 Comments

Recommended Reading #5: Fiction/Entertainment

I was blown away the first time I read this story. I’ve been generally blown away by anything Alana Noel Voth has written since I was first introduced to her work.

This story was originally published last year in Swing!, and I felt truly honored to be published alongside such a beautiful work. Recently reprinted at Clean Sheets, this is one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite erotica writers.

This has nothing to do with sex or The Green Light District’s traditional subject matter; I simply found it hilarious. :)

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Recommended Reading #4: Eye on the Law

This is a “recommended watch” rather than read (I forgot to mention that I reserve the right to take such liberties ;)). Charges against John Stagliano were dismissed last week; this is a short video interview with him thereafter. I have some catch-up reading to do on the charges/trial itself and may blog more about it later. Regardless, I feel relieved that the case has been dismissed.

This is a short article by a working whore discussing work environment and decriminalization.

This page provides a delineation of the difference between “legalization” and “decriminalization” in regard to sex work. (The organization is based in Montreal, so specific legal references relate accordingly). Given the seemingly common unawareness or misunderstanding of this distinction, this page seems to me a helpful reference.

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Recommended Reading #3: Poetry

Found on the site of Dr. Carol Queen (and written in her honor), I have found this poem stunning since the first time I read it.

This is a poem recently published at The Erotic Woman by poet Jacque, with whom I have recently had the pleasure of making the online acquaintance.

I simply find this beautiful.

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Reverence and Black Cloths

I had another post ready to go today, but for now, this trumps it. As a lifelong Yankees fan and, even more so, a baseball fan, I offer reverence here in light of the deaths of Mr. George M. Steinbrenner III, longtime principal owner of the New York Yankees, this morning at age 80, and Mr. Bob Sheppard, announcer at Yankee Stadium for almost half a century, on Sunday at age 99.

Though I didn’t always appreciate the impression I had of Mr. Steinbrenner’s actions or behavior, I unquestionably feel deep reverence for the pain and loss the Yankees organization may be feeling with the loss of their legendary principal owner. As well I appreciate and revere the profound contributions both Mr. Sheppard and Mr. Steinbrenner made to a team and to a game I love so much. Most of all, I honor their lives, the form of love they took in this lifetime.

I happen to have just finished reading one of my very favorite novels, The Secret Life of Bees, yesterday for the third time. Though it was my third time reading it, it affected me just as profoundly as it did the first two. The following quote, which I had read just hours before learning of Mr. Steinbrenner’s death, came to me as I reflected on these losses to Yankees baseball and to the world.

As one of the main characters, August, drapes black fabric over her beehives to signify mourning, she says, “Putting black cloths on the hives is for us. I do it to remind us that life gives way into death, and then death turns around and gives way to life.” (p. 206)

To Mr. Bob Sheppard and Mr. George Steinbrenner, beautiful journeys.

Love,
Emerald

Posted by Emerald | Filed under: Not @ Sex (!)| 1 Comment