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I am dissapointed that it wasn't until the end of the program today that a discussion began about how to shift the focus onto the pimps and johns in the industry. Having spent many years working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, there is no doubt in my mind that prostitution is violence against women. I disagree that this is a choice for MOST women, as the average age of entry into the sex industry is 13 or 14 years old; girls who are often fleeing abuse in the home and living on the streets. The rate of past or current sexual abuse, as well as domestic violence, amongst prostituted women is very high. We must provide these women the support they need in the moment, whether they are wanting to leave the industry or not. The same is true for men/trans folks who are prostituted, but I use women here because they are the vast majority.

Criminally, we must focus on the pimps and johns! I want to hear more from the Portland community about how we are going to hold these men accountable for their behavior. There would be no problem out on 82nd Ave if there was no demand to purchase women's bodies in the first place. No matter what your stance is at the moment, please check out stoppornculture.org which focuses on pornography, another huge part of the industry connected to prostitution and a pervasive issue in our community. From the website, "To speak the truth about the exploitation and abuse of women is not to support any political movement that wants to restrict women's rights and constrain the culture's ability to move toward a healthier sexual culture. To speak the truth about pornography [and prostitution] is to name a system of oppression that causes harm to women and to our society."

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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