Hey all,

If no one else is keen I would be up for this. Not sure about binge
put forward as representing the network though - as I know there are a
lot of different opinions amongst us and my thoughts won't be the same
as every- (or any-) one else's ideas.

Just to make my stance clear, I actually don't think a legal sex
worker vs. criminalised prostitute is a helpful distinction at all,
and the most important place to start is by talking to the women who
are working in prostitution. Women working in prostitution are not all
the same... What'd be much more useful is discussion on how to take
the stigma away from women working in the industry, (many of whom do
not readily self-identify as 'prostitutes' and might work in other
industries in between or as well as working in prostitution). We need
to unpick the idea of 'sex workers' and the 'sex industry' a bit more
too, because that doesn't just mean the same thing as what
'prostitute' is taken to mean.

If pushed, I'd favour a Swedish style model which criminalises the
buyers as opposed to the women, but in the long term this model won't
help women working as prostitutes if it is not part of a wider
legislative strategy which focuses on developing sound exit strategies
for those women who would like to stop working in the industry, and
pays attention to why they are there in the first place and what they
need and want. I'm not talking about paternalism , and other people
thinking they know best what women want, but offering women as many
options as possible to make their own choices.

I really think this also needs to come as a part of a much more
systematic restructuring of the labour market in general, and there
needs to be thorough recognition of how it's gendered, and how the
wage gap and sexist discrimination results in women's insecurity and
oppression. There needs to be retraining and education among statutory
agencies who come into contact with women who are working or would
like to stop working in the industry - like the police and social
services - and this also needs to be part of any new legislation.

My main argument against the 'sex work empowers women' standpoint is
that there is nothing transformative about it in the long run. It
might help to challenge some of the stigma attached to working as a
prostitute, and if women were able to unionise they might be able to
negotiate for better protection and relations with statutory agencies.
However, some of the biggest organisations representing sex workers at
the moment are also run by pimps and brothel owners etc., those who
are in positions of economic (and other) control over their employees
- it hardly seems likely that the agenda they're pushing is identical
to that of the women workers.

To me, legalising prostitution just seems to be maintaining the status
quo, and the status quo is very much unequal. I cannot imagine groups
of men in positions of relative privilege queuing up to work in
prostitution if it were legalised... Men currently working in
prostitution are rarely those who are in powerful positions but most
often those who find themselves oppressed and marginalised.

Sorry that's ended up being quite long - I just thought you should
know where I'm coming from before you decide if you're okay with me
putting myself forward.

Have a good weekend all,

Jo x

Quoting Sian Norris <sianm.norris@...>:

> i would normally but i don't feel very confident on the issue of
> prostitution...don't want to misrepresent...
> sue or jenny have very strong views on this though.
> xx
>
> 2009/5/15 Bristol Feminist Network <bristol_feminist@...>
>
>>
>>
>> Is anyone prepared to participate?
>>
>>
>> Bristol Feminist Network
>> http://www.bristolfeministnetwork.com/index.html
>>
>>
>> --- On *Fri, 15/5/09, Victoria Thake <vthake@...>* wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: Victoria Thake <vthake@...>
>> Subject: URGENT media request - The Big Questions, BBC1
>> To: "bristol_feminist@..." <bristol_feminist@...>
>> Date: Friday, 15 May, 2009, 1:09 PM
>>
>> FAO: Bristol Feminist Network,
>>
>>
>> I am contacting you from a BBC1 television programme called The Big
>> Questions, a live, Sunday morning, moral and ethical debate show hosted by
>> Nicky Campbell.
>>
>>
>>
>> On next week's show, Sunday May 24, we are in Bristol where we plan to
>> debate the issue of prostitution, asking whether it should be legalised, and
>> I was wondering if you might be able to to be put me in touch with someone
>> from your organisation who would be interested in taking part?
>>
>>
>>
>> I am particularly interested in featuring a feminist perspective on the
>> subject - perhaps addressing whether making prostitution a legal, recognised
>> profession is to empower women, or whether it is turning women into a
>> commodity to be used and abused.
>>
>>
>>
>> I know I am simplifying the issue here, but I do hope you can help - I'm
>> sure you understand that we need to make the debate as fair and balanced as
>> possible, so must represent all views on the subject.
>>
>>
>>
>> I look forward to hearing from you,
>>
>>
>>
>> Many thanks,
>>
>>
>>
>> Victoria Thake
>>
>> **
>>
>> *Victoria Thake*
>>
>> *Assistant Producer - The Big Questions - Series 2 *
>>
>> *Mentorn Oxford *
>>
>> **
>>
>> Innovation House Office G1 Mill Street Oxford OX2 0JX
>>
>>
>>
>> 01865 811161 - direct
>>
>> 01865 811110 - switchboard
>>
>> 01865 793165 - fax
>>
>>
vthake@...<http://uk.mc275.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vthake@mentorn.tv\
>-
>> email
>>
>> www.mentorn.tv
>>
>>
>>
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