Lived Experience

In honor of International Women's Day tomorrow: 

As I come into 34 total years knowledge about the commercial sex industry and human trafficking, having been an advocate for 11 years and provided direct services for 13, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the suffering of victims and people who trade or sell sex through criminalization, ostracization from society and corporate America, family and domestic violence and law enforcement terrorism. To the law enforcement officers who treat people with dignity and respect, allow them to report crimes against them, and are not a part of the trend of criminalization, I salute you. 

Until we address systems of oppression, we will continue seeing homeless/jobless mothers. Arrest to rescue doesn't work.

As a woman with lived experience, I can tell you, giving victims the opportunity to make decisions about their own lives is essential and how I operate as a treatment provider. It is from there that they develop a sense of self. The Trafficking in Persons Report suggests giving victims their power immediately. And that includes the ability to decide whether to participate in the convictions of their pimps/traffickers, whether or not they will stay in sex work or leave, whether they want to attend treatment or not and how they will do that. 

Do you support the full decriminalization of prostitution known as the New Zealand Model? Have you talked to sex workers about their lives or, do you sit at the anti-trafficking table denying their voices and value?

Through my experience, at times, I find myself wondering how people ever survive. Then I remember, self empowerment and resilience are the keys. People's ability to survive is an asset. We, are stronger than you know.