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46. Human Rights and Wrongs 
5Julie Bindel1 
6
7
8(1) London, UK 
9Julie Bindel 
10Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
11Ken Roth wouldn’t you say, if a person cannot afford to feed themselves, 
12
13the appropriate thing to put in their mouth is food, not your cock? (Rachel 
14
15Moran , sex trade survivor) 
16
17Moran’s tweet, sent in March 2016, was in response to various comments 
18made on social media during the fierce debate raging from January 2014– 
19August 2016 about whether or not Amnesty International (AI) should adopt a 
20policy of supporting blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade. 
21
22Kenneth Roth , Executive Director of Human Rights Watch , and an avid 
23supporter of the AI position, had made a comment on Twitter in which he 
24questioned why ‘sex work’ should be denied as an ‘option’ for ‘poor women’.1 
25
26Kenneth Roth has an established reputation as a human rights defender. I 
27use his quote above to illustrate the contradictions involved in this debate and 
28the extent to which the language of human rights has been upended: people and 
29organisations who ought to lead the way forward for human rights have 
30betrayed their own principles. While women all over the world fight to end 
31male supremacy, there are men and women in leftist and liberal politics who 
32appear to consider defending the rights of men to buy sex more important than 
33the rights of women and girls to challenge that assumption. In my experience, 
34those who consider it a priority to defend the rights of the individual as 
35opposed to the rights of oppressed groups, can be the most difficult to convince 
36that sex trade is a cause and consequence of women’s inequality and 
37
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39oppression. 
40
41While radical feminists understand women as a sex class, or more aptly a 
42caste, battling structural oppression, liberals view women as unconnected 
43individuals with individual choices . Liberals tend also to focus on the choices 
44available to women, rather than the choices denied them. It is a sophisticated 
45political argument bereft of sophistication and politics. Although, interestingly, 
46whether they accept this or not, men are enabled to band together. Few things 
47bring men closer than the violence they commit against women. 
48
49AI is a classically liberal organisation. While there are those within the 
50abolitionist movement who argue that too much oxygen has been given to the 
51organisation regarding its decision in August 2016 to support the policy of 
52blanket decriminalisation, I disagree. In supporting this position, AI has given 
53a major boost to ‘sex workers’ rights’ activists all over the world. AI 
54legitimatises arguments that feminist abolitionists, and others critical of the sex 
55trade, are taking away the rights of women to choose what to do with their own 
56bodies. It has also given legitimacy to the pimps, brothel owners and other 
57third-party exploiters who, under blanket decriminalisation, are merely 
58entrepreneurs. 
59
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61Amnesty International 
62
63In January 2014 I received a call from a person confirming what I had already 
64heard in feminist circles about the development of the new policy on the sex 
65trade at AI. This whistleblower told me that the International Secretariat was 
66about to pass a policy on prostitution and that plan was to introduce it via its 
67London office. 
68
69I met the whistleblower later that day and was shown the document. I was 
70told that the draft document had not gone out for consultation, either among AI 
71personnel or its members, and it was about to become official policy. The next 
72day, I exposed AI’s plans in a national newspaper. Within hours, abolitionist 
73groups from all over the world began to organise on social media against AI 
74rubber-stamping a policy on decriminalisation of the sex trade. Meetings were 
75held with national AI offices, and the arguments contained within the leaked 
76document were pulled apart in preparation for a showdown.2 
77
78When Kate Allen, then head of AI UK, was quizzed about the leaked 
79document, she was adamant that it was not a draft policy paper but merely a 
80consultation paper that was due to be sent out to all key members of staff 
81across their international offices. 
82
83On 4 February 2014, only days after the leak, Allen was invited by 
84mumsnet, a website for parenting advice and support, to take part in a debate 
85on the topic of decriminalisation.3 Both sides of the debate were represented 
86during the live discussion. For example, one question directed to Allen read: 
87“Can Amnesty International, as an organisation, really fail to see that by saying 
88sex is a right that should be able to be purchased, they are one step away from 
89saying that consent does not need to be obtained in ALL sexual situations?”4 
90
91Another contributor, an activist in the pro-prostitution US-based 
92organisation COYOTE, asked: “Does criminalisation stop people from buying 
93or selling sex?”, before answering her own question with: “No it doesn’t, as it 
94is a failed system and law enforcement can’t seem to police even one percent 
95of the sex trade, however what criminalisation does do is create the perfect 
96playground for bad cops and predators to rob, rape, threaten, beat, exploit and 
97murder sex workers.” 
98
99The final document, which was leaked to me at draft stage in March 2016 
100and published after the official decision was made to adopt an official position 
101supporting blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade in August 2016, contained 
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104several comparisons between lesbian and gay oppression, and anti-abortion 
105policies. For example: 
106
107Sex workers are at risk of multiple, intersecting forms of criminalisation 
108and penalisation.5 Sex workers who are at risk of criminalisation on the 
109basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity face 
110criminalisation in some countries under laws against sex work and/or 
111
112laws against sexual activity between people of the same sex or laws 
113enforcing norms of gender expression such as prohibitions against cross 
114dressing… Women who are sex workers may face additional 
115criminalisation in countries where access to abortion is prohibited by law 
116and/or where sex outside marriage is criminalised. 
117
118Historically, AI had refused to take a position on prostitution until signing 
119up to pro-decriminalisation, joining the International Labour Organisation, 
120Anti-Slavery International, Human Rights Watch and a whole host of other 
121human rights bodies.6 Having battled for decades with individuals, 
122organisations and governments over the lack of concern over men’s violence 
123towards women and girls, many feminists came to accept that the hardest battle 
124was over whether or not men had a ‘right’ to buy sex from women and girls. 
125
126In 1997 Anti-Slavery International published a paper that was authored by 
127a key pro-prostitution activist, former Sussex University student Jo Doezema, 
128along with Jo Bindman from Anti-Slavery International, entitled ‘Redefining 
129Prostitution as Sex Work on the International Agenda’. 
130
131In a 2001 article entitled ‘Regulating the Global Brothel’, Ann Jordan, a 
132long-time pro-prostitution activist, who was at that time based at the 
133International Human Rights Law Group, made an analogy between prostitution 
134and abortion. “We don’t support a woman’s right to choose because we think 
135abortion is a great thing,” she says, “but because we believe fundamentally that 
136women should have control over their own reproductive capacity. The same 
137argument can be made for prostitution. Women who decide for whatever 
138reason to sell sex should have the right to control their own body. As with 
139abortions, we can dream of a day when sex work is safe, legal and rare.” This 
140analogy beggars belief: abortion is a health and human rights issue for women; 
141prostitution is a human rights abuse of women. 
142
143On 11 August 2015, AI voted to decriminalise “all operational aspects” of 
144the sex trade, including the sale, facilitation and buying of sex. With the cast of 
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147a vote, a pimp became a manager, a sex buyer became a client, and a 
148prostituted person became a ‘sex worker’. 
149
150“Amnesty International is opposed to the criminalisation or punishment of 
151activities related to the buying or selling of consensual sex between adults,” 
152read the first line of the document. “Amnesty International believes that 
153seeking, buying, selling and soliciting paid sex are acts protected from state 
154interference as long as there is no coercion, threats or violence associated with 
155those acts.” 
156
157According to AI: “…men and women who buy sex from consenting adults 
158are also exercising personal autonomy. For some -in particular persons with 
159mobility or sensory disabilities or those with psycho-social disabilities that 
160hamper social interactions -sex workers are persons with whom they feel safe 
161enough to have a physical relationship or to express their sexuality.”7 
162
163It is notable that AI has, as do many groups and individuals that hold a pro 
164decriminalisation position, gender neutralised both the buyer and seller of 
165prostitution sex, and yet it is known that the vast majority of sex buyers are 
166male, and that most of those at the supply end are female. 
167
168“Some develop a stronger sense of self in their relationships with sex 
169workers,” continues the argument in the AI document, “improving their life 
170enjoyment and dignity. At a very basic level, expressions of sexuality and sex 
171are a primary component of the human experience, which is directly linked to 
172individuals’ physical and mental health. The state’s interference with an adult’s 
173strategy to have sex with another consenting adult is, therefore, a deliberate 
174interference with those individuals’ autonomy and health.” 
175
176The backlash from outraged feminists and organisations, under the war cry 
177‘No Amnesty for Pimps’, was immediate and unambiguous. Hollywood 
178celebrities including Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson and Lena 
179Dunham were also up in arms, and the media took note.8 Articles were soon 
180appearing everywhere, and even Rolling Stone magazine published a piece 
181condemning AI.9 Moreover, I and other abolitionists had word from a number 
182of the rank and file of AI in various countries expressing anger and shame that 
183AI could have adopted such a policy.10 In the meanwhile, AI personnel 
184continued to argue that full decriminalisation provides the best outcome for 
185prostituted people. 
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188Whose Right/s? 
189
190Simone Watson is an Australian survivor of prostitution whose grandmother is 
191an Indigenous woman from a tribal nation that falls within the border of the 
192State of Victoria. Watson describes her feminist activism, and in particular her 
193directorship of Nordic Model in Australia Coalition (NorMAC) ,11 as the 
194means by which she makes sense of the post-traumatic stress disorder she 
195suffers as a consequence of her prostitution in a legal brothel. Accordingly, she 
196is what she is: articulate, intelligent, political. 
197
198In a loaded debate on Aljazeera,12 Watson challenged the rhetoric of copanellists 
199Murphyand ‘sexworker’Maxine Doogan. Doogan, ofthe so-called 
200Erotic Services Providers Union,13 is in fact a convicted pimp.14 Watson 
201provided well-considered responses drawn from solid evidence—that 
202trafficking had expanded and prostituted women and girls were increasingly 
203being harmed—but, patronisingly, she was forced to muzzle her contribution to 
204her ‘personal experiences’ as a survivor.15 Murphy and Doogan, meanwhile, 
205were permitted by the moderator to recite the manufactured fit-for-purpose 
206anecdotal evidence: that stigma and this very mysterious underground were the 
207real evils facing women and girls in prostitution, which Watson pointed out 
208were actually responses to AI surveys given by pimps. 
209
210AI completely rejects all UN protocols, including those AI itself has 
211previously relied upon in condemning Japanese war crimes against so-called 
212‘comfort women’,16 and all evidence which indicates legalised prostitution 
213massively increases illegal prostitution, trafficking for prostitution, and male 
214violence against women and girls. I argue that theirs is a position driven by 
215ideology, not scientific study. AI, by way of example, in aping the evidence of 
216Dr Graham Ellison (considered to be a Northern Irish academic expert on the 
217sex trade) alleged in its own evidence to the Northern Ireland Committee that 
218Sweden is a ‘country specific’ example which cannot be extrapolated 
219elsewhere.17 While the Committee members correctly noted the obvious 
220shortcoming of this criticism—that punters are punters are punters—The 
221Nordic model is critiqued by AI wherever it is found. I am baffled by AI’s 
222determination to condemn the Nordic model before it claims to have finalised 
223its position. This is a form of bias that could be described as confirmation 
224bias. 
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227The person who helped drive AI’s policy is Murphy. As I note in Chap. 7, 
228Murphy was previously head of public affairs for UK AIDS charity Terrence 
229Higgins Trust. Two months after AI passed its policy, at a meeting in a Dublin 
230hotel, Murphy was again condemning the Nordic Model with the authority of 
231the AI imprimatur, this time at a university in New York, US. Here, she 
232appeared alongside journalistand former ‘sexworker’Melissa Gira Grant, 
233and Sienna Baskin of Sex Workers Projects, in delivering her paper entitled 
234‘Sex Work and Labor Issues’. 
235
236I found Murphy’s name in an article she wrote for the BBC concerning 
237Mark Devereaux, a disgraceful man who withheld his HIV positive status from 
238four women with whom he had sex at different times over a six year period up 
239to 2008. One of the women was found to be HIV positive and she terminated 
240her pregnancy as a consequence. She was expecting twins. Devereaux, who 
241provides as a good example of male sexual violence against women as any, 
242was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and the judge poured scorn upon him. 
243
244Incredulously, Murphy, on behalf of Terrence Higgins Trust, was moved to 
245write an obscurantist piece, expressing contempt for the court, the police and 
246the media. She argued the issue around Devereaux was “complex” and those 
247who were HIV positive were being “stigmatised” by moral panic. 
248Contextually, Murphy’s comments were made at the time when other AIDS 
249organisations, including HIV Scotland, similarly argued through media 
250statements that the women had an equal responsibility to protect themselves 
251and, heartlessly, that only one woman was harmed, while three women were 
252not. 
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255A Women’s Right to be Abused? 
256
257Human rights do not stretch to women in prostitution. Despite decades of 
258feminism, ‘human’ still means ‘man’. 
259
260In the Belfast Court of Appeal in April 2016, Laura Lee, an Irish escort, 
261began her battle to repeal one of the Northern Irish laws on prostitution. As 
262Lee herself admits, pimps (whom she may call ‘escort agency owners’, or 
263‘managers’) are financially supporting this campaign.18 Lee, who sells sex in 
264the Republic of Ireland as well as Belfast, Northern Ireland, is attempting to 
265repeal legislation that makes paying for sex illegal. Lee claims the law puts her 
266in danger and breaches her right to privacy and freedom from discrimination. 
267
268I was in court to hear Lee’s QC argue that the bill makes the very group it 
269aimed to protect less safe. What is implicit in the arguments from Lee is that if 
270she wins in her attempt to remove the clauses, brothel prostitution will 
271effectively be decriminalised across Northern Ireland , setting a precedent for 
272this to happen in other countries around the globe. The case could have 
273massive implications for the way that prostitution is policed. 
274
275Following a heated debate in Stormont, in 2015, Northern Ireland joined 
276countries such as Sweden , Norway , Canada and France in passing an 
277amendment to the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act, making the 
278purchase of sex a criminal offence. The amendment was introduced as a 
279Private Member’s Bill by Lord Morrow of the Democratic Unionist Party 
280(DUP).19 
281
282The clause effectively shifts the burden of criminality from women firmly 
283onto the buyers, which is precisely why so many feminists and other human 
284rights campaigners support it. The thinking behind the bill is that tackling 
285demand would adversely affect the business of trafficking and pimping gangs 
286operating in Northern Ireland and break the connection between the sex trade 
287and organised crime.20 
288
289Lee, along with other ‘sex workers’ rights ’ individuals and organisations, 
290has long campaigned for the removal of all laws pertaining to prostitution, 
291including pimping, brothel owning and sex buying, arguing that prostitution 
292should be treated as a job like any other, and that the law should not interfere 
293in sex between consenting adults. 
294
295But a report from the Organised Crime Task Force of Northern Ireland , 
2962013, found that: 
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299… an increasing number of brothels operating in Northern Ireland have 
300
301links to OCGs (organised crime gangs). In some instances this involves 
302
303acting as a ‘pimp’ and/or providing accommodation. In other instances 
304
305their involvement is more organised, for example, assisting females into 
306
307Northern Ireland specifically to work in the sex trade or human trafficking 
308
309for the purposes of sexual exploitation.21 
310
311The report added: ‘There may be a mix of trafficked and non-trafficked 
312women within a brothel, however those employed ‘voluntarily’ may also be 
313vulnerable due to their background or may have problems with addiction’. 
314
315The case is being challenged by SPACE International, an organisation led 
316by sex trade survivors from around the world, and Equality Now.22 Julianne 
317Hughes Jennett of Hogan Lovells,23 the law firm representing the interveners, 
318says it is a very important case for the likes of SPACE International to test, as 
319it will determine how robust the legislation is. Hughes Jennett said: ‘The right 
320outcome of this case is critical for the advancement of gender equality and the 
321protection of women’.24 
322
323In an attempt to undermine the clause, the Minister for Justice 
324commissioned some research into prostitution in Northern Ireland conducted 
325by Queen’s University Belfast . This report was cited during the committee 
326hearing as evidence of how other people in prostitution in Northern Ireland are 
327against the law. But its methodology has been criticised by a number of service 
328providers, campaigners and academics. For instance, the report states that only 
32918% of those participating in the study said that they lived most of the time in 
330Northern Ireland . 
331
332The claim in the report that the criminalisation of clients would lead to an 
333increased risk of violence and abuse—the key plank of Lee’s legal challenge— 
334is spurious. In Sweden there is no documented case of a woman in prostitution 
335being murdered by a pimp or punter, whereas in countries with legalised or 
336decriminalised brothels, such as New Zealand , Germany and Holland, they 
337are numerous. 
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340A Survivor’s Perspective 
341
342One victim of trafficking in Northern Ireland , Anna, who escaped her captors 
343in Belfast, supports the Morrow bill. Originally from Eastern Europe, in 2011 
344Anna was abducted from near her home in London and taken to Galway, 
345Ireland. She was held for 9 months, during which time she was monitored and 
346beaten by the traffickers. Rival Irish and Albanian pimps chased Anna and the 
347traffickers outofGalwaywithguns and knives so theywent‘ontour’to 
348Limerick, Cork, Belfast and Derry. In Belfast, police raided their brothel but 
349the four male pimps had left 20 min beforehand. Anna reported: ‘The mother 
350pimp screamed at us in Romanian that she would kill us if we said a word. She 
351said that all the other pimps were listening in, that her phone was active. But in 
352English she told the police she was a working girl’.25 
353
354Eventually Anna escaped to Belfast and she was delighted when hearing 
355about the Morrow bill. ‘It will not drive vulnerable women underground’, she 
356said. ‘They are already underground. Nobody was coming to help me.’ 
357
358I have spoken to other women who were previously involved in the Irish 
359sex trade and asked their views on Lee’s challenge. Alanna told me she 
360believes that Lee is misguided if she thinks that scrapping the sex buyer clause 
361will bring about more safety for the women: ‘If I was still working in the sex 
362trade and the Nordic model came along I genuinely wouldn’t have a problem 
363with it whatsoever’, says Alanna, who was prostituted in the Republic for 
364five years. ‘If you’re an independent escort like [Lee] is, it wouldn’t make the 
365slightest difference to her. [Before the legislation was introduced] clients 
366refused to leave any trace of contact whatsoever. They refused to use an online 
367portal, [they would] call from a withheld number and [they would] not provide 
368a name or even a pseudonym.’ 
369
370The implications of Lee winning her legal challenge are vast, says Alanna. 
371‘It would let down the most vulnerable people in society’, she said. ‘It would 
372be saying that independent, privileged, middle-class white women … that their 
373needs trump those who are the most oppressed. It would be telling the punters 
374that they are entitled to continue using women because the onus isn’t on them 
375but back on the women to bear the responsibility. [Men] can be fear-free.’ 
376
377Rachel Moran is the founder of SPACE International and the author of Paid 
378For. She was prostituted in Ireland throughout the 1990s and regularly talks to 
379women who have recently left the sex trade. Moran gave evidence before the 
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382Northern Ireland Assembly in 2014, where she made it clear that were she still 
383involved in prostitution, she would still support the idea of punters being made 
384responsible. 
385
386She said: 
387
388I think I would have been secretly glad to see the men who paid to use us 
389finally being held to account, but I also would have wondered and 
390worried about its implications for me. It has been uncovered in 
391international research that women’s views of prostitution shift markedly 
392depending on whether they are currently or formerly prostituted, and that 
393research is in line with everything I’ve heard across conversations with 
394hundreds of women I’ve discussed this with. The interesting thing about 
395this law is that it only needs to be announced, not enforced, before pimps 
396and punters go scattering like hens. 
397
398The Nordic Model is democratic. The vast majority of citizens in Northern 
399Ireland support the law against sex buyers , according to an IPSOS MORI poll 
400for Christian charity CARE .26 Of the 1016 people surveyed, 78% believe that 
401those who create the demand should be punished. This same widespread 
402popular support is found elsewhere where the Nordic Model is adopted. 
403
404As we sat in the court in Belfast listening to Lee’s QC argue that trafficking 
405is a ‘minuscule’ part of the sex trade in Northern Ireland , a man stood in an 
406adjoining court charged with trafficking a woman into the UK for sexual 
407exploitation last May. The Attorney General, John Larkin QC , argued against 
408the legal challenge. ‘Lord Morrow , I hazard’, said Larkin, ‘would be very 
409pleased indeed to know he stopped one or two women being trafficked into 
410prostitution’.27 
411
412For Moran , it is clear why Lee should fail in her attempt. ‘If she won, it 
413would be a disaster for women hoping to exit prostitution in Northern Ireland. 
414Far from helping those women, if successful, it would trap them in it. If Laura 
415Lee is happy to be prostituted that’s her prerogative, but she has no right to 
416block exit services for the vast majority of women who are not happy.’ 
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419Why do Human Rights Organisations Support the Sex 
420Trade? 
421
422Due to the policies on the sex trade of organisations such as Human Rights 
423Watch (HRW), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Joint United 
424Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS ) and AI to support the 
425legalisation of prostitution, the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ movement feels justified 
426in claiming theirs is a ‘human rights’ approach to prostitution. These 
427organisations buy the line that paying for sex is a ‘right’ and a ‘need’ of the sex 
428buyer, and increasingly, as we saw in Chap. 2, of the women involved. In other 
429words, women can ‘choose’ to sell whatever they wish, including themselves. 
430
431This approach by so-called human rights campaigners flies in the face of a 
432genuine liberal/leftist approach. Neo-liberalism has elevated the free market 
433above the rights of the female human. The sex trade is the elevation of the free 
434market economy over the female human body, and there can be no starker 
435example of the sub-human underbelly of the global sex trade. 
436
437Emily Bazelon , in a radio debate28 following the publication of her New 
438York Times cover story ‘Should prostitution be a crime?’,29 said: 
439
440Amnesty International recommended in favour of the full 
441decriminalisation of sex work internationally. When I heard that 
442announcement last August I was very surprised by it. It isn’t an issue I 
443knew a whole lot about and I was used to thinking of the debate over 
444prostitution in terms of questions of morality, or whether prostitution or 
445sex work is inherently demeaning to women. I wasn’t accustomed to 
446thinking of it as a human rights issue. But groups like AI and HRW have 
447been looking closely at these questions of what the best laws are in terms 
448of the health and safety of sex workers, really since the AIDS epidemic 
449that was driven by sex workers—thousands of them—organising—mostly 
450in countries like India and Thailand and fighting for their rights, greater 
451legal rights and also trying to protect themselves by trying to prevent the 
452spread of AIDS … [S]ince then it has moved beyond preventing the 
453spread of AIDS to also try to deal with things like police abuses, violence 
454from clients and other people in the community and discrimination and 
455stigma. I think that was really the motivation from AI’s point of view.30 
456
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458The ‘rights’ discourse adopted by liberals and much of the human rights 
459world is not progressive or leftist, but built on the politics of individuality. 
460Organisations such as AI are clearly motivated, as we will see later in this 
461chapter, by paternalistic male self-interest.31 
462
463Why is the Left in favour of the free market only when it is women’s bodies 
464being bought and sold? These so-called human rights advocates hold up the 
465bodies of prostituted women as human shields to protect them from accusations 
466of hypocrisy and inconsistency. AI demonstrates its concern for the ‘rights’ of 
467men to buy sex, while attempting to appear equally concerned for the women, 
468for example: ‘… men and women [sic] who buy sex from consenting adults are 
469also exercising personal autonomy. For some—in particular persons with 
470mobility or sensory disabilities or those with psycho-social disabilities that 
471hamper social interactions—sex workers are persons with whom they feel safe 
472enough to have a physical relationship or to express their sexuality. Some 
473develop a stronger sense of self in their relationships with sex workers, 
474improving their life enjoyment and dignity’.32 
475
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477Feminism for Men 
478
479There is a dominant trend currently within the Left that suggests slutwalking, 
480lap dancing, sex working and Burkha-wearing is liberation for women. Men, 
481as a rule, love this approach and tend to support the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ 
482position on the sex trade. It should come as no surprise that men who support 
483blanket decriminalisation also tend to support ‘fun feminism’. 
484
485Journalist and campaigner Owen Jones , darling of the radical Left, is a 
486classic example of this. Writing in the Guardian 
487in March 2015, he asked why 
488it was any business of anyone that Simon Danczuk MP had been exposed as a 
489prolific pornography consumer. ‘There is no shortage of reasons for me to 
490criticise Danczuk: our views on social security and immigration differ to say 
491the least … But watching porn? So what?’ wrote Jones . In the article, he also 
492poured scorn on the fate of three judges dismissed from their positions because 
493they ‘watch(ed) porn on the job’. ‘None of it was illegal’, wrote Jones, ‘but 
494they were still publicly embarrassed and dismissed’. 
495
496Jones was clearly critical of Danczuk on his views on the welfare state and 
497immigration, but defended him as a user of pornography while he was being 
498paid to work on behalf of his constituents. This hypocrisy is not unusual when 
499it comes to liberal and leftist attitudes to the sex trade. 
500
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502Silencing Abolitionists in the Name of Human Rights 
503
504On 8 March 2015, the journalist and eminent anti-trafficking activist Ruchira 
505Gupta was on her way to the Apollo Theatre in New York, to give the keynote 
506address as the Woman of Distinction Awardee at the non-governmental 
507organisation Commission on Status of Women (CSW). Gupta was traveling 
508with Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive 
509Director of UN Women . 
510
511Gupta is the founder of Apne Aap ,33 a human rights organisation located in 
512several sites in India, which supports more than 20,000 prostituted and at-risk 
513girls and women, enabling their right to justice , education, safe and 
514independent housing, and a sustainable and dignified livelihood. It benefits 
515India’s most marginalised girls and women who are sold into prostitution 
516between the ages of 9 and 13, who are poor, low-caste and extremely 
517vulnerable. 
518
519Women and government representatives from all over the world attend this 
520event, and Gupta was thrilled to have been given this award because it was an 
521acknowledgement from her peer group of the work she had been doing to end 
522sex-trafficking. 
523
524Just before arriving at the Apollo, Gupta received an email from a 
525committee member of the New York CSW telling her not to mention the word 
526‘prostitution’ in her speech. ‘I was aghast since my entire work was with 
527prostituted women and my award was for that work’, Gupta said at the time.34 
528
529Gupta emailed the committee member and asked how she could give a 
530speech in which she did not represent the views of the members of her 
531organisation? ‘[The woman who emailed me] replied that she had been asked 
532by the Chief of Civil Society at UN Women to stop me from speaking about 
533prostitution’, says Gupta. ‘This was bizarre. Why should an NGO body try to 
534censor me and stop me from speaking about a subject for which they had given 
535me an award?’ 
536
537The reason soon became apparent to Gupta. The NGO had received money 
538from an organisation that supports and profits from the sex trade. The Chief of 
539Civil Society at UN Women had been circulating a letter, via her official UN 
540Women email address, to all NGOs asking for prostitution to be legalised as 
541‘sex-work’, and pimping and brothel-keeping to be legalised as ‘employers’ of 
542poor women. 
543
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545Gupta recalls: 
546
547‘I went ahead and gave the speech I had prepared about how prostitution 
548was an outcome of inequality and not a choice ’, says Gupta.35 ‘I said that 
549the punishment of pimps, Johns and brothel-keepers was what prostituted 
550women and their daughters in India desperately wanted. All they had was 
551the law to protect them. 
552
553I spoke about the need to invest in the ‘last girl’ who is trafficked because 
554of her vulnerabilities. The ‘last girl’ is someone who is marked by 
555multiple oppressions. She is the weakest of all human beings. She is 
556weaker than the poor man, because she is female, she is weaker than the 
557adult female, because she is a teenager, she is weaker than the poor, 
558female, teenager, because she is low-caste in India, Black in America, 
559Roma in Europe, a refugee in Jordan . She does not choose to be born 
560poor or low-caste. I pleaded for UN Women to punish those who buy and 
561sell her and to invest in reducing her vulnerabilities. I reminded them the 
562UN Declaration of Human Rights stood for protection of the weak and not 
563the powerful. 
564
565At the end of her speech, Gupta received a rousing reception from the 
566delegates, comprising feminist NGOs from every corner of the globe.36 But not 
567everyone was happy with her. ‘Unfortunately, I saw the Chief of Civil Society 
568whisper and walk away with the head of UN Women before I spoke’, says 
569
570Gupta. 
571
572How did we get to this Alice Through the Looking Glass state of affairs, 
573where human rights defenders are warned off speaking of what they would 
574argue are the realities of the sex trade lest they offend the funders? 
575
576In 2016, Melissa Gira Grant , a pro-prostitution activist and author of 
577Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work‚37 tweeted about the then current 
578abortion rights battle in the USA: ‘Someday sex work will be a repo rights 
579issue, but until then, at least some stuff concerning my cunt is legally 
580protected’. 
581As I remarked earlier, abortion rights are not analogous to the so-called 
582‘right’ to be prostituted. The pro-prostitution lobby use examples like this all 
583the time. They do not talk about the ‘right’ of men to rent an orifice for 
58415 minutes from a person who is only ‘consenting’ because money is involved. 
585
586
587They do not speak of the ‘right’ to rent an orifice of the female human body. 
588Nor do they speak of the ‘right’ for pimps and brothel owners to advertise the 
589women as though they are pieces of meat on a slab, ready to be consumed by 
590any person who hands over some cash. 
591
592The human rights approach to prostitution has also been adopted from the 
593outset by the AIDS/HIV world of scientists, service providers and activists. It 
594is rare, as we shall see in the next chapter, to encounter anyone actively 
595involved in HIV prevention who does not support the blanket decriminalisation 
596of the sex trade. 
597
598Footnotes 
599
6001 
601Fhassaidh, U. (2015, Aug 11.) Are poor women free to choose prostitution? In Random Public 
602Journal. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://randompublicjournal.com/2015/08/11/are-poor-womenfree-
603to-choose-prostitution/. 
604
6052 
606http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2544983/JULIE-BINDEL-An-abject-inversion-principles.html. 
607
6083 
609MumsNet.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.mumsnet.com/. 
610
6114 
612Forum, (2014, Jan 29.) Amnesty’s proposal to legalise prostitution is wrong – We can’t let men who 
613exploit women off the hook. On MumsNet.com. Retrieved 25 Jan 2017 from http://www.mumsnet. 
614com/Talk/guest_posts/1982419-Amnestys-proposal-to-legalise-prostitution-is-wrong-we-cant-let-menwho-
615exploit-women-off-the-hook. 
616
6175 
618Amnesty International. (2016, May 26.) Amnesty International policy on state obligations to 
619respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of sex workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
620www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/amnesty_policy_human_rights_of_sex_workers_-_ 
621embargoed_-_final.pdf. p. 9. 
622
6236 
624Amnesty International. (2016, May 26.) Amnesty International policy on state obligations to 
625respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of sex workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
626www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/amnesty_policy_human_rights_of_sex_workers_-_ 
627
628
629embargoed_-_final.pdf. p. 9. 
630
6317 
632Sanghani, R. (2015, Aug 11.) Amnesty International backs decriminalising sex work. In The 
633Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womenslife/11796679/ 
634Amnesty-International-backs-decriminalising-sex-work.html. 
635
6368 
637Bindman, J. (1997.) Redefining prostitution as sex work on the international agenda. On 
638Walnet.org. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.walnet.org/csis/papers/redefining.html. 
639
6409 
641Bindman, J. (1997.) Redefining prostitution as sex work on the international agenda. On 
642Walnet.org. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.walnet.org/csis/papers/redefining.html. 
643
64410 Platt, L. (2001, Dec 19.) Regulating the global brothel. In The American Prospect. Retrieved 15 
645June 2017, from http://prospect.org/article/regulating-global-brothel. 
646
64711 NorMAC: Nordic Model Australia Coalition. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.normac.org.au. 
648
64912 Al Jazeera. (2015, Sept 8.) Should buying and selling sex be a crime? On Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 
650June 2017, from http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201509082336-0024989. 
651
65213 Erotic Service Providers Union. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://espu-ca.org/wp/. 
653
65414 Court Listener: The State of Washington, Respondent v. Mary E. Doogan, Appellant. Retrieved 15 
655June 2017, from https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1135994/state-v-doogan/. 
656
65715 Geist, D. (2016, June 1.) 5 reasons to be wary of Amnesty’s prostitution policy. In Rolling Stone. 
658Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/6-reasons-to-be-wary-ofamnestys-
659prostitution-policy-20160601. 
660
661
66216 ‘Comfort women’ were women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery during war. 
663
66417 Amnesty International UK. (2013, Nov 1.) Human trafficking and exploitation (further provisions 
665and support for victims) bill. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/ 
666globalassets/documents/justice-2011-2016/human-trafficking-bill/written-submissions/amnestyinternational.
667pdf. 
668
66918 Sex Workers Project. (2014.) ‘Sex and the law week.’ Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
670sexworkersproject.com/downloads/2014/20140317-sex-and-law-poster.pdf. 
671
67219 Murphy, C. (2010, Feb 25.) HIV infection: ‘A complex issue’. On BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 
6732017, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8536361.stm. 
674
67520 BBC News. (2010, Feb 25.) HIV Man Jailed for ‘Reckless Sex’. On BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 
6762017, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8519593.stm. 
677
67821 Organised Crime in Northern Ireland, 2013, Annual Report & Threat Assessment, Retrieved 15 June 
6792017 http://www.octf.gov.uk/OCTF/files/63/63f6eda7-ff14-4008-b4fc-334e02e7bea5.PDF. 
680
68122 Equality Now. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.equalitynow.org/. 
682
68323 Julianne Hughes Jennett, on Hogan Lovells. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.hoganlovells. 
684com/en/julianne-hughes-jennett. 
685
68624 In conversation with the author, September 2016. 
687
68825 Interview with the author, September 2016. 
689
690
69126 Nordic Model Now. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://nordicmodelnow.org/ 
692
69327 News Letter. (2016, Sept 28.) Sex worker wins first round against sex buyer law. In News Letter. 
694Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/sex-worker-wins-first-roundagainst-
695sex-buyer-law-1-7602205 
696
69728 Page, S. (2016, May 9.) Debate over decriminalizing prostitution. On the Diane Rehm Show. 
698Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-05-09/debate-over-legalizingprostitution. 
699
700
70129 Bazelon, E. (2016, May 5.) Should prostitution be a crime? In New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 
7022017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/should-prostitution-be-a-crime.html. 
703
70430 CARE. (2014, Oct 7.) 78% Favour Criminalising Sex Buyers in NI. On Care.org.uk. Retrieved 15 
705June 2017, from https://www.care.org.uk/news/latest-news/78-favour-criminalising-sex-buyers-ni-0. 
706
70731 The Attorney General, John Larkin QC, argued against the legal challenge. ‘Lord Morrow, I hazard’, 
708said Larkin, ‘would be very pleased indeed to know he stopped one or two women being trafficked into 
709prostitution’. (2016, Sept 23.) Law criminalising clients ‘puts sex workers at greater risk’. On BBC 
710News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37455884. 
711
71232 Amnesty International. (DATE?) Summary: Proposed policy on sex work. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
713from https://www.amnesty.se/upload/files/2014/04/02/Summary%20of%20proposed%20policy%20 
714on%20sex%20work.pdf. 
715
71633 http://apneaap.org/. 
717
71834 Gupta told this story to the author in October 2016. 
719
72035 Jones, O. (2015, Mar 30.) Simon Danczuk MP has watched porn. Why should we care? In The 
721
722
723Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/30/ 
724simon-danczuk-mp-watched-porn-who-cares 
725
72636 Apne Aap Women Worldwide. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://apneaap.org/. 
727
72837 https://www.versobooks.com/books/1568-playing-the-whore. 
729
730
731© The Author(s) 2017 
732Julie Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55890-9_7 
733
734
7357. Aiding the Fight for Legalisation: AIDS 
736& HIV 
737Julie Bindel1 
738
739
740(1) London, UK 
741Julie Bindel 
742Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
743I have worked in legal, decriminalised and illegal brothels. I’ve been on 
744
745the streets and I’ve been in five-star hotels. If a john doesn’t want to use a 
746
747rubber, trust me, no amount of rules will make him do so. (Angela, sex 
748
749trade survivor, 2016) 
750
751The HIV/AIDS movement is widely understood as one that focuses on civil 
752rights and healthcare for vulnerable groups. The popular perception is that the 
753AIDS movement is made up of human rights campaigners, medical experts and 
754scientists, searching for the best prevention methods and, eventually, a cure. 
755What is far less widely known is that the AIDS movement, and the vast 
756amounts of money attached to it, has done more to shape policy, practice and 
757legislation on the global sex trade than any other movement in history. 
758
759Huge amounts of money have been poured into ‘safe sex’ programmes 
760aimed at punters. In other words, considerable effort has gone into assisting 
761men to continue paying for sex. Indeed, without the support of the HIV/AIDS 
762harm reduction approach, the pro-decriminalisation lobby, including the likes 
763of Amnesty International (AI) , would not have gained anywhere near as much 
764ground. 
765
766The arguments of AIDS activists and experts for blanket decriminalisation 
767of the sex trade is simple but horrendously flawed. It is widely claimed that if 
768all criminal penalties were removed from the sex trade, including for pimping, 
769
770
771brothel owning and sex buying, then HIV rates would plummet. This chapter 
772will explore and dissect these claims for decriminalisation, and closely 
773examine the relationship between the HIV world and the pro-prostitution lobby 
774. I argue the harm reduction approach is damaging to women in the sex trade 
775and, conversely, allows far more abuse to occur. 
776
777
778The Early Days of AIDS and ‘Sex Worker’s Rights’ 
779Movements 
780
781In the early days of the AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s, money was provided to 
782two distinct groups in the Global North: men who have sex with men, and 
783women involved in street-based prostitution. Understandably, gay men were at 
784the helm of the charities and health service interventions, with some 
785establishing organisations that attempted to deal holistically with the most at-
786risk groups. As a consequence, many projects devoted to HIV prevention and 
787treatment were managed by gay men, including those with a client base 
788consisting of women in the sex trade. 
789
790Because of stigma associated with AIDS brought about by anti-gay bigotry 
791and misinformation peddled by governments and religious organisations, many 
792projects dealing with this issue were involved in awareness raising and 
793lobbying. Those who were HIV positive were frequently referred to as 
794‘authors of their own misfortune’. The then Chief Constable of Greater 
795Manchester Police, James Anderton , for example, referred to them as 
796‘swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making’.1 
797
798Unfortunately, gay male libertarian views dominated the discourse, likely 
799conflating ‘safety’ with ‘moralism’ due to sensitivities toward any analysis of 
800‘sex and sexuality’. Rather than critiquing the sex trade as an unsafe lifestyle 
801for those involved, the message delivered to the general public as well as 
802service users was so-called harm reduction and minimisation. The condom 
803was held up as the saviour, and opportunities to examine the dangers of the sex 
804trade were overlooked. 
805
806Andrew Hunter , a gay man born in 1968 in Queensland, Australia , left 
807home at 17 to live in the Gunnery Squats, Sydney, home to alternative ‘queer’identified 
808folk, including a number of those considered social outcasts. Hunter 
809became involved in street-based prostitution in Sydney, and at 19 moved to 
810Melbourne , prostituting from the infamous St Kilda district. Hunter, who died 
811in 2013, became the president of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects 
812(NSWP) , programme and policy manager for the Asia Pacific Network of Sex 
813Workers (APNSW) , and a member of the Joint United Nations Programme on 
814HIV/AID (UNAIDS ) Advisory Group on HIV and sex work. During his 
815activism, Hunter campaigned to decriminalise the sex trade and for prostitution 
816
817
818to be viewed as labour. He openly supported organisations such as UN Women 
819, sending a message of support for its stance on ‘sex work as work’ just months 
820before he died. While with the Prostitute’s Collective of Victoria (PCV), 
821Hunter initiated the first male street-based outreach service in St Kilda and a 
822needle-syringe programme. 
823
824Commenting on his time prostituting in St Kilda, Hunter said that 
825‘fortunately I was saved by the outreach workers of the PCV rather than the 
826Ladies of the Order of St Mary’s giving out sandwiches’. Founded in 1978 by 
827Cheryl Overs , a ‘sex workers’ rights ’ activist, the PCV did anything but ‘save’ 
828those involved in the sex trade. Exiting prostitution was never one of its aims. 
829As leader of the PCV, Overs represented the sex trade on the Ministry of 
830Planning Working Group on Prostitution that advised the Victorian government 
831leading up to decriminalisation of indoor prostitution, including pimps, brothel 
832owners and all other third party profiteers. The organisation was soon at the 
833cutting edge of the AIDS debate. In 1988, the PCV hosted the Prostitution and 
834the AIDS Debate Conference in Melbourne , which led to the formation of the 
835national federation of ‘sex workers ’ rights’ organisations across Australia : 
836Scarlet Alliance . 
837
838In 1989, Overs began to campaign in Europe, beginning her career on the 
839other side of the world as an advisor to the Global Programme on AIDS at the 
840World Health Organisation , contributing to International AIDS conferences 
841and publications such as Harvard AIDS Institute’s AIDS in the World and 
842helping establish the International Council of AIDS Service Organisations 
843(ICASO) . By this time, the worlds of prostitution and AIDS were as one, both 
844in terms of ideology and at policy level. 
845
846At the 1992 Opportunities for Solidarity Conference of HIV/AIDS NGOs 
847in Paris, Overs and Paulo Henrique Longo founded the NSWP. In 2004, NSWP 
848condemned the anti-prostitution and trafficking resolution as 
849‘counterproductive to effective HIV/AIDS prevention programmes 
850worldwide’. Their view was shared by hundreds of individuals and 
851organisations who signed a letter to the US President opposing the resolution 
852in 2005. NSWP vice president Alejandra Gil, who also served as co-chair of 
853the UNAIDS Advisory Group on HIV and Sex Work and Global Working 
854Group on HIV and Sex Work Policy , was arrested for sex trafficking in 2015 
855and subsequently jailed for fifteen years.2 
856
857Overs remains active in the pro-prostitution/AIDS world. In 2012 she 
858delivered a keynote speech at the International AIDS Conference and, in the 
859
860
861same year, presented on ‘sex workers rights’ at the United Nations Human 
862Rights Council (UNHRC). She is currently an honorary research fellow at 
863Sussex University in the UK, the same University at which a number of pro-
864prostitution trafficking deniers are linked, as I discuss in Chap. 9. 
865
866
867Common Funding, Service Provision and Policy 
868
869Since the late 1980s, much prostitution policy is determined by AIDS funding, 
870largely from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the OSF , founded by 
871George Soros . There can be little doubt that AIDS funding has driven both 
872service provision and policy when it comes to prostitution and the sex trade: 
873where Rupert Murdoch controls the media, and Bill and Melinda Gates and the 
874OSF control the prostitution discourse. 
875
876Soros is a billionaire who made his fortune in aggressive currency 
877speculation, creating hardship and driving economic crashes in countries that 
878he later offered to ‘rescue’ through OSF. Soros has been prosecuted and 
879convicted in France of market manipulation and fraud.3 Eugenio Zaffaroni , 
880who also funded and advised the OSF, was accused of brothel keeping and 
881running a sex-trafficking ring in six apartments he owns in Buenos Aires, 
882Argentina . Zaffaroni has since been appointed as a judge at the Inter-American 
883Court of Human Rights.4 
884
885OSF is not only a major donor to AI, Human Rights Watch (HRW) , and 
886UNAIDS , but also to a number of pro-prostitution lobby groups across the 
887world. Soros is the biggest financial backer of the pro-legalisation lobby in the 
888world, whose organisation is overtly pro-legalisation, and who funded reports 
889AI relied on in order to support their position.5 OSF donated to UNAIDS and 
890UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) which, while claiming that 
891they are independent institutions, acknowledge ‘the generous financial support’ 
892of OSF.6 This funding has had an impact on legislation: it funds the lobby group 
893Sex Workers’ Alliance Ireland which is campaigning against the Nordic model 
894, and is supporting Laura Lee in her attempt to judicially review the 
895abolitionist law in Northern Ireland .7 HRW initially did not have a policy on 
896criminalisation versus decriminalisation, although they recently affirmed their 
897support for full decriminalisation—perhaps influenced by the funding received 
898from Soros , most notably a 2010 grant pledging $100 million over ten years.8 
899NSWP is also funded by the OSF. 
900
901Most recent data from 2013 shows 56 NGOs have funded €8 million in 
902pro-prostitution projects/decriminalisation advocacy.9 The top five donors 
903(and money they’ve contributed) were Open Society Initiative, Ford 
904Foundation , American Jewish World Service , Red Umbrella Fund , and 
905
906
907Mama Cash (a pro-prostitution fund for women based in the Netherlands ). Of 
908the €8 million: €3 million was invested in health, €1.4 million in legal service, 
909and the remaining €4.4 million in advocacy and policy10; in other words a huge 
910emphasis on pushing for decriminalisation over and above practical long-term 
911help for prostituted women such as health services and poverty alleviation. 
912
913The Ford Foundation was reported as the biggest donor to pro-prostitution 
914organisations, with the average Ford Foundation grant to ‘sex worker’ 
915organisations exceeding $100,000.11 The Ford Foundation was one of the core 
916supporters (along with Mama Cash and the Association for Women’s Rights in 
917Development [AWID]) of the ‘Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Focus’ 
918series launched in the Guardian 
919in February 2014. In a statement, the 
920Guardian 
921said: ‘As partners, The Ford Foundation , Mama Cash and AWID 
922will offer the Guardian 
923editorial team ideas and help link the team with 
924diverse women’s rights advocates, organisations and movements.’12 
925
926American Jewish World Service (AJWS) , a Jewish organisation which 
927ought to understand the sting of bigotry, claims women who critique 
928prostitution as an institution of male violence are not feminists and are no 
929better than racists and homophobic bigots: 
930
931Some feminists also point to the stigma around sex work as an example of 
932
933societies’ unwillingness to recognise women’s sexual and reproductive 
934
935rights, including the right to choose one’s sexual partners, to choose 
936
937whether to have sex at all, and to enjoy sexuality and pleasure. Similar to 
938
939their positions against bans on interracial or same-sex marriage, these 
940
941feminists believe that the state should not interfere with consensual sex 
942
943between adults.13 
944
945AJWS is one of the largest funders of advocacy by and for pro-prostitution 
946campaigners. It currently provides $500,000 a year in grants to 17 
947organisations that support the rights of ‘sex workers’ in eight developing 
948countries. 
949
950‘Guided by our belief in the essential dignity of every person, AJWS and 
951our grantees make a very clear distinction between sex work and human 
952trafficking. To be clear, we are against all forms of human trafficking or forced 
953labour. We have learned from our grantees that sex work is a voluntary 
954occupation, which differs starkly from human trafficking -a problem that 
955violates people’s human rights by forcing them to work involuntarily.’14 
956
957
958Founded in 1985, Red Thread became one of the loudest voices in favour 
959of normalising ‘sex work’ as a legitimate form of employment. Much of its 
960publicity came from the media attention surrounding the two ‘Whores 
961Congresses’ they held. Their advocacy is similar to that of the English 
962Collective of Prostitutes and the Sex Workers’ Open University in the UK. In 
963its early years the organisation was 100% government-funded (despite 
964claiming the label ‘NGO’), and much of this government funding was spent on 
965the opening of The Red School , where new prostitutes were taught how best to 
966service their male clients. 
967
968The Red Umbrella Fund is composed of a global network of ‘sex worker’ 
969projects . It ‘strengthens and ensures the sustainability of the “sex worker’s 
970rights” movement by catalysing new funding for sex-worker led organisations 
971and their national and regional networks’.15 The Red Umbrella Fund has been 
972financially supported by six major foundations: AJWS , Comic Relief, Levi 
973Strauss Foundation, the MAC AIDS Fund, Mama Cash and OSF. It has, since 
974its inception in 2012, given 63 grants to sex worker advocacy organisations in 
97542 countries. The Fund only provides grants to organisations ‘led for and by 
976sex workers’ and will not consider grant applications from abolitionist 
977organisations, whatever the circumstances.16 
978
979AIDS NGOs are also adept at raising extraordinary amounts of money 
980through ad hoc charity events, regular charity drives and direct deposit from 
981private donors. Curiously, misogyny has been found by AIDS NGOs to be a 
982very useful means to excite donations. In Australia , for example, the Bobby 
983Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) is a key AIDS charity providing AIDS advocacy 
984and research. The patron of BGF is Justice Michael Kirby,17 who is without 
985doubt Australia’s most prominent human rights advocate. Justice Kirby is also 
986the patron of Touching Base, an organisation that argues disabled men have a 
987human right to use prostituted women. 
988
989The BGF hosts an annual ‘bake-off’, in which donated cakes are sold to the 
990highest bidder. It is a very prestigious event on the calendar of VIPs from the 
991sex trade and AIDS community. I am reliably informed, by a friend from 
992Australia, that not a single year has passed in which its cakes have not reduced 
993women to objects of violence and humiliation. In 2008, the most notorious of 
994these cakes depicted a graphic representation of Paris Hilton, who at the time 
995was serving a prison sentence for drug possession, being anally raped by ‘a 
996black tattooed lesbian [prisoner wearing] a strap-on dildo, [while] a horrified 
997miniature dog looked in through prison bars’. This vile sexist and racist cake, 
998
999
1000which sold for $7000, won first prize and remains the most expensive cake the 
1001BGF has ever sold18; and not one single complaint was made. 
1002
1003The key players in prostitution politics are the same key players in AIDS 
1004politics. This evidences the fact that the same skill set and impoverished 
1005understanding of so-called harm minimisation as the cure for male violence 
1006against women and girls is required for those involved in the policy direction 
1007of both AIDS and sex trade administration. For example, Tim Barnett MP, the 
1008man who single–handed decriminalised prostitution in New Zealand through 
1009his private member’s bill, is a gay man with extensive links to pro-prostitution 
1010organisations in the UK. After his retirement from politics he took up very 
1011important roles in AIDS organisations in South Africa where he worked 
1012closely with Dr Nothemba (Nono) Simelela . Simelela, South Africa’s most 
1013respected AIDS policy advisor, is a fascinating person worthy of a more 
1014
1015thorough investigation. Another example is Catherine Murphy , who was 
1016reported as beingthe ‘chiefengineer’ofAI’s positiononfullydecriminalising 
1017prostitution, before the wording was amended to ‘playing a significant role’.19 
1018
1019Murphy, mirroring Barnett, held a key role in the UK’s largest AIDS NGO the 
1020Terrence Higgins20 as head of Public Affairs, before taking up her policy 
1021advisor position at AI. As discussed in the Chap. 8, Murphy was displaying 
1022her hostility to the Nordic Model on behalf of AI well before that organisation 
1023
1024claims it had formed a policy position. 
1025
1026
1027USAID 
1028
1029The United States Agency for International Development (USAID ) is the 
1030world’s biggest government-affiliated funder of NGOs, with $22.3 billion 
1031allocated to be distributed to various organisations. Historically, USAID 
1032limited funds to NGOs that officially and outwardly opposed both prostitution 
1033and sex trafficking21 with the requirement that all recipients of donations sign 
1034an anti-prostitution pledge before the release of funds. 
1035
1036In 2005, USAID was taken to court by the Open Society Initiative (OSI) 
1037(vehemently pro-sex work) on the basis that asking NGOs to sign an anti-
1038prostitution pledge to receive funding was tantamount to a denial of free 
1039speech under the First Amendment: OSI won the case. While the validity and 
1040usefulness of the pledge has been disputed by those on both sides of the 
1041prostitution debate, the OSI’s successful challenge shows just how much 
1042money and time they have and are willing to throw behind pro-prostitution 
1043advocacy. 
1044
1045
1046NGO Proponents and Opponents of the Sex Trade 
10471983 
1048
1049Mama Cash , a Netherlands -based NGO, is formed. Mama Cash has been one 
1050ofthe mostprolific funders of‘sexworker’s rights’and advocacysince its 
1051inception. 
1052
10531987 
1054
1055The Global Fund for Women , ‘a global advocate for women’s human rights’,22 
1056is launched and begins funding anti-trafficking work and exit services for 
1057prostituted women. They would later reverse their stance to pledge support for 
1058decriminalisation (see 2005 and 2015). 
1059
10601988 
1061
1062The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, an international NGO, is formed. 
1063They are one of only a few organisations that remain committed to abolishing 
1064prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation. 
1065
10661995 
1067
1068A large and influential NGO caucus was formed at the fourth World Women’s 
1069Conference in Beijing and China. A group with immense lobbying power, it is 
1070headed up by Charlotte Bunch from the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership 
1071and Alice Miller from the International Human Rights Law Group: both are 
1072vehemently pro-‘sex work’.23 
1073
10741997 
1075
1076The Netherlands assumes presidency of the EU and immediately begins to use 
1077‘pro-sex work’ NGOs as a front to legitimise the normalisation of prostitution 
1078at the European level. In preparation for the EU Ministerial Conference in 
1079April of the same year, the Dutch government gives funding and advisory status 
1080to several pro-‘sex work’ NGOs. Despite claims of impartiality, no pro-
1081abolitionist NGOs are funded.24 
1082
1083Invitees to the conference are given an advantage when applying for the 
1084
1085
1086Daphne Grants: a series of grants available to NGOs for the purpose of funding 
1087anti-trafficking initiatives and awarded by the European Commission. 
1088
1089These grants fund many of the European pro-sex work groups during 
1090critical years of national, regional and international policy making on 
1091prostitution and trafficking, and also help elevate them into key governmental 
1092and media positions and forums within Europe and the UN .25 
1093
10942000 
1095
1096The International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW) is founded.26 While the 
1097organisation is unfunded, their reach in terms of advocacy and outreach has 
1098been unparalleled, and they are heavily consulted when forming the basis of 
1099the decriminalisation pledges of most major NGOs including the WHO and 
1100AI.27 
1101
11022002 
1103
1104HRW declares it has ‘no position on prostitution per se’. However, it ‘strongly 
1105condemns’ practices that fail to distinguish between prostitutes and victims of 
1106forced trafficking.28 
1107
11082004 
1109
1110Marianne Eriksson , a Swedish member of the European Parliament, demands 
1111a hearing into the misallocation of funding to NGOs, alleging that pro-
1112abolitionist groups who applied for funding were overwhelmingly rejected 
1113without good reason, even when their policies and finances were objectively 
1114more sound than those of pro-decriminalisation groups (see 1997). 
1115
11162005 
1117
1118Previously pro-abolitionist group Global Fund for Women (GFFW) reverses 
1119its position due to allegedly witnessing human rights violations by abolitionist 
1120agencies and NGOs. GFFW begins financing pro-decriminalisation sex worker 
1121organisations in developing countries, including Lady Mermaid in Kampala, 
1122Uganda. 
1123
11242006 
1125
1126
1127
1128Amid concerns that the 2006 World Cup in Germany will cause an increase in 
1129men buying women for sex, the German NGO The National Council of German 
1130Women’s Organisations iterated that they were not against men using women in 
1131prostitution but that men should merely try to avoid buying women who ‘look 
1132like they may have been coerced’.29 
1133
11342009 
1135
1136Michel Sidibé , the Executive Director of UNAIDS establishes an advisory 
1137group to be co-chaired by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects and 
1138UNAIDS. The group drives the policy of UNAIDS and also influences UN 
1139organisation wide policy.30 
1140
11412010 
1142
1143The Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE International) 
1144is asked at a conference in Iceland whether, as an organisation, it considers 
1145prostitution to be violence against women. The representative responds that 
1146there is no organisation-wide policy. However, CARE has in the past 
1147implicitly condoned men’s use of prostitutes as long as they use condoms, 
1148putting forward a position that there is a ‘moral’ way for men to use 
1149prostitutes.31 
1150
11512012 
1152
1153The WHO formally backs the decriminalisation of prostitution as a way to curb 
1154the spread of HIV in at-risk groups in developing countries.32 
1155
1156The UN officially calls for the decriminalisation of prostitution, including 
1157many sub-organisations under its remit (UNDP, UNAIDS , UN Women etc.). 
1158
1159The Red Umbrella Fund is created, described as the first global fund ‘by 
1160and for sex workers’. It is one of the biggest influencers of UN policy through 
1161its ‘Global Working Group on HIV and Sex Work ’. 
1162
11632014 
1164
1165HRW affirms its support for decriminalisation in its 24th annual review of 
1166human rights practices worldwide,33 marking a departure from its 2002 stance 
1167of having ‘no policy per se’. The Lancet special edition is published, which 
1168
1169
1170focusses on the influence of decriminalised prostitution on rates of HIV. 
1171
11722015 
1173
1174AI formally backs the decriminalisation of prostitution as an organisation-wide 
1175policy. The decision is framed as a ‘policy to protect the human rights of sex 
1176workers’.34 AI’s decision is backed by over 1100 organisations and 
1177individuals including organisations like GFFW who had previously worked on 
1178anti-trafficking and exit services for prostituted women, representing a policy 
1179U-turn.35 
1180
1181Eaves, one of the few UK NGOs that is openly abolitionist closes due to a 
1182lack of funding.36 
1183
1184Meanwhile, UK pro-prostitution organisations are thriving, such as the Sex 
1185Workers’ Open University (SWOU). Despite claiming ‘almost non-existent’ 
1186funding, the SWOU has some powerful backers, including the International 
1187Federation of Planned Parenthood and SERTUC, the South East arm of the 
1188UK’s Trade Union Congress. 
1189
1190
1191The Lancet and Its Legacy 
1192
1193‘The decriminalisation of sex work and prevention of trafficking of human 
1194beings are not tantamount,’ Jennifer Butler, senior advisor on HIV at the UN’s 
1195Population Fund told Vice News. ‘The overwhelming majority of people 
1196selling sex in the world are selling sex voluntarily.’37 
1197
1198The false distinction between trafficking and other aspects of the sex trade 
1199has been explored in Chap. 6. Many within the AIDS world hold this 
1200distinction dear. 
1201
1202AVERT (AVERTing HIV and AIDS) is an international charity, founded in 
12031986 and based in Brighton in the UK. It provides ‘global information and 
1204advice on HIV & AIDS’ and its aim is a world with no new HIV infections. In 
1205its section on ‘Sex Work and HIV/AIDS’, AVERT’s website states that: ‘Large 
1206numbers of trafficked people are forced into selling sex every year. This is 
1207different from sex work in that trafficked people are forced into selling sex. 
1208Even in countries where HIV prevalence is low, trafficked people who are 
1209forced to sell sex are still vulnerable to HIV infection because they struggle to 
1210access condoms, cannot negotiate condom use and are often subjected to 
1211violence.’ 
1212
1213A number of AIDS activists tends to leap from the argument that barely any 
1214people in prostitution are trafficked, to one that acknowledges it is a significant 
1215problem, while driving a wedge between the process and the inevitable end 
1216result. For example, leading on from the above claim, the website continues: 
1217‘However, many emphasise that the relationship between sex work and human 
1218trafficking should not be overplayed as it can lead to false or exaggerated anti-
1219sex work arguments and harmful action by the authorities, ultimately 
1220undermining HIV prevention for sex workers.’ 
1221
1222To substantiate this argument, the authors cite a Lancet article38 entitled 
1223‘Trafficking, sex work and HIV: Efforts to resolve conflicts’, which is one of 
1224seven from a special edition39 on prostitution and the sex trade in which it is 
1225argued that conflating trafficking with ‘sex work’ hinders HIV prevention 
1226strategies and medical care. The series of papers is a call to governments to 
1227decriminalise sex work, says Lancet editor Richard Horton and senior 
1228executive editor Pamela Das in the Introduction. 
1229
1230In 2013 the Bill Gates Foundation gave Johns Hopkins University a 
1231$250,000 grant to put together the special edition. It was published in July 
1232
1233
12342014 and created an international media storm. The influence of the special 
1235edition cannot be underestimated. Although mainly medical professionals read 
1236The Lancet, its conclusions regarding sex trade policy—i.e. blanket 
1237decriminalisation—were disseminated far and wide in the media. 
1238
1239‘DECRIMINALISING SEX WORK WOULD CUT HIV INFECTIONS BY 
1240A THIRD’, screamed the press release headline,40 with many newspapers 
1241following suit. 
1242In a letter41 to AI prior to its final decision-making summit in Dublin, 
1243August 2016, The Lancet editorial board wrote: 
1244
1245‘Sex workers are among the most marginalised, stigmatised populations 
1246in the world. Criminalisation of their profession increases their risk of 
1247HIV and violence and abuse from clients, police, and the public. The 
1248Lancet series on HIV and sex workers showed that decriminalisation of 
1249sex work would have the greatest effect on the course of HIV epidemics 
1250across all settings, averting 33–46% of HIV infections in the next decade. 
1251Such a move would also reduce mistreatment of sex workers and increase 
1252their access to human rights, including health care. The Lancet supports 
1253Amnesty’s draft policy and urges its Board to adopt it at their upcoming 
1254meeting in Dublin.’ 
1255
1256According to the methodology section, in order to reach the rather 
1257extraordinary conclusion, the researchers collected all the available data on 
1258HIV prevalence, condom use and ‘structural determinants’ among those 
1259involved in prostitution, and used a mathematical model to simulate the effect 
1260of different interventions. This was carried out in three contrasting settings: 
1261Vancouver, Canada ; Bellary, India; and Mombasa, Kenya . 
1262
1263‘The research shows that eliminating sexual violence,’ claimed the 
1264researchers, ‘could reduce HIV infection rates among FSWs (female sex 
1265workers) and their clients by up to a fifth over 10 years in the settings 
1266investigated, through its immediate and sustained effect on non-condom use’.42 
1267How are the researchers planning on eliminating sexual violence towards 
1268women in prostitution, when it is endemic the world over, including, as we 
1269have seen in Chap. 4 and elsewhere in this book, in legalised regimes? 
1270
1271Dr Michael Shively , senior associate in the US Health Division of Abt 
1272Associates,43 based in Massachusetts, has spent time analysing the claims 
1273made by the authors of The Lancet special edition. I asked him for his views 
1274
1275
1276on the evidence presented by the editors and authors involved in the special 
1277edition, and found him unequivocal in concluding that the evidence nowhere 
1278near backs up their claims that new HIV infections would be dramatically 
1279reduced if there were blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade: 
1280
1281Let’s suppose you accept the idea that violence and police harassment and 
1282condom use would improve dramatically following decriminalisation, 
1283let’s say by 50 percent as an example. What would happen if the demand 
1284and sexual commerce doubled in response to decriminalisation? Because 
1285if you call off the dogs and make [prostitution] legal and there’s no 
1286deterrent, there’s no threat of punishment and it’s a completely free 
1287market. If demand doubled because buyers, sellers, and pimps were free 
1288to operate unabated, then you would be in exactly the same place in terms 
1289of HIV transmissions. Risks might decline, but if the pool of people at 
1290risk expands, the safety gains are offset, at least in part. Obviously it 
1291wouldn’t work out that cleanly, but even if there was only a modest 
1292increase in demand, it’s still an offset that should at least be considered. 
1293Yet the authors modelled only potential benefits leading to reductions in 
1294rates of harm, without any offsets or potentially negative consequences of 
1295full decriminalisation. 
1296
1297Shively is right to be concerned about a potential increase in demand as a 
1298result of decriminalisation. One central argument in the collection of Lancet 
1299articles amounts to this: that decriminalisation would result in zero or a vast 
1300reduction in violence, and in police harassment toward prostituted people; 
1301prostitution would occur in unsafe workplaces; and there would be universal 
1302condom use. Each of these assumptions or counterfactuals separately is 
1303unrealistic. 
1304
1305The researchers did not miss the opportunity to inform the public that calls 
1306to decriminalise the sex trade have come from a number of major health 
1307organisations: ‘Calls for removal of all legal restrictions targeting sex work 
1308have been supported by international policy bodies, including WHO , UNAIDS 
1309, UNDP and the UN Population Fund’, claimed the press release44 from 
1310Imperial College London. 
1311
1312However, something was missing from the headlines, and from the 
1313interpretation of the studies written up in The Lancet and showcased at the 
1314AIDS 2014 Conference in Melbourne . The senior author of the study, Dr 
1315
1316
1317Marie-Claude Boily , School of Public Health, Imperial College London, made 
1318this clear: ‘To observe the level of impact we predict, we need not only 
1319decriminalisation of sex work but also to have necessary and sufficient clinical 
1320services, prevention interventions and psychosocial support in place and 
1321easily accessible to sex workers’. However, the authors were not, in the 
1322various papers in the special edition, suggesting that governments should hold 
1323back from introducing decriminalisation until the above-mentioned services 
1324were in place. 
1325
1326‘ The Lancet did us a favour’, says Shively . ‘There are literally thousands 
1327of sources that examine health risks and other consequences of commercial 
1328sex, and the editors of the special edition and authors of its individual articles 
1329claim outright that they have reviewed this vast field and integrated key 
1330findings from the best sources. Their reviews and original contributions are 
1331presented as a state-of-the-art collection and synthesis of thousands of studies. 
1332They present their primary conclusion that decriminalisation would 
1333significantly reduce HIV transmission as definitive and based on 
1334overwhelming scientific evidence. If that conclusion from that collection of 
1335research does not hold up under scrutiny, they can’t accuse [abolitionists ] and 
1336other researchers who contest their findings of cherry-picking only the weak 
1337studies -they have already told the world that this is the best evidence.’ 
1338
1339Chris Beyrer is Professor of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins 
1340Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland in the USA, and 
1341President of the International AIDS Society. Breyer, who was awarded the 
1342grant to put together the 2014 special edition of The Lancet , made a 
1343compelling speech, which was widely disseminated through the international 
1344media,45 at the AIDS conference that same year. 
1345
1346I spoke to him on Skype and asked if he would explain how the authors 
1347reached the conclusion that full decriminalisation would result in a significant 
1348drop in HIV infections. ‘One of the things that really came out across these 
1349comprehensive reviews was just the level of violence that particularly women 
1350and transgender sex workers endure everywhere’, says Beyrer. ‘It’s 
1351extraordinary. It’s intimate partner violence, client violence, police violence 
1352and the whole approach to safety and to trying to reduce violence, I think is a 
1353very important part of the pathway of decriminalisation because as long as, in 
1354most of the world, the police are not on the side of action, as long as sex 
1355workers are criminalised, there is terrible impunity for police violence and 
1356sexual violence and that really plays in.’ 
1357
1358
1359But, as Beyrer himself pointed out, the violence towards women in 
1360prostitution comes from punters, pimps, intimate partners and police. Beyrer 
1361appears to be both overselling how much of the problem is driven by police, 
1362and implying that the problem of police abuses would disappear if 
1363decriminalisation occurred. ‘But it turns out that decriminalisation had the 
1364biggest effect on averting new infections,’ says Breyer, ‘and I would point out 
1365that it’s very important that the model included new infections in men’. 
1366
1367The research did not, however, find that decriminalisation had the effect of 
1368diverting new infections as Breyer claims. Rather, it was found that large 
1369effects occur when you assume immediate, complete elimination of violence 
1370and inconsistent condom use. They never link those outcomes to 
1371decriminalisation with data. In fact, there are no historical precedents or 
1372studies that provide direct evidence that decriminalisation of commercial sex 
1373eliminates or reduces violence or increases condom use. 
1374
1375I asked Breyer how blanket decriminalisation would eliminate violence 
1376towards those in prostitution carried out by punters, pimps and those outside of 
1377law enforcement? Breyer holds up the Dutch model of legalisation as a ‘good 
1378model’. ‘We interviewed and spent some time with the head of human 
1379trafficking at [Amsterdam Police] that is responsible for the red-light district in 
1380Amsterdam,’ says Breyer. ‘Their focus for example is working with coercion 
1381and trafficking – that is a crime – it’s a very different crime from selling sex 
1382but obviously it is intimately related.’ 
1383
1384
1385Conscience or ‘Science’? 
1386
1387At the 2015 International AIDS Conference in Vancouver, Canada , held 
1388exactly one year after the launch of The Lancet special edition, I was granted a 
1389brief interview with its former President, the scarily eminent Françoise Barré-
1390Sinoussi , the French virologist who discovered the HIV virus. I had been at 
1391the conference for a day or two, sitting in the media centre listening to 
1392journalists and bloggers from every region of the world talk among themselves 
1393about their angles on stories. I was a bit of a lone wolf. My interest was in the 
1394harms to women in the sex trade and there were no other reporters that shared 
1395my interest. From what I could gather, no-one was looking at the possibility 
1396that reducing demand for paid sex and helping the women to exit would reduce 
1397HIV infection rates. Rather, they were keen to hear about the positive effects 
1398that blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade might have on the spread of the 
1399virus. 
1400
1401As we walked to the interview room, Barré-Sinoussi told me she was not 
1402sure how she could help, saying she was involved in ‘basic science’ and not in 
1403public health research, although, she told me, she had an interest in both. There 
1404was no false modesty involved in Barré-Sinoussi’s statement, just a simple 
1405stating of the facts. The scientists are concerned only with how to understand 
1406the way the virus is transmitted and to search for a vaccine and a cure. 
1407
1408I told Barré-Sinoussi I was interested in her views on the claims that were 
1409published in the special edition of The Lancet the previous year—that 
1410legalising/decriminalising the global sex trade would bring about a reduction 
1411in new HIV infections of around one-third or more within a decade. 
1412
1413Barré-Sinoussi recalled a research trip to South East Asia and a visit to 
1414Cambodia in the early 1990s. She became visibly upset as she told me about 
1415the prostituted girls that were being bought by Western men: 
1416
1417‘Most of the girls that I met were very young. Most of them started 
1418
1419prostitution when they were infants. They were sold by their own family, 
1420
1421said Barré-Sinoussi, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. ‘People 
1422
1423involved in the traffic were giving money to the family to buy the girls. 
1424
1425I’ve seen terrible things. Like at an international hotel … depending on 
1426
1427the time of night you would see very young girls, only 11 or 12, that were 
1428
1429sold. It was really awful. Probably the worst experience I had in my life.’ 
1430
1431
1432I asked whether the girls would have been better off under 
1433decriminalisation, drawing the conversation to The Lancet special edition and 
1434its claims. ‘In my opinion, you cannot generalise. You have different situations 
1435in different countries and even in one country you can have different situations 
1436regarding prostitution’, said Barré-Sinoussi. ‘You have prostitutes that really 
1437made a choice , that’s their own choice and we should respect that. You have 
1438all the situations like the worst that I have mentioned.’ 
1439
1440I was no clearer at all about the claims made in 2014, so pressed the 
1441scientists further. 
1442
1443How would global decriminalisation be effective? Barré-Sinoussi gave an 
1444example of the policing of a street in Phnom Penh called ‘the street of small 
1445flowers’. Very young girls were sold from that street, and one year the 
1446government decided to close it in an attempt to reduce the risk of infection 
1447among the prostituted children. ‘It was a terrible decision because in a very 
1448few months we have seen in Cambodia a small flower starting everywhere in 
1449the city,’ said Barré-Sinoussi . ‘When they were all in one street at least in that 
1450street it was organised with a healthcare centre, with organisations that were 
1451taking care of the girls if, for example, they had an infection or if they wanted 
1452to come to the health centre. When they were everywhere in the city they did 
1453not know where to go. It was a terrible decision.’ 
1454
1455While fully understanding her point about the importance of ensuring 
1456access to medical care for the girls, I was disturbed that Barré-Sinoussi had 
1457not considered that helping them out of prostitution was the best protection 
1458against HIV. When Barré-Sinoussi recalled her time in Cambodia it was very 
1459clear that she thought that men buying children for sex is an abhorrence: ‘I 
1460remember having breakfast in the hotel and tourists coming from Australia and 
1461the USA explaining to us very nicely that they used to go to Thailand , but 
1462Cambodia was much better than Thailand. This was because they have access 
1463to much younger girls than the ones they had access to before in Thailand, and 
1464some were virgins’. 
1465
1466At the Vancouver conference I met Tim Lane , Associate Professor at The 
1467California San Francisco Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies. Lane agreed 
1468with the recommendation that blanket decriminalisation would significantly 
1469reduce HIV rates. ‘One of the things we heard a lot of anecdotally -because 
1470sex work is illegal -is that women are subject to all sorts of abuse by law 
1471enforcement officers who will find a woman with condoms in her purse and 
1472will say she is a sex worker and therefore will be arrested’, said Lane. 
1473
1474
1475Lane is correct. There are instances of women being arrested for carrying 
1476condoms in certain countries, but this problem would be solved by the 
1477introduction of the Nordic Model , where the women (and men) selling sex 
1478would not be at risk of arrest, but could in fact report a sex buyer for refusing 
1479to use a condom: under the Nordic Model the sex buyer is committing a 
1480criminal act in attempting to pay for sex, so no further evidence from the 
1481prostituted person would be necessary. 
1482
1483While there is no credible evidence that decriminalising pimping, brothel 
1484owning and sex buying increases condom use and decreases violence, there is 
1485plenty to the contrary. The same report contained data on reasons why women 
1486in prostitution did not always use condoms: ‘… about 71 percent of the female 
1487sex workers reported that they have, at least once in the past one month, 
1488refused to have sex with a client/non-regular partner who did not have or did 
1489not want to use a condom’.46 I am unsure how decriminalising the activities of 
1490the sex buyers (if they are criminalised at all, which in India they are not) 
1491would change the situation for women. No legislation on earth could make the 
1492sex buyer use a condom if he did not wish to. 
1493
1494‘Sex workers have told us that when they ask a client to use a condom, he 
1495offers double the price to have sex without the condom. These women are 
1496trying to provide for their children and families, so they take the offer’, says 
1497Ndeye Astou Diop of Aboya (an organisation that works with HIV positive 
1498women in Senegal, Africa).47 
1499
1500When women are desperate, and/or scared of the punter, pimp or trafficker, 
1501they will agree to sex without a condom. If buying sex was a criminal offence, 
1502at least women might be able to threaten the punter with the police. 
1503Conversely, many advocates for legalisation and decriminalisation are against 
1504compulsory condom use. 
1505
1506Even some pro-prostitution activists are against any interference regarding 
1507condom use. I visited the Kassandra Counselling Centre for women in 
1508prostitution in Germany , where I met its head Barbel Ahlborn . Kassandra’s 
1509take on assisting women out of prostitution is to provide classes where women 
1510can become ‘qualified sexual accompaniment and assistance’ (taught how to 
1511best provide sexual services for old and disabled men in their homes or 
1512institutions). 
1513
1514Ahlborn told me she was seriously concerned about a newly proposed law 
1515that would make condom use compulsory in commercial sex transactions. ‘If it 
1516would make sense to have some kind of law on [compulsory condom use] I 
1517
1518
1519would be for it, but you cannot control it. The prostitute and the buyer are 
1520alone and there’s nobody making sure they are using a condom so it doesn’t 
1521make sense.’ 
1522
1523I asked Ahlborn if she would like to see an end to all of the regulation and 
1524just to have no state interference in the sex trade. ‘It’s hard to answer the 
1525question,’ she says. ‘If I want prostitutes to be treated like other businesses 
1526with regulations for the protection of people who are working there, we need 
1527that, but not with any treatment as victims. When I look at the sex workers here, 
1528there are women and some men who are well educated and know how to take 
1529care of their own rights, and there are many people in prostitution who hardly 
1530know German or about sexual health and even the functions of their own 
1531bodies and they only work in that trade so as not to starve – just to survive.’ 
1532
1533It is not uncommon for pro-prostitution lobbyists to be against compulsory 
1534condom use, while at the same time taking money and support from the 
1535organisations with an aim to eliminate HIV. Siouxsie Q , whom we have met in 
1536previous chapters, also tells me she is against compulsory condom use on porn 
1537sets. It is difficult to see how decriminalising pimps and brothel owners could 
1538possible reduce rates of HIV, rather than to increase it. As we have heard from 
1539women who have exited the sex trade in previous chapters, sex buyers under 
1540decriminalisation routinely demand sex without a condom. 
1541
1542On the opening day of the 2015 World AIDS conference I joined a press 
1543trip to visit Insite, Vancouver’s legal supervised injection site,48 and the first of 
1544its kind in North America. The idea behind Insite, which first opened its doors 
1545in 2003, is to provide a ‘safe, health-focused place where people inject drugs 
1546and connect to health care services’ according to its website. Insite is North 
1547America’s first legal supervised injection site, and it is often hailed by AIDS 
1548activists and medics as a best practice model. 
1549
1550The building sits in the Downtown East Side, by far the worst 
1551neighbourhood in Canada . The stark contrast between the conference venue— 
1552a spectacular spot on Vancouver’s waterfront with stunning views of 
1553mountains, ocean, and parks—and the Downtown East Side district that looks 
1554and smells derelict is further enhanced by the beginnings of gentrification, such 
1555as the venue in which delegates meet. This art gallery looks out onto urine-
1556stained streets and homeless beggars. The presentation put on by members of 
1557the Insite team included data on how many ‘sex workers’ use the programme. I 
1558asked if there were any resources available at Insite to assist women off drugs 
1559and out of the sex trade, and was told that the staff take a ‘non-judgemental 
1560
1561
1562approach’ to prostitution and therefore, no, there are no resources for such 
1563interventions. I was not surprised at the response. 
1564
1565Trisha Baptie , one of the Native Canadian survivors I met in Vancouver, is 
1566clear that Insite is not helping the women in prostitution who wish to exit. 
1567
1568‘They don’t offer exiting because it costs more money,’ she says. ‘We have 
1569to be discussing the social climate that allows AIDS to ferment in the 
1570prostitution community because there has to be an acknowledgement that the 
1571men are responsible. They’re the ones who are saying I’ll give you $50 more if 
1572I don’t use a condom, and women are saying “yes” to that because of the dire 
1573situation they’re in, so until you change the social situation that women are 
1574living in and take away men’s ability to demand that, we’re just going to be 
1575going round in circles.’ 
1576
1577My appetite for a grand tour of Insite has been totally quashed, and instead 
1578I ask a feminist activist I had recently met in Vancouver to take me on a guided 
1579tour of the area. Courtney is a Native Canadian young woman, originally from 
1580the Squamish Nation. Courtney, like so many Native girls in Canada , was 
1581prostituted in the Downtown East Side from childhood until she escaped a few 
1582years ago. Summer Rain was in and out of foster care from 6 months old until 
1583the duty of care towards her ended at 18. In that time, she was in 25 different 
1584foster homes and approximately 15 group homes. 
1585
1586‘Nobody really noticed where I went, which I think is often the case with 
1587Aboriginal children in care in British Columbia,’ says Courtney. ‘One of the 
1588things I say is that my life was shaped for sexual exploitation and prostitution 
1589before I was even born. My family has such a long history of violence against 
1590women that it became the norm in our world.’ 
1591
1592When Courtney was 10 years old she ran away from her foster home and 
1593became fully immersed in the street culture of Vancouver, desperately trying to 
1594find a place in a family or somewhere that she was wanted. ‘It didn’t take very 
1595long being down there [Downtown East Side] before I was targeted, being this 
1596little blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid running around. It took three days before I 
1597was set up and what I learned after the fact was that I was being watched for 
1598those three days … who was I talking to, where was I going, who was 
1599responsible, was anybody with me or was I just random?’ Courtney had been 
1600stalked by a well-known pimp in the area and was soon being sold to men that 
1601came to the area to pay for sex with children and women. 
1602
1603As we walk around the area, I see women within spitting distance of the 
1604Insite doorway, injecting heroin and smoking crack. One woman moves a few 
1605
1606
1607metres away to a doorway with a crack-using punter and gives him a hand job 
1608for drugs. Courtney tells me about the service provision for women in 
1609prostitution, which, she explains, is focused towards keeping AIDS away from 
1610the johns. ‘Every service for women in prostitution is about eliminating the 
1611harm. You can live in Chrysalis or Rice block, which are operating as brothels. 
1612The staff are told that the johns are going to come in regardless of whether we 
1613like it or not. They just move them off the streets, there’s no exiting services, 
1614there’s no support. 
1615
1616‘You will watch Beamers or Mercedes pull up in the front. A businessman 
1617in a suit gets out and goes inside, and leaves five or ten minutes later. It 
1618provides no way for [the prostituted woman] to get out because now her 
1619housing has become her brothel has become her prison and the State is funding 
1620these programmes.’ 
1621
1622In Nairobi , Kenya , I take a taxi to meet Peninah Mwangi , founder of the 
1623Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP) , close to a 
1624residential area six kilometers north-east of Nairobi’s central business district. 
1625It is a notorious area for prostitution and several attacks on the women have 
1626been documented in recent years. 
1627
1628On arrival I meet a young woman preparing to interview some of the 
1629organisations’ service users. She introduces herself to me as Catherine Barker 
1630from The Futures Group, and explains that she is an intern working on a 
1631research project to measure how stigma against ‘sex workers’ can cause a 
1632barrier to accessing healthcare. Nairobi is one of the four sites chosen and 
1633Mwangi and her team have clearly done a great job in getting women 
1634interested in taking part in the research. The courtyard area is thronging with 
1635women, some sleeping, others smoking and chatting. By the time Mwangi 
1636arrives for our appointment, there is a queue of about 50 women around the 
1637building. 
1638
1639The BHESP is a peer-led support and health service for women who are at 
1640high risk of HIV. Partly funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis 
1641and Malaria, the BHESP’s key mission is, according to it website, ‘to 
1642influence policy and facilitate provision of quality health services, human 
1643rights awareness, legal services and economic empowerment for sex workers, 
1644WSW, women using drugs and bar hostesses in Kenya ’. 
1645
1646Mwangi is warm, open and very confident. I follow her into a small office 
1647and explain my research. Mwangi is surprised when I explain my position on 
1648the sex trade and my support for criminalising the buyers. BHESP’s position is 
1649
1650
1651to support blanket decriminalisation. I check with Mwangi if that included 
1652pimping and brothel owning as well as those selling sex, and she confirms that 
1653yes, it includes all aspects of the sex trade. 
1654
1655BHESP was born out of the AIDS crisis. Mwangi, a member of The Global 
1656Sex Workers’ Alliance, an editor for its magazine, and Chair of African Sex 
1657Workers’ Alliance, is listed as one of the authors of the Lancet 
1658article49 from 
1659the 2014 special edition. She used to be a bar worker from which she engaged 
1660in part-time prostitution. Mwangi explains how women in bar-based 
1661prostitution came together to form an alliance: ‘We started as women working 
1662in the bars where we saw that there was a lot of violence’ she says. ‘1998 was 
1663when HIV was really affecting us in the bars more than anywhere else in the 
1664country.’ 
1665
1666It was common, Mwangi tells me, for buyers to demand sex without a 
1667condom. I ask her how decriminalising the pimps and traffickers will help 
1668reduce violence and, subsequently, HIV. She replies: ‘If they decriminalise and 
1669[we can] work with the sex workers, and work with the pimps … we will be 
1670able to manage the pimps, we will be able to manage the brothel owners, we 
1671will have a kind of accountability to the sex workers through organisations like 
1672ours’. The idea that an organisation such as the BHESP could control pimps 
1673and traffickers seems ridiculous. Those selling and brokering women in 
1674prostitution are only interested in profit. There is more profit for them in sex 
1675without a condom than there is with. The women are desperately poor and 
1676have little option—if a punter is demanding unsafe sex, she is unlikely to either 
1677be able to, or choose to, refuse. 
1678
1679For Courtney and many of the survivors I interviewed for this book, so-
1680called harm minimisation or reduction approaches, such as those adopted by 
1681the majority of service providers funded by AIDS money, can only be justified 
1682if it is one aspect of the support offered to women and girls in the sex trade. 
1683
1684‘I don’t disagree with the whole concept of harm reduction when 
1685implemented as part of a full project’, says Courtney. ‘I think some places in 
1686the world have done that but here we have not. We warehouse the most poor 
1687and desolate women who are the most at risk and put them in the one location, 
1688give men free access and say that’s harm elimination. That’s not harm 
1689elimination, that’s harming.’ 
1690
1691
1692Conclusion 
1693
1694The language of ‘human rights’ has been successfully co-opted by the 
1695movement to undermine the rights of prostituted women. There exists an 
1696orthodoxy among those in the HIV prevention business. How would 
1697decriminalisation ensure safe workplaces? Which other ‘industry’ that is 
1698currently acknowledged to be unsafe then becomes safer with complete 
1699deregulation? 
1700
1701The global labour movement started because history (particularly 
1702industrialisation) proved that without regulation, the minimum standards of 
1703safety, wages and workers’ rights are upheld. In the current debate, ‘meaningful 
1704involvement of sex workers’ seems to really mean ‘those who stand to profit 
1705most from a deregulated sex trade’. 
1706
1707Bill Gates, George Soros , the WHO , the UN and AI—all so-called human 
1708rights defenders and all supporters of blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade 
1709—could be seen as playing the role that the late nineteenth/early twentieth-
1710century industrialists played in finding ways to ensure that there was unfettered 
1711access to cheap, disempowered labour. 
1712
1713HIV prevention cannot possibly be effective until the structure of sexual 
1714inequality is challenged as a core component of HIV prevention policy and 
1715programmes. We are not close to this yet. Over the years, substantial funding 
1716has found its way to organisations and individuals involved in pimping, brothel 
1717keeping and even trafficking. In the next chapter, I uncover some of the criminal 
1718elements allowed to flourish in the sex trade and ask: How have these people 
1719been allowed to hide in plain sight? 
1720
1721Footnotes 
1722
17231 
1724Sharratt, T. (1986, Dec 12.) Preacher Anderton thunders against the gays. In The Guardian. 
1725
17262 
1727NSWP. (2015, Oct 16.) NWSP statement of support for Alejandra Gil: Bad laws are not in the 
1728interest of sex workers’human rights! In NWSP.org. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.nswp. 
1729org/news/nswp-statement-support-alejandra-gil-bad-laws-are-not-the-interest-sex-workers-humanrights. 
1730
1731
1732
17333 
1734Clark, N. (2011, Aug 2.) Soros loses challenge to insider trading conviction. In New York Times. 
1735Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/soros-loses-challenge-to-insidertrading-
1736conviction/?_r=0. 
1737
17384 
1739International Justice Resource Centre. (2015, Jun 25.) New members elected to inter-American 
1740human rights body amid controversy. In IJRC.org. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
1741ijrcenter.org/2015/06/25/new-members-elected-to-inter-american-human-rights-bodies-amidcontroversy/. 
1742
1743
17445 
1745https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/40000/fin400122010en.pdf‚ p. 10. 
1746
17476 
1748HIV Law Commission. (2012, July.) Global commission on HIV and the law: Risks, rights and 
1749health. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.hivlawcommission.org/resources/report/FinalReport-
1750Risks,Rights&Health-EN.pdf‚ p. 5. 
1751
17527 
1753McGrew, K. (2016, Sep 8.) Sex workers’legal challenge granted leave in high court in Northern 
1754Ireland. In Sex Workers Alliance Ireland. Retrieved 15 June 2017, fromhttp://sexworkersallian 
1755ceireland.org/sex-workers-legal-challenge-granted-leave-in-high-court-in-northern-ireland-28_09_2016/. 
1756
17578 
1758Boston.com. (2010, Sept 7.) George Soros gives $100m to human rights watch. In Boston.com. 
1759Retrieved 15 June 2017, fromhttp://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/09/07/george_soros_ 
1760gives_100m_to_human_rights_watch/. 
1761
17629 
1763Mama Cash, Red Umbrella Fund, Open Societies Foundation. (2014.) Funding for sex worker rights: 
1764Opportunities for foundations to fund more and better. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
1765mamacash.org/content/uploads/2014/12/Report_funding-sex-worker-rights_FINAL_WEB.pdf. 
1766
176710 Mama Cash, Red Umbrella Fund, Open Societies Foundation. (2014.) Funding for sex worker 
1768rights: Opportunities for foundations to fund more and better. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
1769www.mamacash.org/content/uploads/2014/12/Report_funding-sex-worker-rights_FINAL_WEB.pdf‚ p. 
1770
177110. 
1772
177311 Open Society Institute. (2006, June.) Sex worker health and rights: Where is the funding? 
1774Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/where.pdf‚ p. 
1775
177611. 
177712 Anon. (2014, Feb 4.) About women’s rights and gender equality in focus. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
1778from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/04/womens-rights-gender-equality-infocus. 
1779
1780
178113 American Jewish World Service. (2013, July.) Sex worker rights: (Almost) everything you wanted 
1782to know but were afraid to ask. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/ 
1783files/sex_worker_rights.pdf. 
1784
178514 American Jewish World Service. Why we support sex workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
1786ajws.org/stories/why-we-support-sex-workers/. 
1787
178815 Mama Cash, Red Umbrella Fund, Open Societies Foundation. (2014.) Funding for sex worker 
1789rights: Opportunities for foundations to fund more and better. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
1790www.mamacash.org/content/uploads/2014/12/Report_funding-sex-worker-rights_FINAL_WEB.pdf‚ p. 
1791
17927. 
179316 Red Umbrella Fund. (2017) Apply for a grant. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
1794redumbrellafund.org/grantmaking/apply-grant/. 
1795
179617 Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
1797https://www.bgf.org.au/about-bgf/patron/. 
1798
179918 Star Observer. (2008, Apr 20.) How much would you pay to have Paris at home? In Star Observer. 
1800Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/new-south-walesnews/
1801how-much-would-you-pay-to-have-paris-at-home/11052. 
1802
1803
180419 Global Thinkers. (2015.) Catherine Murphy. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://2015globalthinkers. 
1805foreignpolicy.com/#!challengers/detail/murphy. 
1806
180720 Dundee SNP. (2008, Dec 4.) Safe sex message vital in festival period says MSP. In Dundee SNP. 
1808Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://dundeesnp.org/safe-sex-message-vital-in-festive-period-says-msp/. 
1809
181021 Ditmore, M. (2005, Spring.) New US funding policies on trafficking affect sex work and HIV-
1811prevention efforts world wide. In SIECUS Report, Volume 33, Number 2. 
1812
181322 Global Fund for Women. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/. 
1814
181523 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
1816global sex trade. London: Potomac‚ p. 106. 
1817
181824 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
1819global sex trade. London: Potomac‚ p. 102. 
1820
182125 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
1822global sex trade. London: Potomac‚ p. 103. 
1823
182426 International Union of Sex Workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.iusw.org/iusw-history/. 
1825
182627 International Union of Sex Workers. (2014, Apr 8.) IUSW response to the Amnesty International 
1827
1828consultation of decriminalising sex work. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.iusw.org/2014/ 
1829
183004/iusw-response-to-the-amnesty-international-consultation-on-decriminalising-sexwork/. 
1831
183228 Kumar, A. (2002.) Human rights: Global perspectives. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, p. 203. 
1833
1834
183529 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
1836global sex trade. London: Potomac‚ p. 56. 
1837
183830 NSWP. UN Aids advisory group. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.nswp.org/unaidsadvisory-
1839group. 
1840
184131 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
1842global sex trade. London: Potomac. 
1843
184432 World Health Organization. (2012, Dec 12.) New WHO guidelines to better prevent HIV in sex 
1845workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/feature_story/sti_ 
1846guidelines/en/. 
1847
184833 NSWP. (2014, Jan 21.) Human rights watch affirm support for decriminalisation. Retrieved 15 
1849June 2017, from http://www.nswp.org/timeline/event/human-rights-watch-affirm-supportdecriminalisation 
1850p. 47. 
1851
185234 Amnesty International UK. (2015, Aug 11.) Global movement votes to adopt policy to protect 
1853human rights of sex workers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.amnesty.org.uk/globalmovement-
1854votes-adopt-policy-protect-human-rights-sex-workers#.Vhutt7r4vFI. 
1855
185635 Global Fund for Women. (2015, Aug 6.) Facebook status update. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
1857https://www.facebook.com/GlobalFundforWomen/posts/10154056473873098?comment_id= 
185810154059374153098&offset=0&total_comments=15&comment_tracking= 
1859%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D. 
1860
186136 Eaves. (2014) Closure of Eaves: Another nail in the coffin for the women’s sector. Retrieved 15 
1862June 2017, from http://www.eavesforwomen.org.uk/news-events/news/closure-of-eaves-another-nailin-
1863the-coffin-for-the-women-s-sector. 
1864
186537 Oakford, S. (2015, Aug 11.) Amnesty International votes to push for the decriminalisation of sex 
1866work. In Vice. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://news.vice.com/article/amnesty-international-votes
1867
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1870to-push-for-the-decriminalization-of-sex-work. 
1871
187238 Steen, R. (2014, Jul 21.) Trafficking, sex work, and HIV: Efforts to resolve conflicts. In The 
1873Lancet. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS01406736(
187414)60966-1/abstract. 
1875
187639 The Lancet. (2014, Jul 23.) HIV and sex workers. In The Lancet. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
1877http://www.thelancet.com/series/HIV-and-sex-workers. 
1878
187940 Wong, S. (2014, Jul 24.) Decriminalising sex work would cut HIV infections by a third. In Imperial 
1880College London. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/ 
1881imperialcollege/newssummary/news_24-7-2014-16-48-0. 
1882
188341 The Lancet. (2015, Aug 8.) Keeping sex workers safe. In The Lancet. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
1884http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)61460-X/fulltext. 
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18870 
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188943 ABT Associates. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.abtassociates.com/. 
1890
189144 Wong, S. (2014, Jul 24.) Decriminalising sex work would Cut HIV infections by a third. In Imperial 
1892College London. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/ 
1893imperialcollege/newssummary/news_24-7-2014-16-48-0. 
1894
189545 Boseley, S. (2014, Jul 22.) Decriminalise sex work to help control AIDS pandemic, scientists 
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189722/decriminalise-sex-work-control-aids-scientists-demand 
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189946 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/22/decriminalise-sex-work-control-aids-scientists
1900
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1902
1903demand. 
1904
190547 VOA News. (2009, Nov 1.) Africa’s sex workers have hard time leaving streets. In VOA News. 
1906Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2007-02-13-voa17/342251.html. 
1907
190848 Vancouver Coastal Health. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/. 
1909
191049 Shannon, K.; Strathdee, S.; et al. (2014, Jul 21.) Global epidemiology of HIV among female sex 
1911workers: Influence of structural determinants. In The Lancet. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
1912www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60931-4/abstract. 
1913
1914
1915© The Author(s) 2017 
1916Julie Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55890-9_8 
1917
1918
19198. Fighting for Rights, or Parasites? 
1920Julie Bindel1 
1921
1922
1923(1) London, UK 
1924Julie Bindel 
1925Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
1926In this chapter I explore Ireland’s campaign to criminalise men’s demand for 
1927prostitution, and to fully decriminalise those who sell sex. This is a case study 
1928of how the sex trade profiteers in the Republic and Northern Ireland have 
1929joined forces with those who claim to be campaigning for rights of those in 
1930prostitution. It is a detailed study of how the biggest pimps in the Republic and 
1931Northern Ireland campaigned against the Nordic model in order to ensure that 
1932their business is protected. 
1933
1934The law criminalising demand has been operational in Northern Ireland 
1935since 2015, and the Republic of Ireland in March 2017, despite powerful 
1936opposition. The sex trade surreptitiously attempted to influence the outcome of 
1937the debate. Escort-Ireland/UglyMugs.ie is an illustrative case study of the sex 
1938trade business model. 
1939
1940
1941Turn off the Red Light and Turn of the Blue Light 
1942
1943Turn off the Red Light (TORL) is an umbrella movement uniting a diverse 
1944range of more than 70 organisations with an aim to abolish prostitution/sex 
1945trafficking in Ireland by criminalising the sex buyers . The TORL campaign 
1946launched in February 2011 with a series of confronting billboards that drew 
1947public attention to the men fuelling the demand for an industry that thrives on 
1948the exploitation of vulnerable women and girls. 
1949
1950Almost immediately afterwards, a counter campaign arguing against the 
1951Nordic model emerged. Named Turn off the Blue Light (TOBL) , it was an 
1952attempt to conjure an image of “prudish moralists sticking their sex obsessed 
1953noses into the bedrooms of sexually liberated and empowered women”1. In a 
1954canny misappropriation of the feminist ideal of liberation from exploitation, 
1955TOBL ’s marketing strategy used stock photographs of models of a range of 
1956ethnicities posing as ’sex workers’, boldly pronouncing: “I chose the job that 
1957suits my needs”. TOBL ’s website and advertising material appeared to be 
1958better resourced financially compared to the grassroots activism of TORL . 
1959
1960I had heard rumours that Britain’s infamous pimp Peter McCormick was 
1961bankrolling it, but had no proof of this. I am informed by members of TORL — 
1962who host their webpage on the domain turnofftheredlight.ie—that another 
1963domain (turnofftheredlight.com) had been purchased and was directing 
1964“misspelled” traffic to the TOBL website. 
1965
1966Soon after the launch of TOBL , suspicions about McCormick were 
1967confirmed. In late 2012 I had spotted a news item written by investigative 
1968reporter Eamon Dillon .2 I immediately brought this development to the 
1969attention of Escort-Ireland via @SexworkIE (its former Twitter feed) for a 
1970right of reply. There was no response from Escort-Ireland and the article 
1971remained online.3 Numerous other news agencies took up the story, the TOBL 
1972website ceased to operate4 and the campaign followed suit. Enter 
1973UglyMugs.ie.5 
1974
1975
1976Escort-Ireland and Peter McCormick 
1977
1978Before outlining the modus operandi of UglyMugs.ie it will be helpful to have 
1979a look at McCormick and Escort-Ireland, which he controls through his family 
1980and various associates. McCormick, a former Royal Ulster Constabulary 
1981reserve police officer,6 was a notorious brothel owner in Ireland. McCormick 
1982and other members of his 12-man gang were arrested and charged in the 1990s 
1983for brothel keeping: a crime for which he was eventually convicted and 
1984sentenced.7 In 2003, McCormick said he had “retired” from running brothels 
1985and handed over control of his business to his then 18-year-old son Mark 
1986McCormick . Peter McCormick ’s lawyer said at his court appearance that his 
1987client was retiring to run a bed and breakfast. In August 2004, McCormick was 
1988sentenced to four months in prison for threatening behaviour, and his partner 
1989Audrey Campbell was fined €450 for a breach of the peace in Dublin.8 
1990
1991In 2005, Mark McCormick came under notice of the same police task force 
1992that arrested his father, but it was not until 2010 when he was brought before 
1993the Court, charged with running his father’s brothels. When Mark McCormick 
1994was arrested his laptop was logged on as an administrator to Escort-Ireland. 
1995Women in the brothel he ran told Irish police they thought the 
1996brothel/apartments were owned/run by Peter McCormick , years after Peter 
1997claimed to have ‘retired’. The court heard that the profits were being split 
1998between father and son.9 Mark McCormick was sentenced to a term of 
1999imprisonment of two and a half years (with 14 months suspended) and fined 
2000€5000.10 At the time of Mark McCormick ’s arrest, police uncovered a 
2001detailed spreadsheet on a laptop computer. Fingerprints subsequently 
2002recovered by the police on this laptop belonged to Mark McCormick .11 There 
2003was very good reason for the McCormick’s fanatical control and possession of 
2004data, as we shall soon see. 
2005
2006By this time, Peter McCormick incorporated E Designers Ltd in London to 
2007control Escort-Ireland as a bonafide business directed by his partner Audrey 
2008Campbell .12 In May 2013 Lee Campbell , the son of Audrey Campbell , 
2009subsequently took over E Designers Ltd.13 In 2014 Escort-Ireland reportedly 
2010moved its operations and staff to Spain and are now trading as Lazarus Trading 
2011SL, where it claims to employ a multi-lingual staff of 30 employees.14 This 
2012source reported that Audrey Campbell of Escort-Ireland/Lazarus Trading SL 
2013
2014
2015had refused to divulge its location. 
2016
2017I have obtained a copy of the business records of Lazarus Trading SL and 
2018discovered that Lee Campbell is listed as its nominal administrator15; a further 
2019Spanish company report I have reviewed for Lazarus Trading SL records that 
2020Audrey Rita Campbell occupies sole proprietorship and an ‘Alexander 
2021Dominick’ occupies the position of its administrator.16 Like Mark McCormick 
2022before him, Lee Campbell was barely an adult when he took on the position of 
2023managing Escort-Ireland’s multi-million dollar empire. 
2024
2025Escort-Ireland, for all intents and purposes, is a website advertising 
2026women to punters in a similar way to how homes are marketed to prospective 
2027buyers. It is, in the common parlance, ‘user-friendly’. Escort-Ireland works by 
2028geographically cataloguing women across all of Ireland into profiles 
2029containing full-face and/or body photographs, physical description, rates and 
2030“what’s on offer”. 
2031
2032A sizeable proportion, of the biographies of the women’s profiles appear 
2033to be written by ‘management’. Escort-Ireland’s punters forum where the 
2034“sexual performance” of women is rated in graphic detail, is its true face, 
2035proving that the best evidence against the sex trade is sex trade advertising. 
2036
2037A survey of punters on Escort Ireland17 found significant percentages of 
2038them were quite happy to use underage, trafficked and abused women. 
2039
2040
2041A Business Opportunity 
2042
2043How and why Peter McCormick established Escort-Ireland/E Designers Ltd is 
2044a remarkable story in itself. 
2045
2046In 2010 the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act (1994), which 
2047criminalises the publication and distribution of an advertisement for a brothel 
2048or “prostitute”, was being enforced by the Gardai (Republic of Ireland’s 
2049national police service) to the letter, due to a public outcry following number 
2050of horrific acts of violence against prostituted women. That same year, Mike 
2051Hogan , the publisher of In Dublin, was convicted and fined £50,000 after he 
2052was found earning £400,000 a year in paid advertising from Ireland’s sex 
2053trade.18 That was the final nail in the coffin for the print advertising of 
2054prostitution in Ireland. Peter McCormick was determined to resurrect the 
2055advertising of prostitution; and did so online, outside the Irish jurisdiction. 
2056
2057Peter McCormick reportedly pulled it off with the help of his understudy 
2058and son, Mark McCormick , who is a gifted computer programmer.19 Peter 
2059McCormick also relocated Escort-Ireland to London—well outside of 
2060Ireland’s jurisdiction. Moreover, such is the sophistication of its operation, it 
2061was reported Escort-Ireland cyber-attacked competitors attempting a foothold 
2062in advertising Ireland’s lucrative sex trade, thereby firming its monopoly of 
2063this promising niche market from the outset.20 
2064
2065Finally, the nature and demographic of prostitution in Ireland had become 
2066increasingly impacted upon by globalisation. The formation of a common 
2067European Union, the porousness of its borders, its massively increased wealth, 
2068and the increasing availability of cut-throat priced international travel, all 
2069contributed to the unchecked flow of women and girls sold into Ireland’s sex 
2070trade. 
2071
2072
2073The Nordic Model 
2074
2075In 2011, a joint Irish/Romania police operation exposed the massive trafficking 
2076of women controlled by Romanian organised crime gang Ghinea/Ghenosu that 
2077sparked significant public debate.21 A year later an undercover newsinvestigation by Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ entitled ‘Profiting from 
2078Prostitution’,22 led by Paul Maguire , was broadcast at a time when many in 
2079Ireland were perhaps beginning to reflect upon the abject failings of its 
2080prostitution policy. The award-winning investigation determined that Escort-
2081Ireland had 20,000 unique profiles of women on its database, of which at least 
2082700 were being advertised on any given day with each profile earning €100 a 
2083week for Escort-Ireland. Escort-Ireland was earning €840,000 a year. The 
2084investigation found that Peter McCormick and Audrey Campbell have made 
2085millions of Euros from the suffering and exploitation of vulnerable women and 
2086girls. 
2087
2088The programme further uncovered the fact that at least 400 women were 
2089being shunted from town to town on a weekly basis to maintain “client 
2090interest” with an expectation they would be sold to punters 16 hours a day, 
2091seven days a week. Sex without a condom was part of the “service” they were 
2092expected to provide. Disturbingly, the men who advertised trafficked women 
2093on Escort-Ireland included notorious convicted pimps TJ Carrol and Di Wei23: 
2094Carol trafficked women from Africa into Ireland24 and high ranking Triad 
2095gangster Wei ran an operation that moved women from China into Ireland.25 
2096
2097Escort-Ireland/E Designers Ltd sought to defend its operations in Ireland 
2098by claiming the evidence against them was improperly obtained by intruding on 
2099the “privacy” of prostituted women; an allegation that a legal representative 
2100for RTÉ counterclaimed was defamatory.26 In the RTÉ program, Escort-
2101Ireland/E Designers Ltd said via Audrey Campbell that operations were 
2102outside of Irish jurisdiction and they had “no control over advertising content”. 
2103Outrageously, despite the laissez-faire claim of “no control”, the terms and 
2104conditions of Escort-Ireland make clear that “swear words, eg ‘fuck’, ‘cum’, 
2105‘cunt’ are not allowed in escort descriptions”.27 
2106
2107Fuel to the fire was the 2013 publication of Irish woman Rachel Moran ’s 
2108widely acclaimed book Paid For: a powerful memoir based on her 
2109experiences of prostitution from the age of 15 on the streets of Dublin. Moran’s 
2110
2111
2112book inspired sex trade survivor led movements including SPACE (Survivors 
2113of Prostitution Abuse Calling for Enlightenment) International. 
2114
2115A follow-up investigation by RTÉ28 in November 2015 titled ‘Sex for 
2116Sale’ determined that prostitution/sex trafficking operations in Ireland were 
2117largely, if not exclusively, controlled by 20 organised gangs. The sex trade had 
2118dramatically increased, prices for ‘services’ had plummeted, 98% of 
2119advertised prostituted women were now non-indigenous Irish, and prostituted 
2120women were engaging in “unprotected”, dangerous and humiliating practices. 
2121Viewers were left in no doubt that international crime gangs now controlled 
2122Ireland’s burgeoning sex-trade. It was at this time that the Governments of 
2123Ireland on both sides of the border were seriously considering the Nordic 
2124Model as a viable prostitution policy. 
2125
2126
2127Enter UglyMugs.ie and Lucy Smith—The Face of 
2128Escort-Ireland? 
2129
2130Escort-Ireland was a brand tainted by its connections to the McCormick pimps, 
2131and to its business model of profiting from the lucrative advertisements of 
2132women trafficked into Ireland’s sex trade. It had no hope of contributing 
2133directly to the public policy debate on prostitution in Ireland, and needed a 
2134public friendly face—such as a “cause” to fight for the ‘rights’ of prostituted 
2135women. 
2136
2137Accordingly it latched onto the international Ugly Mugs campaign (a 
2138widely known so-called harm-minimisation model enabling prostituted women 
2139to share information about particularly violent punters) and nationalised an 
2140independent Irish variant of it. Safe IQ Ltd was incorporated in London in 
2141August 2013 to control the activities of UglyMugs.ie, and a sophisticated 
2142world-class mobile phone app29 with its impressive design and functionality 
2143was immediately introduced. Nonetheless there were telltale clues of its dodgy 
2144genesis; not least of which is that UglyMugs.ie seamlessly integrates with the 
2145Escort-Ireland website. 
2146
2147Safe IQ Ltd ‘operates’ from a virtual office in London. It is on public 
2148record that Lucy Smith is Director of UglyMugs.ie. This is the name she 
2149provides to various parliamentary and other official committees in which she 
2150gives evidence on behalf of UglyMugs.ie. 
2151
2152While Safe IQ Ltd generates no income in the financial year ending 2016, 
2153Strada Media Ltd turned over £154,195 (albeit with a profit after recorded 
2154expenses of less than £5000). The balance sheet for Strada Media Ltd is 
2155similar in all the years of its operations and I was curious as to the source of 
2156its income. A well-connected source informed me that the totality of Strada’s 
2157income for one particular year were deposits made from Lazarus Trading SL 
2158according to financial documents they had inspected. I raised this allegation 
2159with Lucy Smith for comment and while she admitted ‘working’ for Strada 
2160Media Ltd, she flatly denied any income derived from Escort-Ireland or indeed 
2161any other company related to the ‘adult industry’. 
2162
2163It was discovered by the journalist Eamon Dillon that website domain 
2164www.UglyMugs.ie (the website address of UglyMugs.ie) was first purchased 
2165by Audrey Campbell and registered to E Designers Ltd,30 which created a 
2166
2167
2168lasting fingerprint. 
2169
2170
2171
2172Sex Trade Propaganda and Control of the Prostitution 
2173Narrative 
2174
2175UglyMugs.ie is a prodigious producer of research and ‘newsletters’, the 
2176recommendations of which it proactively disseminates to academics, 
2177government, policy makers, police and the media. 
2178
2179Its foremost piece of research is a self-reported online survey, completed 
2180by just under 200 prostituted persons in Ireland. The survey is reproduced as a 
218157-page document31: ‘Crime and Abuse Experienced by Sex Workers in 
2182Ireland: Victimisation Survey.’ The online survey was a series of questions 
2183completed by “195 female male and trans* escorts (indoor ‘sex workers’) in 
2184Ireland”,32 which questioned the nature and practice of their prostitution, as 
2185well as experiences of violence, drug and alcohol use, condom use and 
2186experiences of crime. 
2187
2188A time-consuming survey, prepared in English and dependent on internet 
2189access, is neither a broad sample nor a representative analysis of the nature of 
2190prostitution in Ireland. The survey does not appear to be peer-reviewed or 
2191undertaken with any ethical approval and contradicts existing evidence on how 
2192the legal sex trade is inextricably tied to significant increases in trafficking for 
2193prostitution, expansion of the sex trade and the prostitution of children.33 The 
2194survey reckons “media exposure” by newspaper and other media outlets to be 
2195the singularly most oppressive form of violence against prostituted women, 
2196causing 75% “significant worry”34: “Fear of media exposure is very high, even 
2197higher than fear of crime, with three out of four escorts in Ireland ‘worried’ or 
2198‘very worried’ about being exposed as an escort in the newspapers or other 
2199media.” 
2200
2201The report contains a critique of the law to criminalise demand: “If brought 
2202in, we believe the Swedish model would exasperate the current problems 
2203facing sex workers, by driving sex work further underground, further 
2204stigmatising sex workers, and enabling crime and abuse to thrive. We would 
2205not expect sex work to decline as a result, but we would expect a more 
2206vulnerable sex worker population, more organised crime and an increase in 
2207crime against and abuse of sex workers. Sex workers in Ireland are the victims 
2208of a strong media desire to repeatedly expose sex workers and apparent sex 
2209trafficking victims. Media abuse of sex workers is a very serious problem in 
2210
2211
2212Ireland and must be challenged”.35 
2213
2214In reality, the harassment of prostituted women and survivors of the sex 
2215trade is perpetrated by pimps and other profiteers. One example is Anna, a 
2216Romanian woman who was raped and tortured in preparation for Ireland’s sex 
2217trade. Anna’s testimony shocked Ireland: particularly Lord Morrow whose 
2218Private Member’s Bill was the genesis of parliamentary debate in Northern 
2219Ireland . Anna was sold in Ireland’s sex trade for €20,000 whereupon she was 
2220raped by as many as 20 men a day. Anna’s abuse earned her traffickers many 
2221hundreds of Euros every day.36 
2222
2223Soon after the scandal made the press, a webpage forum reportedly linked 
2224to McCormick launched a smear campaign against Anna, who was described 
2225as “a thing” and “a liar”,37 despite her testimony being accepted as legitimate 
2226by the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the UK Human Trafficking Centre. 
2227Dublin based blogger Wendy Lyon also dismissed Anna’s experience in a 
2228series of tweets to Belfast Newsletter journalist Philip Bradfield, denying the 
2229credibility of the young woman’s story. Bradfield38 demanded to know what 
2230possible further proof could appease Lyon . 
2231
2232Uglymugs.ie “acknowledges”39 the rights of prostituted women to have exit 
2233services made available to them, it derogates from this claim by lobbying 
2234aggressively to defund the very organisations that provide these services most 
2235effectively, such as Women’s Aid, and to divert this funding to sex trade 
2236organisations that pretend to.40 
2237
2238Escort-Ireland/UglyMugs.ie is in a position to exact influence on 
2239prostitution policy in Ireland. Innumerable letters have been written by them to 
2240various organisations relevant to prostitution policy pushing the statistics they 
2241have produced.41 They participate in feminist conferences,42 academic 
2242committees,43 academic seminars,44 policing committees45 and festivals,46 
2243putting forward the pro-decriminalisation view of the prostitution narrative. 
2244
2245Escort-Ireland/UglyMugs.ie contributed to the parliamentary committees 
2246debating prostitution in Ireland: the Republic of Ireland’s Oireachtas 
2247Committee on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Northern Ireland ’s Stormont 
2248Justice Committee on Trafficking and Prostitution, which were conducted 
2249simultaneously over 2013/2014. 
2250
2251
2252Sex Trade Lobby—Lucy Smith for Uglymugs.ie 
2253
2254Ugly-mugs.ie regularly accuses many of the organisations involved in TORL of 
2255being “religious fundamentalists” and “anti-sex”. Ruhama,47 for example, are 
2256open about having been founded several decades ago by a religious group (as 
2257were the majority of NGOs in Ireland at that time) but have for many years run 
2258on an entirely secular basis as a fully transparent registered NGO. They 
2259evidently have no religious agenda and work tirelessly to support hundreds of 
2260prostituted women with free non-judgmental services every year. Its current 
2261chief executive, Sarah Benson, is a secular feminist. The fact is that Ruhama, 
2262and other key members of the TORL campaign who work directly with victims 
2263of prostitution and trafficking, witness the reality of the sex trade. 
2264
2265In addition, Smith insists that crimes against prostituted/trafficked women 
2266be censored and not reported by media.48 At the Oireachtas Committee,49 
2267debating aspects of the Sexual Offences Bill50 introduced by Justice Minister 
2268
2269Frances Fitzgerald, Smith was in fighting form: 
2270
2271Ms Lucy Smith: I call on the committee to act to stop the extensive abuse of 
2272sex workers and sex trafficking victims by the media. I note that at thelast hearings the committee asked Mr Maguire of RTÉ what became of 
2273the group of… 
2274
2275Chairman (David Stanton): I would prefer it if you did not name people. 
2276Ms Lucy Smith: … what had become of those women at that point was that 
2277they had been stalked by the Sunday World [Eamon Dillon ]. 
2278Photographs of them in an undressed state had been taken pervertedly 
2279
2280[sic]… 
2281Chairman: I would prefer it you did not name people. 
2282Ms Lucy Smith: ….We need to stop giving all the State funding for support 
2283
2284to sex workers and sex trafficking victims to [name organisations] … 
2285all the independent research comes from [names organisations] … 
2286[allowing] a completely false picture of sex work to persist … 
2287
2288Chairman: Please do not identify organisations. At the start I referred to 
2289not naming organisations and entities by name.51 
2290
2291
2292The Northern Ireland ’s Stormont Justice Committee52 on Trafficking and 
2293Prostitution is a case study of what occurs when a Committee considering 
2294prostitution policy travels to Sweden to study the Nordic model and listens to 
2295survivors of prostitution. 
2296
2297The evidence53 provided by Smith was closely questioned. Smith’s links to 
2298Peter McCormick , Mark McCormick , and Audrey Campbell and the 
2299enmeshed entity that is Escort-Ireland/UglyMugs.ie was exposed, as was 
2300Smith’s original claim not to know Peter McCormick . 
2301
2302Mr Wells: We exchanged e-mails, you may recall. 
2303
2304Ms Smith: Yes. 
2305
2306Mr Wells: When I originally put the question to you about Mr Peter 
2307
2308McCormick, you said that you had never heard of him. 
2309Ms Smith: I am not going to comment on that person. 
2310Mr Wells: And when I told you, you had then. The organisation that you are 
2311
2312linked to transports 400 women [all of whom were advertised on 
2313
2314Escort-Ireland] a week around various parts of Ireland. 
2315
2316Ms Smith: I really do not see the point of the question. I am not going to 
2317answer questions about Escort-Ireland.com. I am happy to talk about 
2318Ugly Mugs . I am happy even to talk about sex work generally in 
2319Ireland, but I am not going to answer a question about EscortIreland.
2320com. 
2321
2322Mr Wells: I accept that. Let us not refer to the biggest prostitution website 
2323on professional prostitution in Ireland. 
2324
2325Why did Smith54 fail to acknowledge Peter McCormick or elaborate on her 
2326relationship with Escort-Ireland? 
2327
2328I put this evidence direct via email to Smith for comment. Smith replied 
2329that she has had a longstanding history with Escort-Ireland, but that her 
2330“employment” was in the capacity of “consultant”; a position that she elected 
2331not to elaborate upon. 
2332
2333Laura Lee , an associate of Smith, also presented evidence before Northern 
2334Ireland ’s Justice Committee on behalf of the International Union of Sex 
2335Workers (IUSW).55 
2336
2337
2338Sex Trade Lobby—International Union of Sex Workers 
2339
2340
2341Lee,56 a “professional dominatrix” and student of psychology was presented as 
2342the “voice of sex workers”. Her argument was equally clear: “sex work” is 
2343about worker’s rights and human rights. 
2344
2345The Chairperson (Paul Givan) asked Lee: You say that you speak for the 
2346vast majority. I am trying to quantify that. Can you tell me how many sex 
2347workers you purport to speak for? 
2348
2349Ms Lee: … estimates are that there are 80,000 sex workers in the UK. 
2350The Chairperson: Are they are all members of your international union? 
2351Ms Lee: No, they are not. 
2352The Chairperson: So, how many members does the International Union of 
2353
2354
2355Sex Workers have? 
2356Ms Lee: I am not entirely sure about that. 
2357
2358
2359The Committee had already heard direct evidence from prostitution 
2360survivors including Rachel Moran 57 and Mia De Faoite. For both women, 
2361prostitution was the antithesis of choice and both support the Nordic model . 
2362So who are these ‘sexworker’unionmembers Lee advocates for who 
2363condemn the Nordic model , such as the International Union of Sex Workers 
2364who argue that prostitution is about choice and agency for women? 
2365
2366Mr Wells: Are there any pimps or those who profit from organising sexual 
2367services in your International Union of Sex Workers? 
2368Ms Lee: Some of the members are managers, yes. 
2369Mr Wells: So, they are pimps. 
2370Ms Lee: Well, if you want to use that term, yes. 
2371Mr Wells: So, it is not just a union of sex workers; it is also those who 
2372control sex workers. 
2373Ms Lee: Yes. 
2374Mr Wells: Who make large amounts of money and control the lives of sex 
2375workers. 
2376
2377
2378Ms Lee: I cannot comment on how much money anybody else makes. I cannot comment on how much money anybody else makes. 
2379
2380Mr Wells: Would one of those be a Mr Douglas Fox ?58 
2381
2382Ms Lee: Yes. 
2383
2384Mr Wells: Are you aware of Mr Douglas Fox ‘s operations in the north of 
2385
2386England? 
2387
2388Ms Lee: I am, yes. 
2389
2390Mr Wells: If one of your main supporters and funders is someone who has 
2391acknowledged that he runs a website selling sexual services, selling 
2392thousands of women every year, clearly that indicates a slightly 
2393different angle on what the International Union of Sex Workers 
2394means.59 
2395
2396Ms Lee: I just do not see how that could undermine my personal 
2397credibility.60 
2398
2399Mr Wells: How it would undermine it, Ms Lee … is that, clearly, if those 
2400who support and perhaps fund your union have an incredibly high 
2401vested interest in selling the sexual services of women, you are not a 
2402union representing the ordinary woman on the street or in the flat; you 
2403are representing an organisation that makes vast amounts of money out 
2404of the sale of women. 
2405
2406
2407Queen’s University Belfast Academics 
2408
2409Dr Graham Ellison—considered to be Northern Ireland ’s academic expert on 
2410the sex trade—was a further witness to the Committee61 (all references to him 
2411and Dr Susann Huschke are from the Hansard unless otherwise stated). Ellison 
2412
2413was accompanied by his Queen’s University colleague Huschke (whose 
2414research for the DOJ basically said there were no pimps in the Irish sex trade, 
2415only “bookers”)62; now of the University of the Witwatersrand African Centre 
2416for Migration and Society, South Africa.63 
2417
2418Ellison had previously sent an email64 to a feminist academic and 
2419campaigner who had earlier given evidence to the Committee in support of the 
2420Nordic Model . The feminist academic was unnamed by the Committee but 
2421nonetheless Ellison named her in his evidence. In his email—littered with 
2422expletives—Ellison aggressively demanded to know why she had “hooked up” 
2423with the “anti-feminist” Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) pushing a “biblical” 
2424view of prostitution which had “likely” led to the suicides of gay and lesbian65 
2425people because of its stance on same-sex marriage.66 
2426
2427When committee members raised the issue of the email, Ellison justified 
2428the abuse by claiming he and the witness shared “ideals” and that he had 
2429attempted to “talk her around”. The Committee condemned his actions and 
2430subsequently wrote a formal complaint to his employer Queen’s University 
2431Belfast,67 which was widely reported in the Irish press. 
2432
2433Ellison repeatedly uses the moral panic term “privacy of the bedroom” in 
2434his evidence. 
2435
2436In his evidence, Ellison cited data he claimed proved trafficking was a 
2437grossly exaggerated “moral panic” where “victim narratives” are privileged 
2438over research.68 In presentation of his research, Ellison disputed the evidence 
2439held by the Committee. The integrity of his data—and in particular the source 
2440from where it was derived—was called into question: 
2441
2442Mr Wells: As part of your research, have you had any contact with the 
2443International Union of Sex Workers or Escort-Ireland? 
2444
2445Dr Ellison: No. 
2446
2447Mr Wells: And you have had no contact at all with Peter McCormick or his 
2448
2449
2450son from Escort-Ireland?69 
2451
2452Dr Ellison: I have no idea who that is. I am sorry.70 , 71 , 72 
2453
2454Ellison then admits to very recently73 viewing the RTÉ programme that 
2455investigated the activities of Peter McCormick and his operation EscortIreland.
245674 
2457
2458Mr Wells: So you did not see the Prime Time programme on RTÉ… 
2459Dr Ellison: I did; I saw it the other night, yes. 
2460Mr Wells: The Prime Time programme revealed a whole cadre of women 
2461
2462
2463being moved weekly because men were demanding fresh partners… 
2464
2465I have reviewed a joint publication (published before his evidence) of 
2466Ellison and Dr Paul Maginn and it seems they knew of Escort-Ireland, 
2467including the conduct of its operations through E Designers Ltd: 
2468
2469The data we use here was provided by E Designers Ltd, the parent 
2470company that owns and manages the Escort-Ireland.com website. We 
2471requested anonymised data on escorts from Escort-Ireland.com when we 
2472were contacted by them following publication of an opinion piece we 
2473wrote, in which we argued that criminalisation of sex work was likely to 
2474do more harm than good to sex workers (Maginn and Ellison 2013). We 
2475were subsequently supplied with … data … “scraped” from the profiles 
2476of escort advertisements on Escort-Ireland.com by the web administrator 
2477from E Designers Ltd and supplied to us in a series of Excel 
2478spreadsheets….75 
2479
2480The article they referred to is an opinion piece in the Belfast Telegraph 
2481they co-authored which was strongly critical of Lord Morrow ’s then Private 
2482Members Bill published on 17 January 2013: 12 months before Ellison 
2483provided his evidence to the Committee. In the weeks prior to giving his 
2484evidence before the Committee an article was published in The Conversation 
248576 authored by Ellison and Dr Paul Maginn, which again disclosed Escort-
2486Ireland as the source of their data and further confuses opposition to male 
2487violence against women and girls as a religious moral crusade in opposition to 
2488
2489
2490gay men’s “sexuality”: 
2491
2492A major reason for this is that the Democratic Unionist Party, who are 
2493sponsoring the bill to introduce legislation on trafficking and prostitution, 
2494apparently cannot acknowledge that men would engage in such a practice. 
2495This belief is grounded in the strict Christian views of the party and its 
2496supporters.77 
2497
2498Ellison belatedly “clarified” to the Committee that Escort-Ireland had 
2499provided his colleague Maginn with their data. However, some of his 
2500“clarifying” statements which distanced himself personally from Escort-
2501Ireland seemed anything but clear: “I have not had direct links. I asked them; I 
2502did not even ask them.” 
2503
2504The data produced by Ellison’s colleague Huschke in her evidence78 to the 
2505Justice Committee was controversially drawn from a survey she conducted for 
2506a (then) in-progress report79 commissioned by the recalcitrant member of the 
2507Northern Ireland Assembly David Ford.80 Huschke was the lead researcher of 
2508the project entitled ‘Research into Prostitution in Northern Ireland ’ which 
2509sought to uncover “the nature and extent of prostitution in Northern Ireland ”.81 
2510As with the UglyMugs.ie survey conducted by Smith, and the Escort-Ireland 
2511data analysed by Ellison, the research methodology and conclusions are 
2512questionable.82 
2513
2514In the first instance the Advisory Group83 formed to advise Huschke was 
2515the former University of Sussex graduate Professor Nicola (Nick) Mai. Mai’s 
2516position on prostituted minors is apparent here: 
2517
2518By tampering with the sex of minors culturally constructed as ‘angels’, I 
2519wanted to expose the Northcentric fiction of neoliberal ‘paradise’ which 
2520is currently hegemonic worldwide … The representation of migrant male 
2521minors selling sex exclusively as ‘exploited children’, whether they are 
2522five or 17 years old, or whether they enjoy selling sex or not, is complicit 
2523with the attempt to recreated [sic] a lost ‘moral virginity’ in the north of 
2524the world, at a time in which its moral and economic bankruptcy are most 
2525evident.84 
2526
2527In her research, Huschke argues that the Nordic model causes “stigma” and 
2528“drives prostitution underground” (which she contradictorily conceded already 
2529
2530
2531exists where prostitution is normalised). Huschke’s research as it stood was 
2532criticised by the Committee which deemed the 100 odd ‘sex worker’ 
2533respondents who completed the online survey too small a sample to be 
2534representative. Uglymugs.ie was involved throughout the consultation process 
2535of the survey. 
2536
2537Dr Susann Huschke: The other thing that I would like to say in this regard 
2538is that I really appreciate how critical you are of my study. 
2539Mr Wells: Very critical. 
2540
2541The survey report was released later in 2014 and the flyer for the event 
2542was published on the Uglymugs.ie website.85 Women’s Aid Northern Ireland , 
2543
2544a member of the Advisory Group, distanced themselves from the research 
2545findings and requested their name be removed from any material associated 
2546with the report.86 , 87 The report—‘Fruit from the Position Tree’—is now 
2547widely accepted in the cannons of academic prostitution apology.88 
2548
2549Ellison also made claims to Committee Chairperson Paul Givan MLA that 
2550prostitution in Sweden and Norway was endemic. 
2551
2552Dr Ellison: Sorry. It is based on a number of interviews that I carried out 
2553with online providers, who said that they have expanded into Sweden 
2554and Norway in the past two years. They also said—I have no reason to 
2555doubt them, although I will maybe check—that business was booming. 
2556
2557The Chairperson: You have no reason to doubt the online suppliers, if that 
2558is the phrase that you want to use. However, the authorities in Sweden 
2559tell us that they are cracking down on organised crime, they are going 
2560after the money, they are being successful and their wiretaps of these 
2561international organisations are saying that Sweden is a very difficult 
2562and hostile environment.89 
2563
2564Dr Ellison: You and I could go on the internet, and we would find that a 
2565printout of all the information about Sweden would probably fill this 
2566room. We could lay it all out and read it, and I think that, at the end of 
2567that process, neither of us would be in a position to say… 
2568
2569The Chairperson: You believe the online provider of the service, but you 
2570put a question mark over what the Swedish authorities tell us. 
2571
2572
2573Dr Ellison: I think that the Swedish authorities have an interest iI think that the Swedish authorities have an interest in 
2574promoting the system. 
2575
2576
2577Clearly, so did the pimps. 
2578
2579Ellison declined to name Escort-Sweden or Escort-Norway (or any other 
2580online provider of prostituted women) to the Committee Chairperson as 
2581perhaps the source of his information citing “research ethics”. However, in his 
2582chapter ‘Who Needs Evidence?’90 Ellison claimed he was “forced” to divulge 
2583this information and implied that Mr Givan (the Chairperson) had issued a 
2584complaint to Queen’s University Belfast regards his abusive email as a 
2585consequence of his refusal. 
2586
2587I found that Escort-Ireland/Uglymugs.ie had expanded operations into 
2588Sweden and Norway as Escort-Sweden /Uglymugs.se and Escort-Norway 
2589/Uglymugs.se. The webpage designs, functionality and trademarks are all 
2590identical. Uglmugs.se is owned by Safe IQ Ltd .91 The dates and archived 
2591webpages reveal that Escort-Sweden /Escort-Norway /Uglymugs.se was 
2592online well before Ellison gave evidence. 
2593
2594During the course of writing this chapter, I was sent a review copy of a 
2595book entitled Reflexivity and Criminal Justice: Intersections of Policy, 
2596Practice and Research, which contained a chapter by Ellison. ‘Who Needs 
2597Evidence? Radical Feminism, The Christian Right and Sex Work Research in 
2598Northern Ireland ’92 is a scathing peer-reviewed reflection on the Northern 
2599Ireland Justice Committee and the DUP who heard his evidence. In it, Ellison 
2600dismissed the abuse and content of his email to a Committee witness (authored 
2601by the authority of his academic position) as a “breach of his privacy” though 
2602he (again) names the recipient of that email. Moreover, he defamatorily alleges 
2603Committee member Jim Wells MLA “forced” Lee to disclose her real name; 
2604which is not only untrue but fascinatingly bewildering given he argues 
2605vulnerable prostituted women and girls are exemplars of choice and agency . 
2606
2607Ms Lee: You are welcome to my real name if you wish. 
2608
2609Mr Wells: Are you prepared to release that?93 
2610
2611Ms Lee: Yes, I am. It is—[provides her real name]. 
2612
2613All the more intriguing given that Lee has provided her actual name in 
2614several interviews with popular media and sex trade organisations in 
2615
2616
2617connection with her prostitution.94 To further confound his panic it is of interest 
2618that Lee co-authors scholarly works (in her real name, which I will not use in 
2619respect of her privacy) with the oft colleague of Ellison: Maginn. Further, 
2620Ellison condemns Committee member Paul Givan for quizzing Lee on “private 
2621matters”, when in fact he was directly questioning anomalies in one of her 
2622many newspaper interviews95 she provided both condemning the DUP and the 
2623(then) proposed Private Member’s Bill. 
2624
2625
2626Amnesty International and the Morrow Bill 
2627
2628It is unclear whether AI, who provided direct evidence96 (represented by 
2629Gráinne Teggart and Catherine Murphy ) to this same Committee in opposition 
2630of Lord Morrow ’s Private Member’s Bill, were informed and/or directed by 
2631Ellison and/or Escort-Ireland/Uglymugs.ie. The Bill is now being debated in 
2632court by Lee, because, as Lee’s lawyers argue, it breaches the “human rights” 
2633of men who exploit prostituted women and children, and also those of the 
2634women who ‘choose’ to sell sex. Smith and Ellison, as we can see from the 
2635Hansard record, deny that such a human ‘right’ exists: 
2636
2637Mr Wells: So, I have a right to buy the sexual services of any woman I 
2638choose? 
2639Ms Smith: Of course you do not have the right to buy any woman you 
2640choose. That is ridiculous. 
2641Mr Wells: Right. Have I a right to buy the sexual services of any woman I 
2642choose? 
2643
2644Dr Ellison: I am not saying that you have a right to buy. I think that a person 
2645has a right to sell, or to do with their body what they want, by and 
2646large. 
2647
2648Lee’s High Court appeal is partly funded by Escort-Ireland and other 
2649profiteers from the sex trade. Lee explained to the Home Affair Committee 
2650Westminster:97 
2651
2652MP David Burrows: I understand in terms of the crowd funding website 
2653you have, you have been given £1000 by Escort Ireland, which markets 
2654thousands of women each year and designs websites for escorts. 
2655
2656Ms Lee: That is correct. That is because a lot of the sex workers that 
2657advertise on their website put pressure on them to support me and said 
2658it was only fair, since they make money from the industry, that they 
2659should support my efforts of keeping our industry safe. 
2660
2661I examined Lee’s ‘Fighting for Sex Workers’ Rights ’ campaign website and 
2662
2663
2664noted that it had raised £14.741 of a £30,000 goal. The list is a roll call of sex 
2665trade industry names: including a ‘Steve Elrond ’ who offered to match £ for £ 
2666money donated—and with the thousands of pounds he has so far donated he is 
2667making good on his promise. ‘Steve Elrond ’ owns a string of domains for 
2668various websites advertising prostituted women. 
2669
2670As it happens, Lee is advertised on Elrond’s websites, as she is on Escort-
2671Ireland. At the time of giving her evidence to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 
2672Lee was editor of the blog and repository Harlotsparlor.com. Two others were 
2673then sharing her editorial duties: Douglas Fox (the founder of the website) and 
2674Steve Elrond . Elrond is also a punter who meticulously records his 
2675experiences with the prostituted women. Elrond is an outspoken campaigner 
2676for blanket decriminalisation, and his name is attached to innumerable 
2677documents from blog chats to submissions to Parliament98 citing statistics and 
2678tired tropes produced and reproduced with the sex trade imprimatur.99 
2679
2680As we have explored in previous chapters, there100 is a great deal of 
2681debate and disquiet towards AI101 as a result of its support to decriminalise the 
2682sex trade. Much has been said of the relationship between sex trade profiteer 
2683Douglas Fox and AI (for example, during the AI’s evidence before Northern 
2684Ireland ’s Justice Committee); not to mention why AI gave evidence in 
2685opposition to the Private Member’s Bill more than 18 months before 
2686supposedly having a firm prostitution policy or anywhere near the completion 
2687of its consultation process. 
2688
2689Mr Wells: You do not have policy in that area, but you have policy resisting 
2690either clause 6 as drafted by Lord Morrow or as it has been introduced 
2691in Sweden . You are against both versions of clause 6. 
2692
2693Ms Teggart: We have not said that we are against anything in Sweden . We 
2694have said that the evidence in Sweden is, at best, conflicting. The 
2695reason why we oppose clause 6 in the Bill is because we feel that it 
2696poses some risk that has not been properly explored. That is why we 
2697recommend further research in this area. 
2698
2699Mr Wells: Gráinne—again, you have experience in this—that is the oldest 
2700trick in the book. If you do not like something, do not come out and say 
2701so. Boot it off into the bushes by calling for more research. 
2702
2703While it is peculiar that any organisation or individual would speak 
2704
2705
2706authoritatively before firming a position on such a critical issue, let alone 
2707betraying all that it represents, perhaps the explanation for this can be found in 
2708Ellison’s denial of his role of adviser to AI. In his evidence, Dr Graham 
2709Ellison answered the following question: 
2710
2711Mr Wells: Have you been advising Amnesty International on this issue? 
2712Dr Ellison: No.102 
2713
2714However, Ellison’s Queen’s University Belfast webpage confirms that he 
2715acted as ‘advisor’to AIfromAugust2012 to December 2012: 
2716
2717I have been asked by Amnesty International to provide103 an opinion/view 
2718in respect of their response to Lord Morrow ‘s human trafficking and 
2719prostitution bill currently going through the Northern Ireland Assembly. 
2720
2721In his book chapter, ‘Who Needs Evidence?’, which made no overt 
2722reference to Escort-Ireland and persons associated with it, Ellison complains 
2723Committee members “were not paying … attention (but were) … browsing on 
2724their computers”. I believe this requires clarification by way of context. 
2725
2726Mr Wells: Dr Ellison, I looked up your website while you were speaking. 
2727You told us earlier that you had no connection with Amnesty 
2728International . Were you not an adviser to Amnesty International ? 
2729
2730Dr Ellison: Not as far as I know. 
2731
2732
2733Conclusion: Escort-Ireland/UglyMugs.ie Business 
2734Model Blue Print 
2735
2736There are a number oforganisations thatclaimto be ‘sex-worker’based and 
2737‘fighting for the rights of sex workers’ that have connections to pimps and 
2738brothel owners, and seek to exert influence over governments, policy makers, 
2739media, NGOs, the academy and police. Many, of course, genuinely believe that 
2740blanket104 decriminalisation of the sex trade will benefit the women and men 
2741who sell sex; but there are also those who take advantage of the profit potential 
2742for pimps and other profiteers that removing all laws from selling sex would 
2743undoubtedly bring. 
2744
2745Only one question then needs to be asked of the pro-prostitution lobbyist: if 
2746the Nordic Model is “ineffectual in curbing the expansion of the sex trade”, 
2747why are you so vehemently in opposition to it? 
2748
2749Footnotes 
2750
27511 
2752https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/489414684475523302/. Accessed 29th August 2017. 
2753
27542 
2755Dillon, E. (2014, Mar 4.) Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. In 
2756Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cashgoes-
2757to-internet-kingpin. 
2758
27593 
2760I have confirmed in correspondence with Eamon Dillon that at no stage during his ongoing investigations 
2761were his reports responded to with any legal sanction by Peter McCormick et al. I acknowledge 
2762Dillon’s professionalism, candour and willingness to assist in my report of McCormick. 
2763
27644 
2765According to Internet Archive ‘Way Back Machine’ the webpage www.turnoffthebluelight.ie was first 
2766archived on April 29 2011 and last on 02 June 2013. 
2767
27685 
2769Ugliemugs.ie operates as a distinct organisation from other Ugly Mugs campaigns found elsewhere 
2770throughout the world including the UK (known as National Uglymugs: a registered charity) and 
2771
2772
2773Australia. 
2774
27756 
2776Barnes, C. (2014, Mar 2.) Loaded Ex-RUC officer was the king of sleaze. In Belfast Telegraph. 
2777Retrieved 15 June 2017 from High Beam Research www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-35754486.html. 
2778
27797 
2780Ugliemugs.ie operates as a distinct organisation from other Ugly Mugs campaigns found elsewhere 
2781throughout the world including the UK (known as National Uglymugs: a registered charity) and 
2782Australia. 
2783
27848 
2785Anon. (2003, May 25.) Exposed: The RUC man turned pimp. In Sunday Life. 
2786
27879 
2788Irish Times. (2004, Oct 8.) Man jailed in absence for breach of peace. In Irish Times. Retrieved 15 
2789June 2017, from www.irishtimes.com/news/man-jailed-in-absence-for-breach-of-peace-1.1160920. 
2790
279110 Sheehan, M. (2010, May 16.) The father, son, their ‘Bible’ and unholy alliances. In Belfast 
2792Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/the-father-son-theirbible-
2793and-unholy-alliances-26655479.html. 
2794
279511 Sheehan, M. (2010, May 16.) The father, son, their ‘Bible’ and unholy alliances. In Belfast 
2796Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/the-father-son-theirbible-
2797and-unholy-alliances-26655479.html. 
2798
279912 E Designers. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from web.archive.org https://web.archive.org/web/ 
280020070123132409/http://www.edesigners.co.uk/. 
2801Escort Ireland. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from web.archive.org https://web.archive.org/web/ 
280220000510054108/http://www.escortireland.com/index2.html. 
2803Dillon, E. (2014, Mar 4.) Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. 
2804In Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cashgoes-
2805to-internet-kingpin. 
2806Companies House. E Designers Limited. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://beta. 
2807companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04923492/officers. 
2808
2809
281013 Ibid. 
2811
281214 Cusack, J. (2010, Jul 25.) It’s business as usual for sex trade. In Irish Independent. Retrieved 15 
2813June 2017, from www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/its-business-as-usual-for-sex-trade-26666139. 
2814html. 
2815
281615 Lazarus Trading SL. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.infocif.es/ficha-empresa/lazarustrading-
2817sl. 
2818
281916 Lazarus Trading SL. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.infoempresa.com/en-in/es/company/ 
2820lazarus-trading-sl. 
2821
282217 Escort Ireland. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.escort-ireland.com/press/escort-advertisingsurvey.
2823html. 
2824
282518 RTE. (2000, Oct 18.) In Dublin publisher fined £50,000 for advertising brothels. In RTE. 
2826Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.rte.ie/news/2000/1018/9470-hogan/. 
2827
282819 Barnes, C. (2014, Mar 2.) Loaded Ex-RUC officer was the king of sleaze. In Belfast Telegraph. 
2829Retrieved 15 June 2017, from High Beam Research www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-35754486.html. 
2830
2831Belfast Telegraph. (2010, May 15.) Jail for Ulsterman who ran brothel network in Dublin. In 
2832Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/jail-for-ulstermanwho-
2833ran-brothel-network-in-dublin-28535797.html. 
2834
283520 Dillon, E. (4 March 2014) Pimp and proper. In Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
2836www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cash-goes-to-internet-kingpin. Accessed 28th August 
28372017. 
2838
283921 Irish Independent. (2011, Aug 30.) Dublin ‘call-girl gang’ charged in Romania. In Irish 
2840Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-callgirl-gangcharged-
2841in-romania-26766210.html. 
2842
2843
284422 http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2012/0206/293201-040212primetime/. Accessed 
284528th August 2017. 
2846
284723 Dillon, E. (2014, Mar 4.) Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. In 
2848Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cashgoes-
2849to-internet-kingpin. 
2850
285124 Lally, C. (2010, May 8.) A pimp’s family business. In Irish Times. Retrieved 15 June 2017, www. 
2852irishtimes.com/news/a-pimp-s-family-business-1.662825. 
2853
285425 Dillon, E. (2014, Mar 4.) Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. In 
2855Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cashgoes-
2856to-internet-kingpin. 
2857
285826 Cusack, J. (2013, Feb 17.) ’Escort’ web firm hits out at RTE sex work expose. In Irish Independent. 
2859Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.independent.ie/irish-news/escort-web-firm-hits-out-at-rte-sexwork-
2860expose-29076081.html. 
2861
286227 Escort Ireland. Advertising terms and conditions. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.escort-ireland. 
2863com/help/escort-legal-information.html#advertising-terms. 
2864
286528 The Journal. (2015, Nov 30.) Investigation details systematic movement of prostitutes around 
2866Ireland’s towns. In The Journal. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.thejournal.ie/prostitutioninvestigation-
28672475654-Nov2015/. 
2868
286929 I use Uglymugs.ie (the app) and Uglymugs.ie (the organisation) interchangeably. 
2870
287130 Dillon, E. (4 March 2014) Pimp and proper. In Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
2872www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cash-goes-to-internet-kingpin. 
2873
2874
287531 UglyMugs.ie. (2013, Sept.) Crime and abuse experienced by sex workers in Ireland: Victimisation 
2876survey. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/ugly-mugs-september2013.
2877pdf. 
2878
287932 UglyMugs.ie. (2013, Sept.) Crime and abuse experienced by sex workers in Ireland: Victimisation 
2880survey. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/ugly-mugs-september2013.
2881pdf, p. 2. 
2882
288333 Cho, S.; Dreher, A.; Neumayer E. (2012, Jan 16.) Does legalised prostitution increase human 
2884trafficking? In World Development. 41 (1), 2013. 67–82. 
2885
2886Ekberg, G. (2004, Oct.) The Swedish law that prohibits the purchase of a sexual service: Best 
2887practices for prevention of prostitution and trafficking in human beings. In Violence Against 
2888Women. Sage. 10 (10). 1187–1218. 
2889
2890Waltman, M. (2011.) Prohibiting sex purchasing and ending trafficking: The Swedish 
2891prostitution law. Michigan Journal of International Law. 133, 133–57, pp. 146–148. 
2892Waltman, M. (2011, Sept-Oct.) Sweden’s prohibition of purchase of sex: The law’s reasons, 
2893impact, and potential. In Women’s Studies International Forum. Elsevier. 34 (5). 449–474. 
2894
289534 Waltman, M. (2011, Sept-Oct.) Sweden’s prohibition of purchase of sex: The law’s reasons, 
2896impact, and potential. In Women’s Studies International Forum. Elsevier. 34 (5). 2. 
2897
289835 Waltman, M. (2011, Sept-Oct.) Sweden’s prohibition of purchase of sex: The law’s reasons, 
2899impact, and potential. In Women’s Studies International Forum. Elsevier. 34 (5). 52. 
2900
290136 Phelan, S. (2013, Nov 17.) A woman trafficked into the sex trade in Ireland tells her story. In Irish 
2902Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.independent.ie/irish-news/a-woman-trafficked-intothe-
2903sex-trade-in-ireland-tells-her-story-29760573.html. 
2904
290537 Dillon, E. (2013, Nov 13.) Hate campaign targets sex trafficking victim. In Sunday World. Retrieved 
290615 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/hate-campaign-targets-sex-traffickingvictim. 
2907
2908
2909
291038 News Letter. (2014, Oct 19.) Sex trafficking survivor tells why she supports DUP bill. In News 
2911Letter. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/sex-trafficking-survivortells-
2912why-she-supports-dup-bill-1-6366603. 
2913
291439 For example pp. 43, 51 and 53 of UglyMugs.ie (2013, September 2013). Crime and Abuse 
2915Experienced by Sex Workers in Ireland. UglyMugs.ie. http://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/uglymugs-
2916september-2013.pdf and Northern Ireland Assembly (2014). 
2917Official Report (Hansard) Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Further Provisions and Support for 
2918Victims) Bill: UglyMugs.ie. Online: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/ 
2919committee-minutes-of-evidence/session-2013-2014/january-2014/human-trafficking-and-exploitationfurther-
2920provisions-and-support-for-victims-bill-uglymugsie/. 
2921
292240 For example Smith, L. (2015, April 20) ‘Submission to Department of Health, Social Services and 
2923Publics Safety (DHSSPS) on exiting sex work strategy’. Uglymugs.ie. Online: https://uglymugs.ie/wpcontent/
2924uploads/Submission-to-Department-of-Health.pdf. 
2925
292641 Uglymugs.ie (2016, February 27). Letter to NI Justice Committee. Online: https://uglymugs.ie/2016/09/ 
292727/letter-ni-justice-committee/. 
2928
292942 www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/irishnews/article4666981.ece. 
2930
293143 Uglymugs.ie is an associate member of Irish Research Council funded Commercial Sex Research 
2932Network Ireland (CSRNI) together with Laura Lee and Niall Mulligan (HIV Ireland). Dr Graham 
2933Ellison is a Network Member of this organisation. This information was obtained from its website: http:// 
2934csrnetworkireland.com/core-network-members/. Of interest Niall Mulligan, Laura Lee, and Dr Paul 
2935Ryan are also Working Group and/or Board members of Sexworkers Alliance Ireland (SWAI); Dr Paul 
2936Ryan was a further member of the Advisory Group alongside Dr Nicola Mai for Dr Susann Huschke’s 
2937research project. This information was drawn from its website: http://sexworkersallianceireland.org/ 
2938who-we-are/. 
2939
294044 It is of interest that Doctor Paul Maginn was a co-presenter. 4th November 2015, 10.00-13.00: Sex 
2941Work Research and Policy: Follow-up Session to the ECP Evidence Gathering Event, organised by, 
2942FemGenSex, Middlesex University, Venue: College Building Room C210, London. Online: www.york. 
2943
2944
2945ac.uk/media/sociology/research/currentresearch/swrh/SWRH%20newsletter%20Nov%201%202015. 
2946
2947pdf. 
2948
294945 Sex Workers Liaison Group (2016). Minutes of Sex Workers Liaison Group. Online: www.octf.gov.uk/ 
2950OCTF/media/OCTF/documents/publications/Human%20Trafficking/Approved-Minutes-of-SexWorkers-
2951Liaison-Group.pdf?ext=.pdf. 
2952
295346 Bliss Festival (2015). Bliss Festival 2015 Talks Panel. Online: //www.blissfestival.org/p/summerfestival-
29542015-talks-panel.html. 
2955
295647 http://www.ruhama.ie/. 
2957
295848 Ellison, G.; Smith, L. (2016). Hate crime legislation against sex workers In Ireland: Lessons in 
2959policy and practice. In Haynes, A.; Schweppe, J.; Taylor, S. (Eds.) (2017.) Critical perspectives on 
2960hate crime contributions from the island of Ireland. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 
2961
296249 Oireachatas (2014, February 26). Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality Debate. http:// 
2963oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/committeetakes/ 
2964JUJ2014022600007. 
2965
296650 The Bill included a raft of provisions including for example the “proximity of age defence” and 
2967measures to strengthen defences against online predators. 
2968
296951 Dillon, Eamon (2014, March 4). Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. 
2970Sunday World. Online: www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cash-goes-to-internet-kingpin. 
2971
297252 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
2973exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 
29742017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
2975humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf 
2976
2977
297853 Northern Ireland Assembly (2014). Official Report (Hansard) Human Trafficking and Exploitation 
2979(Further Provisions and Support for Victims), Bill: UglyMugs.ie 
2980Online: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/committee-minutes-ofevidence/
2981session-2013-2014/january-2014/human-trafficking-and-exploitation-further-provisions-andsupport-
2982for-victims-bill-uglymugsie/. 
2983
298454 Uglymugs.ie currently “acknowledges” a “relationship” between Escort-Ireland as it did at both the 
2985Oireachtas and Stormont committees. However this pre-emptive admission is in the form of a closed 
2986and compact statement which pretends disclosure but camouflages precisely the nature of the 
2987“relationship”, any commercial arrangements, or an elaboration of the involvement of Peter McCormick 
2988and Mark McCormick. 
2989
299055 Northern Ireland Assembly (2014). Official Report (Hansard) Human Trafficking and Exploitation 
2991(Further Provisions and Support for Victims) Bill: International Union of Sex Workers. Online: http:// 
2992www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/committee-minutes-of-evidence/session2013-
29932014/january-2014/human-trafficking-and-exploitation-further-provisions-and-support-for-victimsbill-
2994international-union-of-sex-workers/. 
2995
299656 Wyatt, D. (2015, 1 December). What is it really like to work as a Dominatrix? The Independent. http:// 
2997www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/whats-it-really-like-to-work-as-a-dominatrix-a6754541.html. 
2998
299957 Northern Ireland Assembly (2014). Official Report (Hansard) Human Trafficking and Exploitation 
3000(Further Provisions and Support for Victims), Bill: SPACE Intnerational. http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/ 
3001assembly-business/official-report/committee-minutes-of-evidence/session-2013-2014/january-2014/ 
3002human-trafficking-and-exploitation-further-provisions-and-suport-for-victims-bill-space-international-/. 
3003
300458 Anna Human Trafficking. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://anna-human-trafficking-ireland.com. 
3005
300659 Dillon, E. (4 March 2014) Pimp and proper. In Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http:// 
3007www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cash-goes-to-internet-kingpin. 
3008
300960 Matthews, R., Easton, H., Reynolds, L., Bindel, J., Young, L. 2014). Exiting prostitution: A study in 
3010female desistance. (London: Palgrave). 
3011
3012
301361 Northern Ireland Assembly (2014). Official Report (Hansard) Human Trafficking and Exploitation 
3014(Further Provisions and Support for Victims) Bill: Dr Graham Ellison and Dr Susan Huschke, Queen 
3015University Belfast. Online: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/committeeminutes-
3016of-evidence/session-2013-2014/january-2014/human-trafficking-and-exploitation-furtherprovision-
3017and-support-for-victims-bill-dr-graham-ellison-and-dr-susann-huschke-queens-universitybelfast-/. 
3018
3019
302062 https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/publications/research-prostitution-northern-ireland. 
3021
302263 UglyMugs.ie. (2013, Sept.) Crime and abuse experienced by sex workers in Ireland: Victimisation 
3023survey. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/ugly-mugs-september2013.
3024pdf. p. 43, 51, 53. 
3025
302664 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
3027exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 
30282017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
3029humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3030
303165 Smith, L. (2015, April 20.) Submission to Department of Health, Social Services and Publics 
3032Safety (DHSSPS) on exiting sex work strategy. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://uglymugs.ie/wpcontent/
3033uploads/Submission-to-Department-of-Health.pdf. 
3034
303566 Barnes, L. (2014, Aug 19.) Ugly Mugs: ‘An unacceptable breach of sex workers’privacy. On The 
3036Conversation. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://theconversation.com/ugly-mugs-an-unacceptablebreach-
3037of-sex-workers-privacy-30615. 
3038
303967 BBC (2014, January 30). DUP confronts QUB academic over ‘gay suicides’ claim. BBC News. 
3040http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-25969374. 
3041
304268 Escort Ireland. (2016, Dec 1.) On Twitter.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://twitter.com/ 
3043escortireland/status/804290551902244865. 
3044
3045
304669 Uglymugs.ie. (2016, Feb 27). Letter to NI Justice Committee. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
3047uglymugs.ie/2016/09/27/letter-ni-justice-committee/. 
3048
304970 Coyne, E. (2016, Jan 16.) Feminist event bars sex worker group. In The Times. Retrieved 15 June 
30502017, from www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/irishnews/article4666981.ece. 
3051
305271 Uglymugs.ie is an associate member of Irish Research Council funded Commercial Sex Research 
3053Network Ireland (CSRNI) together with Laura Lee and Niall Mulligan (HIV Ireland). Dr Graham 
3054Ellison is a Network Member of this organisation. This information was obtained from its website: http:// 
3055csrnetworkireland.com/core-network-members/. Of interest Niall Mulligan, Laura Lee, and Dr Paul 
3056Ryan are also Working Group and/or Board members of Sexworkers Alliance Ireland (SWAI); Dr Paul 
3057Ryan was a further member of the Advisory Group alongside Dr Nicola Mai for Dr Susann Huschke’s 
3058research project. This information was drawn from its website: http://sexworkersallianceireland.org/ 
3059who-we-are/.. 
3060
306172 It is of interest that Dr Paul Maginn was a co-presenter on 2015, Nov 4: ‘Sex Work Research and 
3062Policy: Follow-up Session to the ECP Evidence Gathering Event, organised by, FemGenSex, Middlesex 
3063University, Venue: College Building Room C210, London.’ Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.york.ac. 
3064uk/media/sociology/research/currentresearch/swrh/SWRH%20newsletter%20Nov%201%202015.pdf. 
3065
306673 Sex Workers Liaison Group. (2016). Minutes of Sex Workers Liaison Group. Retrieved 15 June 
30672017, from www.octf.gov.uk/OCTF/media/OCTF/documents/publications/Human%20Trafficking/ 
3068Approved-Minutes-of-Sex-Workers-Liaison-Group.pdf?ext=.pdf 
3069
307074 Bliss Festival. (2015). Bliss Festival 2015 talks panel. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
3071blissfestival.org/p/summer-festival-2015-talks-panel.html 
3072
307375 Maginn, P.J. and Ellison G. (2014) Male Sex Work in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland in V. 
3074Minichiello and J. Scott (Eds) Male Sex Work & Society, New York: Harrington Park Press, pp:426461, 
3075Endnote 10, p. 461. 
3076
3077
307876 Maginn, P.; Ellison, G. (2013.) The scarlet isle: Male sex work in Ireland. On The Conversation. 
3079Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://theconversation.com/the-scarlet-isle-the-politics-of-male-sex-workin-
3080ireland-19404). 
3081
308277 Ruhama: Supporting Women Affected by Prostitution. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
3083ruhama.ie/ 
3084
308578 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
3086exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 
30872017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
3088humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3089
309079 Department of Justice. (2014, Oct 31.) Research into prostitution in Northern Ireland. Retrieved 15 
3091June 2017, from https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/publications/research-prostitution-northern-ireland. 
3092
309380 Kilpatrick, C. (2014, Oct 17.) David Ford in bid to scupper bill making it illegal to pay for sex. In 
3094Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/davidford-
3095in-bid-to-scupper-bill-making-it-illegal-to-pay-for-sex-30670787.html. 
3096
309781 Queen’s University Belfast (2014) Research into prostitution in Northern Ireland Retrieved 28 
3098August 2017, from https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/doj/prostitution-reportnov-
3099update.pdf. 
3100
310182 Oireachatas. (2014, Feb 26.) Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality Debate. Retrieved 15 
3102June 2017, from http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/ 
3103committeetakes/JUJ2014022600007. 
3104
310583 The Bill included a raft of provisions including, for example, the ‘proximity of age defence’ and 
3106measures to strengthen defences against online predators. 
3107
310884 Pages 20–21, Mai, N. (2011) ‘Tampering with the Sex of “Angels”: Migrant Male Minors and Young 
3109Adults Selling Sex in the EU’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37(8): 1237–1252. 
3110
3111
311285 Queens University Belfast. (2014.) Research into prostitution in Northern Ireland: Public 
3113engagement event. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/Research-onProstitution-
3114in-Northern-Ireland_Public-Engagement-Eventpdf. 
3115
311686 Women’s Aid: Federation Northern Ireland. (2014, Oct 17.) Statement on Queen’s University 
3117Belfast: Department of Justice research on prostitution. On Women’s Aid. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
3118from http://www.womensaidni.org/womens-aid-statement-queens-university-belfast-department-justiceresearch-
3119prostitution/. 
3120
312187 Dillon, E. (2014, Mar 4.) Brothel cash goes to internet kingpin linked to legalisation campaign. In 
3122Sunday World. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/brothel-cashgoes-
3123to-internet-kingpin. 
3124
312588 Hollaway, M. (2004, May 8). Minister must withdraw funding from Scarlet Alliance. In Tasmania 
3126Times. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/pr-article/minister-mustwith-
3127draw-funding-from-scarlet-alliance/. 
3128
312989 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
3130exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 
31312017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
3132humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3133
313490 Ellison, G. (2016.) Who needs evidence? In Armstrong, S.; Blaustein, J.; Henry, A. (Eds.) (2016.) 
3135Reflexivity and criminal justice: Intersections of policy, practice and research. London: Palgrave 
3136Macmillan. 
3137
313891 Uglymugs.ie currently “acknowledges” a “relationship” between Escort-Ireland as it did at both the 
3139Oireachtas and Stormont committees. However, this pre-emptive admission is in the form of a closed 
3140and compact statement which pretends disclosure but camouflages precisely the nature of the 
3141“relationship”, any commercial arrangements or an elaboration of the involvement of Peter McCormick 
3142and Mark McCormick. 
3143
3144
314592 I will focus on pages 305–306 of Ellison, G. (2016). Who needs evidence? Radical Feminism, the 
3146Christian Right and Sex Work Research in Northern Ireland. In: Reflexivity and Criminal Justice: 
3147Intersections of Policy, Practice and Research. Armstrong, S., Blaustein, J. & Alistair, H. (eds.). 
3148Palgrave Macmillan. 
3149
315093 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official 
3151report (Hansard). Human trafficking and exploitation (further provisions and support for 
3152victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/ 
3153documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3154
315594 Wyatt, D. (2015, 1 Dec.) What is it really like to work as a dominatrix? In The Independent. 
3156Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/whats-it-really-like-towork-
3157as-a-dominatrix-a6754541.html. 
3158
315995 News Letter. (2016, Sept 28.) Sex worker wins first round against sex buyer law. In News Letter. 
3160Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/sex-worker-wins-first-roundagainst-
3161sex-buyer-law-1-7602205. 
3162
316396 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
3164exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 
31652017, from www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
3166humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3167
316897 Belfast Telegraph. (2016, March 9). Escort Website Partly Funding Bid in Ireland’s Ban on Paying for 
3169Sex. Belfast Telegraph. Online: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/escortwebsite-
3170partly-funding-bid-to-overturn-n-irelands-ban-on-paying-for-sex-34525613.html. 
3171
317298 Parliament. Written evidence submitted by Steven Elrond. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://data. 
3173parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Home%20Affairs/ 
3174Prostitution/written/29122.html. 
3175
3176
317799 Tyler, M. (2015, Apr 8.) Sex trade survivors deserve the chance to speak. In The Conversation. 
3178Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://theconversation.com/sex-trade-survivors-deserve-the-chance-tospeak-
317957429. 
3180
3181100 2006. Extraordinary Stories: The Escort Agency. UK, Channel 4. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
3182http://tvfinternational.com/programme/20/the-escort-agency?trailer=1&. 
3183
3184101 See for example Hedges, C. (2015, August 16) Amnesty International: Protecting the ‘Human Rights’ 
3185of Johns, Pimps, and Human Traffickers. Truth Dig. Online: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/ 
3186amnesty_international_protecting_the_human_rights_20150816.; Bindel, J. (2015, August 4) Women in 
3187Prostitution won’t be protected by Amnesty’s Plan. The Guardian. Online: https://www.theguardian. 
3188com/commentisfree/2015/aug/04/sex-workers-amnesty-international-prostitution-decriminalisation; 
3189Brunskell-Evans (2015) Sorry Amnesty, Decriminalising Sex Work will Not Protect Human Rights. The 
3190Conversation. Online: https://theconversation.com/sorry-amnesty-decriminalising-sex-work-will-notprotect-
3191human-rights-46096. 
3192
3193102 Northern Ireland Assembly. (2014, Jan 30.) Official report (Hansard). Human trafficking and 
3194exploitation (further provisions and support for victims) bill: UglyMugs.ie. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
3195
3196www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/official-reports/justice/2013-2014/140130_ 
3197humantraffickingetcbilluglymugs.pdf. 
3198
3199
3200103 Department of Justice. (2014, Oct 31.) Research into prostitution in Northern Ireland. Retrieved 
320115 June 2017, from https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/publications/research-prostitution-northern-ireland. 
3202
3203104 BBC News. (2014, Jan 30). DUP confronts QUB academic over ‘gay suicides’ claim. On BBC 
3204News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-25969374. 
3205
3206
3207© The Author(s) 2017 
3208Julie Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55890-9_9 
3209
3210
32119. Sex Trade Academics 
3212Julie Bindel1 
3213
3214
3215(1) London, UK 
3216Julie Bindel 
3217Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
3218Within the world of academia, the most popular view of the sex trade is clearly 
3219that of pro-decriminalisation. Why is the view that prostitution is ‘labour’ 
3220rather than ‘abuse’ so prevalent within the Academy? To understand that, you 
3221have to look at how class analysis, largely prevalent within sociology and 
3222anthropology as a way of understanding institutionalised power relations, has 
3223been usurped by essentialist identity politics, the rise of market doctrine within 
3224universities, and how these have joined forces with old-fashioned sexism and 
3225male libertarianism. 
3226
3227
3228Prostitution: From Dividing Women to Dividing 
3229Collegiality 
3230
3231In 2009, colleagues from London South Bank University and I applied for Big 
3232Lottery money to conduct a study on the barriers and opportunities for women 
3233in prostitution to exit.1 In 2004 I had met Roger Matthews ,2 Professor of 
3234Criminology at the University, when I emailed him to thank him for a letter he 
3235wrote to the Guardian newspaper praising an investigative feature on the sex 
3236trade I had published in its magazine supplement.3 Matthews is one of the few 
3237male academics who takes the view prostitution is harmful to women and both 
3238a cause and a consequence of their oppression. Although he may not use this 
3239term, Matthews is an abolitionist. 
3240
3241Matthews and I conducted the study, the largest of its kind in the UK, with 
3242Helen Easton , his colleague in the Criminology department, and with others 
3243from Eaves (see Chap. 1). During the two-year data collection period, 114 
3244women (who were or had previously been involved in various aspects of the 
3245sex trade) were interviewed at length: 50 of these women were interviewed 
3246more than once. Very little attention had been paid to developing exiting 
3247services for women in prostitution, with service providers tending to favour 
3248so-called harm minimisation (such as providing condoms and needles) with a 
3249focus only on reducing the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted 
3250infections. Our research aimed to make a positive contribution to the study of 
3251prostitution and the lives of those women and girls affected by it. 
3252
3253The ground-breaking research, which was published as a book two years 
3254after the release of the final report to funders,4 was always going to be 
3255controversial. After all, it was about looking for best practice examples in 
3256assisting women out of the sex trade, rather than towing the ‘inevitability’ line, 
3257looking for ways to keep them alive whilst being abused within it. 
3258
3259Shortly before publication of the report in 2012, the blogger and scientist 
3260known as Belle de Jour, aka Dr Brooke Magnanti , wrote a book entitled The 
3261Sex Myth: Why Everything We Are Told Is Wrong.5 Prior to publication, 
3262Magnanti’s publicist approached me with a request that I interview her for the 
3263Guardian newspaper, mentioning that it might be an interesting read because 
3264Magnanti and I hold very different views of the sex trade. I readily accepted, 
3265and looked forward to sitting down with Magnanti in order to get a real sense 
3266
3267
3268of how she had come to form her views on these issues. 
3269
3270Before Magnanti’s interview I read the manuscript of The Sex Myth and 
3271found, to my horror, a number of serious inaccuracies about Eaves and 
3272individuals. Magnanti had also managed to get hold of an interim report of our 
3273exiting study watermarked ‘Not for distribution, please do not quote’. The 
3274reason the team did not wish to have the interim report quoted was because the 
3275figures were not final and the data had not been cleaned. Nevertheless, 
3276Magnanti published the details in that leaked report. 
3277
3278There is open hostility from pro-prostitution academics to those scholars 
3279who deviate from the pro-prostitution line. Those academics advocating on 
3280behalf of the sex trade are hardly harmless ineffectual individuals in ivory 
3281towers publishing papers nobody reads; rather, they are powerful activists 
3282using their academic positions and credentials to exert influence on prostitution 
3283policy as members of national and international research bodies. It is 
3284concerning that ‘research’ deferring to sex trade ideology and not academically 
3285sound evidence is informing this discussion with detrimental consequences for 
3286women and girls, albeit positive consequences for those profiting from this 
3287regime of violence. 
3288
3289
3290Dr John Davies: Academic, Activist, Convicted Conman 
3291
3292
3293The inaugural regional conference of ‘sex workers’ in East-Central Europe 
3294took place in Balástya , Hungary , 8–14 April 2000. It was organised by a 
3295doctoral student by the name of John Davies . Davies, who was studying in the 
3296UK, had moved to Balástya, a village on the outskirts of Szeged , with his 
3297family in the 1990s. 
3298
3299I visited Balástya in 2016 to interview people who knew, and knew of, 
3300Davies, but 10–20 years ago it had been a different landscape. Throughout the 
33011990s Serbia was involved in numerous conflicts: the Slovenian (1991), 
3302Croatian (1991–1995), Bosnian (1992–1995) and Kosovan wars (1998– 
33031999). The latter war resulted in tens of thousands of displaced people, 
3304particularly ethnic Albanians, seeking refuge and prosperity in neighbouring 
3305countries. All wars are hell for women and girls, and it is estimated that at 
3306least 20,000 Albanian women and girls (whose fathers, husbands, son and 
3307brothers were murdered) were raped by Serbian soldiers and paramilitary in 
3308the Kosovo conflict. Access to vulnerable and penniless Albanian women, 
3309many pregnant from rape, provided exploitative men with opportunities to 
3310make their fortunes. 
3311
3312Davies spent many years, first as an MA student and DPhil candidate and 
3313then as a Visiting Research Fellow, at the University of Sussex in England.6 
3314Since the 1990s, Davies has travelled the world taking part in conferences and 
3315lecturing on the international sex trade. He is a supporter of blanket 
3316decriminalisation of the sex trade. He evaded justice until recently because a 
3317number of academics and pro-prostitution Academics and pro-prostitution 
3318activists supported him. I had heard allegations of Davies’s charity scams as 
3319far back as 1999. I, and other feminist abolitionist colleagues, have regularly 
3320challenged pro-prostitution academics and human rights experts on their 
3321collaboration with Davies and their refusal to condemn him. Each and every 
3322one has defended Davies and refused to accept his bad character. 
3323
3324Davies has long been described by law enforcers as ‘Mr Teflon’ because 
3325none of the many serious allegations against him stuck. Those of us who 
3326followed his activities have often been threatened with libel. I am now able to 
3327tell at least part of the story of Davies because I responded to his threat of libel 
3328by gathering all the evidence to prove my allegations—that Davies has long 
3329been suspected of being a baby trafficker, among other things—could be 
3330
3331
3332substantiated. 
3333
3334There is a long and complex story to tell about Davies and his criminal 
3335exploits, going as far back as the 1980s and perhaps earlier. As I write, I am in 
3336the middle of an investigation into the range and number of crimes in which 
3337Davies has been involved and the people who enabled him. For the purposes 
3338of this chapter, however, I will focus on his time in academia and the way in 
3339which he managed to become a respected and highly influential scholar whose 
3340many works are cited by other scholars of similar standing: including Dr 
3341Stephanie Schwander-Sievers , an anthropologist from Bournemouth 
3342University in the UK, who referred to Dr Davies’s work in tribunal hearings 
3343for trafficked Albanian women seeking migration into the United Kingdom in 
3344her capacity as an expert on such matters.7 
3345
3346I first met John Davies (aka John Shelton, aka John Glyn Davies, aka 
3347Glyndwr Selwyn Owain Davies) in 1999 at a conference in London. It was at 
3348this event that I heard the stories about Davies from Interpol officers and 
3349feminist colleagues. Davies gave me the creeps: he pushed his way into a 
3350conversation I was having with a small group of feminists and lectured us on 
3351why our approach was blind-sighted. I recall him saying: ‘You can’t expect an 
3352Albanian woman who wants to work in the Tutti Fruity bar [in Greece ] to 
3353keep away from traffickers if she is refused proper papers’. He was arguing 
3354that the only reason that traffickers get their claws on prostituted women is 
3355because of strict immigration laws. 
3356
3357A tall and heavy-set man with a domineering presence, he is not one to be 
3358forgotten in a hurry. On returning to the UK, I looked at Davies in the national 
3359newspaper database and found there had been a couple of reports about him 
3360and his exploits in south-eastern Europe. Davies, along with Julie Vullnetari , a 
3361younger woman who at one time was his partner, had been arrested in Croatia 
3362on suspicion of baby trafficking before being released. I also found Davies 
3363was a prodigious contributor to the Stop Traffic listserv, most of whose 
3364members were pro-prostitution advocates. During the late 1990s, around the 
3365time that Davies embarked upon his MA studies at Sussex Centre for Migration 
3366Research (SCMR), he wrote on a listserv thread that he had been threatened 
3367with expulsion from Romania but had successfully appealed with the help of 
3368other academics on the list and that he was permitted to remain in the country. 
3369
3370However, there was a more recent scandal about Davies, who had been 
3371given a substantial grant to supposedly set up roadside services for street-
3372based prostituted women in Hungary . The inspectors from the fraud 
3373
3374
3375department of the European Commission found that Davies had 
3376misappropriated money into his family home and used it for his own gain since 
3377there was no sign of any such project. Davies had applied for the EC grant in 
3378conjunction with the Prostitution Information Centre in Amsterdam , which 
3379publishes a ‘pleasure guide’ to the city’s window brothel area, runs tours of the 
3380area and campaigns for ‘sex workers’ rights’. 
3381
3382As a result of Davies being caught, two major pro-prostitution groups (the 
3383Dutch Foundation Against Trafficking in Women and La Strada) announced 
3384they were withdrawing their cooperation with Davies and the foundations he 
3385was affiliated with: the Salomon Alapitvany Foundation (Hungary ) and the 
3386Morava Foundation (Albania and Romania) . 
3387
3388Davies, as has always been his modus operandi, robustly denied any fraud 
3389had taken place. However, the story was picked up in the Sunday Times 
3390newspaper in 19998 and Davies threatened to sue them for libel. But he failed 
3391because Stephen Grey, the Sunday Times investigator who broke the news, 
3392was able to gather all of the information that proved every single allegation in 
3393his story. I’ve seen the paperwork and spoken to the journalist, as well as 
3394examined the Press Complaints Commission’s findings in the matter. There is 
3395no doubt in my mind that Davies was covering up serious fraud. 
3396
3397In that same Sunday Times article it was reported that Davies was 
3398suspected of illegally supplying children for adoption in the West— 
3399particularly the USA but also the UK. Davies contested this allegation, 
3400claiming the journalist who authored the article was unable to produce 
3401irrefutable proof that he was suspected of such activities. Again, his claims 
3402were rebutted. In his complaint to the Press Complaints Commission, Davies 
3403wrote: ‘I am returning fulltime to my DPhil studies in sex work migration, and 
3404am grateful to have the support of my professors and other colleagues at this 
3405difficult time. I am very fortunate that many of my academic colleagues and 
3406friends are close enough that they are not influenced by reports that do not 
3407match the reality of my life and work’. 
3408
3409It would seem Davies had found the perfect cover to exploit women and 
3410children as an academic. Emboldened, he sought further funding for his 
3411prostitution-related activities. In 2002 he was awarded a grant from a 
3412Norwegian funder for anti-trafficking work in Bangladesh . And in Dhaka, 
3413Bangladesh, he worked as a chief technical advisor for the Ministry of Women 
3414and Children’s project to stop trafficking. 
3415
3416Alerted to the situation by feminist abolitionists , the Secretary for the 
3417
3418
3419Women and Children Affairs in Bangladesh discovered that Davies was 
3420involved in ‘women, drug and gambling related illegal activities’. He had his 
3421funding from the Norwegians revoked and his post in Bangladesh was 
3422terminated. It was in Bangladesh that Davies met a number of men who were 
3423well connected to various charitable NGOs funded by foreign aid. Some of the 
3424men would later occupy important positions on the boards of ‘charities’ 
3425directed by Davies. 
3426
3427Davies and his son Benjamin , Julie Vullnetari , Jo Doezema and Nick Mai 
3428hold similar opinions about the trafficking of women into the sex trade: 
3429trafficking (or ‘migrant sex work’ as they prettify it) is more often a ‘choice ’ 
3430that women from poor countries make in order to ‘earn lots of money and 
3431avoid working in factories’. It would appear Davies considers anti-trafficking 
3432campaigners to be more dangerous than the actual traffickers. In 2006, Davies 
3433spoke at an academic conference in Oxford in the UK, as a PhD candidate. The 
3434title of his paper was ‘Force and Deception: the Tools of the Anti-Traffickers’. 
3435In 2007, Sussex University awarded Davies his doctorate for his research 
3436thesis on the trafficking of Albanian women. 
3437
3438In 2008, Davies and his son Benjamin , who by this time was a graduate of 
3439the same MA in Migration Studies from SCMR, published a provocative 
3440paper: ‘How to Use a Trafficked Woman: The Alliance between Political and 
3441Criminal Trafficking Organisations’.9 Father and son claimed that Albanian 
3442women’s fear of rape and violence (as a consequence of the rapes committed 
3443by Serbian soldiers) had transferred into fear of ‘sex work’. The pair further 
3444claimed this ‘moral panic’ was created and sustained by ‘political traffickers’ 
3445
3446(i.e. abolitionists ) aiming at preventing women’s ‘safe’ migration, thereby 
3447forcing them into the hands of traffickers. 
3448As I make clear in my discussion of Escort-Ireland (Chap. 8), there is 
3449something peculiar in the manner in which sons are apprenticed into the sex 
3450trade by their fathers. But Benjamin Davies is not a misled young man. I have 
3451in my possession quite a number of photographs and articles—corroborated by 
3452oral evidence from first-hand sources—that depict and describe him routinely 
3453performing sadistic ‘scenarios’ at BDSM (bondage, domination, sadism, 
3454masochism) clubs in London dressed in the military fatigues of an Eastern 
3455European soldier, wherein he beats a naked woman covered in either real or 
3456fake blood (it is impossible to tell) with her hands tied behind her back with 
3457rope that he uses to drag her about like an animal. This, apparently, for the 
3458sexual enjoyment of those who pay to watch. The ‘fantasy’ of soldiers raping 
3459
3460
3461women is the reality of many women, as Benjamin Davies most certainly was 
3462aware. 
3463
3464This was the year 2009, when his father was being tried for sexually 
3465abusing two sisters, a crime for which he was found not guilty after he 
3466convinced the jury that his brother, brain damaged from a heroin overdose, was 
3467the possible culprit of the rapes.10 It was also in 2009 that the book based on 
3468his PhD research, My Name is Not Natasha: How Albanian Women in France 
3469Use Trafficking to Overcome Social Exclusion (1998–2001), was published 
3470by Amsterdam University Press.11 Like Davies, by this stage Vullnetari also 
3471held a DPhil in Migration Studies from SCMR. His book was dedicated to her. 
3472In this same acknowledgement section, which mentions not a single member of 
3473his family, Davies wrote: ‘I would also like to thank Yonis Dirie and Kirk 
3474Reid for their invaluable support and kindness during a very difficult and 
3475demanding episode of my life’. That ‘episode’ of course refers to Davies’s 
3476criminal trial in 2009 for rape and sexual assault. 
3477
3478Although, as a feminist journalist living in the UK, I had naturally written 
3479and thought about them,12 the names Yonis Dirie and Kirk Reid escaped me 
3480until seven years later in 2016 when I and others recommenced our 
3481investigation of Davies. Disturbingly, both Dirie and Reid are notorious 
3482rapists. Dirie raped and severely beat a woman before dumping her 
3483unconscious into a river in East London in 1990. Dirie was arrested years later 
3484and sentenced to a ten-year prison sentence in 2006. Reid is the serial rapist of 
3485at least 26 women over a 12-year period from 1995–2007; however, it is 
3486believed as many as 75 women were raped by him. Reid was sentenced to life 
3487imprisonment in 2009. Presumably, these two rapists met with Davies after he 
3488was arrested on his return to the UK from Bangladesh in 2008 and remanded 
3489on the charge of raping two sisters. 
3490
3491Possibly more useful than my summary of Davies’s book is that provided 
3492on his publisher’s website. It reads: 
3493
3494This book challenges every common presumption that exists about the 
3495
3496trafficking of women for the sex trade. It is a detailed account of an entire 
3497
3498population of trafficked Albanian women whose varied experiences, 
3499
3500including selling sex on the streets of France, clearly demonstrate how 
3501
3502much the present discourse about trafficked women is misplaced and 
3503
3504inadequate. The heterogeneity of the women involved and their 
3505
3506relationships with various men is clearly presented as is the way women 
3507
3508
3509actively created a panoptical surveillance of themselves as a means of 
3510
3511self-policing. There is no artificial divide between women who were 
3512
3513deceived and abused and those who ‘choose’ sex work; in fact the book 
3514
3515clearly shows how peripheral involvement in sex work was to the real 
3516
3517agenda of the women involved.13 
3518
3519As is clear from that summary, Davies does not consider even those 
3520women he concedes are trafficked to be the victims of gross human rights 
3521abuses, instead claiming that they have made a positive ‘choice ’. It is equally 
3522apparent that Davies is saying that support agencies that exist in Albania and 
3523elsewhere are useless. One of the organisations he attempts to trash is one I 
3524know extremely well and have visited in 2000 and 2004. Vatra (The Hearth) 
3525Psychological-social Centre14 is run by the indefatigable Vera Lesko , and was 
3526founded in 1997 in response to the epidemic of trafficking that had taken over 
3527her hometown of Vlora. The services and advocacy that Lesko provides for 
3528vulnerable women and girls, and training she undertook in order to educate 
3529other Albanian citizens about the harms of the international sex trade, are 
3530second to none. Davies, however, criticises and dismisses the work of Lesko 
3531and her colleagues, claiming that she is part of the ‘rescue industry’. 
3532
3533Davies criticises Lesko and her organisation in any way he can find, 
3534including when he says: ‘Some activists such as Lesko (2005) consider 
3535traffickers solely responsible for trafficking’.15 This sentence is somewhat 
3536risible and just goes to show the twisted logic of the trafficking denier. Davies 
3537accuses Lesko of making the assumption that those girls and women who are 
3538re-trafficked multiple times to and from Albania experience shame and stigma. 
3539For Davies, the explanation for women being re-victimised in this manner is 
3540simply that they need the money.16 
3541
3542As with a growing number of pro-prostitution academics who focus on 
3543trafficking into the sex trade, Davies wishes to present a ‘nuanced’ examination 
3544of the phenomenon. This is a disingenuous position. It is impossible for human 
3545beings to be unaffected by the misery of prostitution. To drive the point, as a 
3546feminist I have no necessary investment in abolitionism. I am a feminist first. 
3547What I mean by this is, for example, that were I to be convinced that 
3548prostitution is a wonderful thing for the bodies and minds of women and girls, 
3549for our liberation from male oppression, and that it positively affects the way 
3550men and boys view me and other women, I would unequivocally support it. I 
3551would support it as much as I have condemned it up to this day. I too would 
3552
3553
3554insist, as UK Liberal Democrat councillor Dennis Parsons nauseatingly 
3555speculated,17 that young schoolgirls contemplating careers in the peak 
3556professions (perhaps more suited to their male peers) instead educate 
3557themselves on the endless possibilities which being repeatedly penetrated by 
3558men provides them. But I would never collude with fakery of ‘impartiality’ on 
3559something so critical to the lives of all women and girls. 
3560Davies, as appears to be the current fashion among those researching 
3561women in prostitution, adopts an ethnographic approach, which means that he 
3562hung around with the women in their place of ‘work’ and, rather than formally 
3563interview these women, he spent time chatting with them, socialising and 
3564taking an all-round ‘holistic’ informal approach. It would appear that this 
3565method, when used by the pro-prostitution academics , is particularly 
3566successful in ‘proving’ that ‘sex work’ is harmless. 
3567Davies interviewed 58 Albanian women for his research, all of whom had 
3568been trafficked into Lyon , France. During his ethnographic research, he and his 
3569Albanian girlfriend/cultural advocate Vullnetari mixed freely with pimps and 
3570traffickers. Davis prefers to call traffickers ‘cuni’: an Albanian pejorative term 
3571meaning ‘boy’. Throughout his book there are numerous examples where 
3572neither Davies nor his ‘cultural advocate’ elect to report trafficking to police. 
3573This is an extract from an interview Davies conducted with a self-confessed 
3574and unabashed rapist and trafficker: 
3575
3576One man offered me his daughter when I was buying cabbages from him 
3577to sell in Tirana … this was south of Elbasan [a city in central Albania ]. 
3578From one farmer we bought all his cabbages and then went to his house 
3579for a drink. I told him stories about my successful business, so he offered 
3580me his daughter in marriage. He told me that many girls in the village had 
3581run away to Greece with local boys and that he wanted to make a proper 
3582marriage for his daughter before some local boy kidnapped her. I think he 
3583suspected or knew that she was not a virgin and so he couldn’t dare to 
3584marry her off to anyone in his area … Then my cousin put the token price 
3585on the table and I was married with the daughter. The farmer put his 
3586daughter in my van and we drove back to Elbasan … on the way we all 
3587fucked her and then after a few weeks I had her sent to Italy … every 
3588week she send me the money … no complaining … she is a good girl who 
3589loves me and knows her place. I still buy cabbages from her father who 
3590introduces me to all his friends as his son-in-law, the businessman from 
3591
3592
3593Tirana.18 
3594
3595Within Davies’s research sample he reports two 16-year-old girls and one 
359617-year-old girl. Most researchers, I would have hoped, would report 
3597trafficked children immediately to the police. Not an isolated example, his 
3598book is replete with records made of innumerable crimes paired with his 
3599apathetic aloofness masquerading as academic impartiality. I am concerned 
3600any man would have unfettered access to prostituted women, let alone one with 
3601Davies’s dodgy background and the high praise he gave to rapists Yonis and 
3602Reid . As a journalist, I cannot think of any of the stories I have written that 
3603were so interesting and important that I would not have put my pen down to 
3604report a child trafficked into prostitution. The fact that Davies did not do this, 
3605in a taxpayer-funded educational institution, is highly unethical and possibly 
3606illegal. 
3607
3608While quite a number of items I requested under Freedom of Information 
3609were snubbed by Sussex University, handily a copy of Davies’s signed-off 
3610ethics approval appears in his book. Interestingly, the document appears to 
3611have subsequently been used as a scrap piece of paper (handwriting appears 
3612through the back page) and then scrunched up into a ball (and perhaps retrieved 
3613from the trash). Regardless of whether or not one agrees with Davies’s 
3614methodology, such an extraordinarily important document, one that enabled the 
3615suspension of ethical judgment, demands to be handled with tremendous 
3616respect. 
3617
3618Accordingly, on a number of occasions I have asked Professor Richard 
3619Black, Davies’s PhD doctoral supervisor and the person who signed off the 
3620ethical approval for his research in Lyon , whether he was aware that Davies 
3621(now in prison) may have colluded with dangerous criminals. Black declined 
3622to respond. 
3623
3624
3625Trafficking? Or ‘Migration for Sex Work’? 
3626
3627An academic named Nicola (Nick) Mai had also been awarded a PhD at the 
3628SCMR at Sussex University. Mai is another ardent fan of ethnography. Writing 
3629on the online magazine The Conversation,19 in which he discussed his 
3630research where he claims to have found barely any prostituted women in the 
3631UK are trafficked, Mai argues: 
3632
3633… the fact that a small minority of female sex workers are trafficked has 
3634
3635been subsequently confirmed by other independent studies on the UK sex 
3636
3637industry, including by the police, which corroborates our findings. This is 
3638
3639also confirmed by the vast majority of ethnographic research at a global 
3640
3641level, whenever sex work and the sex industry are engaged with ‘from 
3642
3643below’ and ‘from within’. 
3644
3645There is no connection whatsoever between John Davies’ criminal exploits 
3646and the academic views and research of those that, at one time or another, 
3647studied or taught under the banner of the SCMR except for this: the approach 
3648taken by the SCMR scholars tends to be highly critical of the feminist 
3649abolitionist claims that harm and the sex trade are totally indivisible. 
3650
3651The methodology adopted by some researchers into the sex trade, such as 
3652Nick Mia, was the preferred method adopted by John Davies in both Lyon, 
3653France, and Thessaloniki, Greece. 
3654
3655This approach—both the view that the sex trade is merely ‘labour’,and the 
3656anthropological style of interviewing subjects—provided Davies with a 
3657perfectly respectable cover to pursue his criminality. 
3658
3659The year that Davies’s book was published (2009), Parliament in Britain 
3660was deciding whether to introduce a clause in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 
3661that would make it an offence in England and Wales to pay for the services of a 
3662person in prostitution who has been coerced into providing sexual services. 
3663Unsurprisingly, the suggestion that the State should criminalise any form of sex 
3664buying brought the polarised arguments out into the open. Mai, then a 
3665researcher at the University of North London, was completing his publicly 
3666funded research project entitled ‘Migrant Workers in the UK Sex Trade’ in 
3667which he concluded that only 6% of people in prostitution were trafficked or 
3668coerced. 
3669
3670
3671The study comprises interviews with 67 women, 24 men and 9 transgender 
3672people working in various capacities in the sex trade. It aimed to examine the 
3673experiences and needs of non-British people involved in the UK sex trade. The 
3674study draws the conclusion that approximately 13% of women interviewed felt 
3675they had been exploited in the industry, and asserts that regularisation of the 
3676immigration status of non-British people working in the UK sex trade through 
3677the legalisation of prostitution would solve the majority of problems 
3678confronting the people interviewed. 
3679
3680Indeed, the majority of positive statements made in the research about the 
3681sex trade were from male and transgender people. Approximately 10% of the 
3682interviewees were ‘not directly related to the provision of sexual activities in 
3683exchange for money or favours’ (these included four industry ‘managers’). This 
3684reduces the statistical validity of any figures drawn from this research 
3685somewhat. In addition, the ‘vast majority’ of study participants were sought 
3686through their ‘commercial contacts’. This compromises the randomness of the 
3687sample, and it also may be the case that interviewees felt unable to disclose 
3688any negative experiences if interviewed in the vicinity of the brothel 
3689owner/pimp. Similarly, police officers and the courts know full well that the 
3690version of events obtained from women battered by their husbands are closest 
3691to the truth when the latter is well out of earshot and preferably in handcuffs in 
3692a police cell. 
3693
3694In a paper on prostituted young Romanian and Albanian men in Europe,20 
3695Mai describes ‘flirting’ with his interviewees: 
3696
3697In many cases, I have also used my ‘erotic subjectivity’ as a strategic 
3698
3699instrument of research (Kulick and Willson, 1995). … Less often, and 
3700
3701whenever the intersubjective circumstances made it appropriate, I flirted 
3702
3703with young men whose stories, subjectivities and orientations were less 
3704
3705heteronormative or ‘straight’ than those they were presenting me with. 
3706
3707Mai, along with many of his academic colleagues, is actively against 
3708criminalising the demand for commercial sex. In recent years, there has been 
3709an increased focus on critiquing the Nordic model . 
3710
3711Pro-prostitution activists welcomed the report, because it suited their 
3712argument that the law should not interfere in the sex trade as there is barely any 
3713abuse, coercion or illegality involved, and as trafficking is only a problem for 
3714the victims because of their illegal immigration status. 
3715
3716
3717‘We will only successfully target trafficking within the sex trade when we 
3718make policy based on evidence and in reality’, commented Catherine Stephens 
3719of the International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW) as the report was launched. 
3720Stephens’s praise of the research was unsurprising. Not only did the 
3721conclusion suit the IUSW, but Stephens was both a researcher and Advisory 
3722Group member on the research. 
3723
3724Mai published the research to coincide with the campaign by abolitionists 
3725in the UK to introduce a version of the Nordic Model . There was huge 
3726opposition to this proposed law led by academics such as Mai, and pressure 
3727groups such as the ECP and the IUSW. Mai’s research was published in 
3728October 2009, but once his summary of findings was published in July 2009, 
3729he and other pro-prostitution campaigners began using it as a tool with which 
3730to convince MPs and Lords to vote against the sex buyer clause. 
3731
3732In the meantime, Nick Davies , known for his special investigations in the 
3733Guardian 
3734newspaper, was researching a major piece on trafficking. In 2009, 
3735the journalist published a 4,500 word article in which he argued that anti-
3736trafficking campaigners had created a “moral panic” around trafficking and 
3737that: “The UK’s biggest ever investigation of sex trafficking failed to find a 
3738single person who had forced anybody into prostitution,” which could easily 
3739be interpreted as meaning that there are barely any victims of trafficking and 
3740that prostitution is largely a voluntary activity. 
3741
3742Another way to analyse the data that Davies gathered is to consider 
3743whether or not the police had been successful in identifying traffickers in the 
3744first place; and, in the rare cases where police did make arrests, whether the 
3745Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued charges for trafficking offences. The 
3746fact that there were few convictions for trafficking is misleading—there are 
3747very few convictions of child sexual abuse and rape, but we tend not to use this 
3748as a measure of the scale of the crime. 
3749
3750In his article, Davies used the “weapons of mass destruction case” as an 
3751analogy,21 which went some way to convincing sceptics that the concerns about 
3752the trafficking of women and girls was pure fiction, whether intentional or not. 
3753
3754Davies’s Guardian 
3755article ran during the height of a huge debate in 
3756Parliament and among campaigners about whether or not to criminalise the 
3757buyers of sexual services in order to make the UK unappealing to traffickers (a 
3758
3759legislative model that had been successfully introduced in Sweden in 1999, 
3760and in a number of other countries since). The investigation earned Davies a 
3761nomination at the annual Erotic Awards,22 an event run by a pornographer. 
3762
3763
3764Davies did not win the prize: a statuette of a golden flying penis. 
3765
3766The Davies article contained the tired derailing line: ‘An unlikely union of 
3767evangelical Christians with feminist campaigners , who pursued the trafficking 
3768tale to secure their greater goal, not of regime change, but of legal change to 
3769abolish all prostitution’. The attempts by Davies, Mai and other pro-
3770prostitution activists to scupper the introduction of the law failed and it was 
3771introduced early in 2010. 
3772
3773The day after Davies’s article appeared in the Guardian 
3774, a letter23 signed 
3775by several academics, including John Davies and other pro-prostitution 
3776campaigners, was published in the same newspaper, praising Davies’s work 
3777and further emphasising his key point: that numbers of trafficking victims had 
3778been wildly exaggerated by feminists, Christians and politicians. This letter 
3779spurred me to revisit my research on the neoliberal takeover of the academy in 
3780relation to prostitution. 
3781
3782I wrote to Professor Richard Black, the then Director of the SCMR, and 
3783Davies’s DPhil supervisor whose signature is on the letter granting him ethical 
3784approval for his field research, and included as an appendix in the book. I had 
3785emailed Black (having put in several telephone calls to the university press 
3786office and receiving no response) to ask for a comment about what I had 
3787termed the ‘trafficking denial’ that appeared to be so prevalent in the academy 
3788in general and in his department in particular. 
3789
3790My email asked if Black could shed any light on this culture of ‘trafficking 
3791denial’ and offered examples of individuals who take this line, such as 
3792Vullnetari, Davies and Mai. I also pointed out that Davies had been suspected 
3793of trafficking by Interpol, had been expelled from certain countries on the 
3794strength of those suspicions, and had been arrested and imprisoned in Croatia . 
3795Black decided not to reply to me but rather passed on my email, without my 
3796knowledge or consent, to Davies. 
3797
3798I later received a letter before action from Davies’s lawyers. Davies 
3799accused me of having no evidence to substantiate my claims in the email to 
3800Black, and threatened to sue me unless I made a public apology to him and sent 
3801him £5000 that Davies would donate to a ‘women’s charity’ of his choice . 
3802Interestingly, as the court was to discover in 2016, Davies was running a 
3803number of ‘scam charities’ supposedly set up to serve impoverished and 
3804abused women.24 
3805
3806In response, I gathered the evidence to prove my allegations and more. I 
3807then submitted the evidence to Davies’s lawyer, which included details of 
3808
3809
3810Davies’s name being placed on the Interpol watch list, court documents from 
3811Croatia , expulsion orders from Romania and evidence of the EU fraud 
3812investigation. 
3813
3814That message was the last I heard from or about Davies until his name 
3815popped up again on the crown court list. I once again emailed Black, who has 
3816since left the University of Sussex for another institution, to ask if he would 
3817give me an answer to my original questions about the culture of ‘trafficking 
3818denial’ that I had posed in the email that he had passed directly to Davies. He 
3819denied that there is any ‘dominant discourse coming from postgraduate students 
3820from the Centre’ surrounding the sex trade, saying: ‘In the Centre, we had at 
3821any one time during the late 2000s some 20–30 students working on various 
3822aspects of migration and very few of them engaged with either trafficking or 
3823sex work’. Yet, I have not been able to find one graduate who takes the 
3824position that the sex trade is inherently harmful to women, having searched 
3825through dozens of published academic articles, papers and doctoral theses 
3826from such students. 
3827
3828In 2014, five men and a woman were convicted of trafficking after 
3829recruiting at least 53 ‘poor and vulnerable’ Hungarian women into the UK, 
3830using University of Sussex 25 colleges as warehouses to store and prostitute 
3831them using an ‘escort website’. 
3832
3833On 16 May 2016, Davies stood in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in 
3834London and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for charity fraud. His co-
3835defendants, Olsi Vullnetari and Benjamin Davies , were convicted, 
3836respectively, of fraud and money laundering.26 These men had stolen more than 
3837£5 million in donations to the Sompan and Kurbet Foundations: charities 
3838originally set up to help impoverished and abused women (including those in 
3839the sex trade) and children. The money was stolen from Her Majesty’s 
3840Revenue and Customs using an elaborate scam. 
3841
3842Prior to his imprisonment, Davies was listed on the website of the 
3843University of the Witwatersrand , African Centre for Migration & Society, 
3844South Africa which, as we saw in Chap. 8, is also home to Graham Ellison , as 
3845a Visiting Research Fellow. Davies was previously a Fellow of the Royal 
3846Society of Arts, UK, and a member of the European Commission’s expert 
3847network on migration, integration, and social cohesion. His connection to 
3848South Africa is particularly mysterious. He migrated there after his27 sexual 
3849assault trial with a very prominent South African AIDS activist and medical 
3850doctor with whom he had reportedly entered into a relationship. In the 
3851
3852
3853meantime, as he serves his prison sentence, Davies is surely finished as a 
3854reputable academic, receiving grants, delivering papers at conferences, and 
3855advising at governmental level what we should do to enable women to 
3856‘migrate for sex work’, as he and his cohorts describe trafficking.28 The fact 
3857that to this day not one single academic in the UK or elsewhere has publicly 
3858condemned this man, despite the evidence of his grotesque criminal exploits, 
3859speaks volumes. 
3860
3861While SCMR may seem like an extreme example to use to illustrate the 
3862monolithic and often dangerous thinking being nurtured within the academy 
3863today, there does tend to be a broad agreement among most scholars 
3864researching the topic that the sex trade should be treated like any other 
3865industry, particularly among anthropologists, and within gender studies and 
3866sociology departments. There are people who resist the pro-prostitution line, 
3867but they tend to be in departments29 not directly related to the study of gender 
3868and prostitution. 
3869
3870
3871Why the Consensus? 
3872
3873The academy is teeming with scholars and doctoral students who on the one 
3874hand join forces with campaigners and lobbyists for blanket decriminalisation, 
3875but simultaneously present themselves as producing unbiased ‘evidence based’ 
3876research. Those of us who are openly abolitionist, or who regard prostitution 
3877as problematic in any way, are regularly accused of conducting biased, 
3878methodologically unsound, unethical research. 
3879
3880In 2004, it was deemed that a lap dance study ‘will be biased’. 30 A news 
3881report said: 
3882
3883The first UK study into lap-dancing clubs, which has already been 
3884
3885criticised as a waste of public money, has provoked a further row, this 
3886
3887time about its objectivity. The Observer has learnt that the unique 
3888
3889academic project is being carried out by a radical feminist , strongly 
3890
3891opposed to all aspects of the country’s rapidly expanding commercial sex 
3892
3893industry. 
3894
3895A follow-up report in 2008 stated: ‘Top academics involved in sex 
3896research have launched an attack on “seriously flawed” research into British 
3897brothels. The academics claim that research into prostitution in the UK 
3898published last month by the Poppy Project , which is partly funded by the 
3899Ministry of Justice, is inaccurate and unethical. The research in the Big Brothel 
3900report “exhibits serious flaws in its mode of data collection and analysis’’, 
3901they warn. 
3902
3903‘The group of 27 key figures in sex work research from prestigious 
3904universities across the UK and overseas claim the report was conducted with 
3905neither ethical approval nor acknowledgement of evidence and was coauthored 
3906by a journalist known for producing anti-prostitution findings’.31 
3907
3908The criticism of the methodology from the 27 academics included the fact 
3909that researchers used some covert methods to gather the evidence, in that male 
3910research assistants posed as potential sex buyers in order to establish the 
3911‘services’ on offer in the brothels. The decision to adopt these methods, which 
3912is deemed ethical by the British Sociological Association in cases where 
3913information considered to be in the ‘public interest’ could not be obtained by 
3914standard methods, was taken because I and my co-researcher were convinced 
3915
3916
3917that we would struggle to obtain any honest answers from either the 
3918owners/managers or the women themselves about the existence of trafficking 
3919or underaged girls. 
3920
3921One of the 27 key figures was Belinda Brooks-Gordon , Reader in 
3922Psychology and Social Policy, at Birkbeck, University of London, UK. She is a 
3923former Liberal Democrat councillor and an avid campaigner for the 
3924decriminalisation of prostitution laws. She has argued for the rights of disabled 
3925‘people’ to have access to prostituted ‘people’ on the National Health Service. 
3926
3927The Policing and Crime Act 2009 amended the Sexual Offences Act 2003 
3928by adding a new section that made it an offence in England and Wales to pay 
3929for the services of a person in prostitution who has been coerced into selling 
3930sex. The section was implemented from 1 April 2010. The pro-prostitution 
3931lobby was extremely active in campaigning against the amendment. 
3932
3933During the IUSW-led campaign against government plans to introduce 
3934partial criminalisation of paying for sex, Brooks-Gordon , along with Douglas 
3935Fox and other IUSW activists, circulated a request for help to punters and 
3936prostituted women via their websites. In her lengthy email, Brooks-Gordon 
3937advised on how to prevent the law from being passed before moving on to 
3938insulting the dress sense of Fiona Mactaggart, the Labour MP who was 
3939instrumental in bringing in the law. I raise this not because this type of ridicule 
3940is heinous, or unusual of any of us to make such comments, particularly about 
3941those we may have fundamental disagreements with, but rather because she 
3942personally attacked Mactaggart on a forum of punters, many of whom are 
3943deeply misogynistic. 
3944
3945Jo Phoenix is an academic who takes the rare position of neither supporting 
3946nor denouncing the Nordic model . The Chair in Criminology at the Open 
3947University, UK, Phoenix is well versed in the polarised positions adopted 
3948within the debate on the sex trade, but refuses to be ‘claimed’ by either side. 
3949
3950In 2012, Phoenix was asked to take part in an event hosted by the 
3951Cambridge Debating Society entitled, ‘This House Would Decriminalise 
3952Prostitution’, when another panellist (who is an abolitionist) cancelled her 
3953attendance at the last minute. Prior to the debate, I clearly heard Phoenix being 
3954admonished by Brooks-Gordon for speaking against decriminalisation: 
3955Brooks-Gordon told Phoenix she was ‘irresponsible’ because ‘this is about 
3956women’s lives’. In the debate (which the pro-decriminalisation side won), 
3957Phoenix argued that the sex trade could not be best regulated by the free 
3958market, and that decriminalising prostitution doesn’t actually resolve the issues 
3959
3960
3961that sit at the heart of the matter, such as abuse, exploitation and vulnerability. 
3962
3963Four years after the debate, I asked Phoenix why she thought Brooks-
3964Gordon appeared to be so displeased with her. ‘I don’t think it’s a monolithic 
3965debate, I think it’s a sterile debate’, says Phoenix. ‘I think that the whole 
3966argument when it gets truncated down to decriminalisation, legalisation or 
3967whatever is just sterile because nobody is actually paying attention to those 
3968baseline things. [such as can the sex trade become part of the marketplace?] 
3969What is the purpose of the law in regulating sex, sexuality and sexual violence? 
3970What is the purpose of the state? And until the debate gets a little bit more 
3971nuanced along those lines, then I’m not likely to join in’, says Phoenix . 
3972
3973
3974Neutral Positions? 
3975
3976This research doesn’t look at sex as a way that men can demonstrate and 
3977
3978enforce power over women. It’s research that paints a sanitised picture of 
3979
3980the sex industry – a picture that doesn’t show the role of institutionalised 
3981
3982male power in the sex industry. (Pala Molisa, ‘Breaking the silence on 
3983
3984prostitution and rape culture’, 2015)32 
3985
3986In November 2016, I attended the launch at Kingston University, London, of 
3987the European Commission-funded project Sexual Humanitarianism: Migration, 
3988Sex Work and Trafficking (SexHum),33 described on the project website as a 
3989study of ‘the relation between migration, sex work and trafficking in the global 
3990sex industry by analysing migrants’ own understandings and experiences of 
3991agency and exploitation’. 
3992
3993The research will be conducted in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), 
3994France (Paris and Marseille), New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington) and the 
3995USA (New York and Los Angeles ). The total funding for the project, of which 
3996Mai is the grant holder and coordinator, is €1,341,000. 
3997
3998During his introduction to the project, Mai outlined his perspective on the 
3999current debates and discourses around prostitution and the sex trade, including 
4000the trafficking of women. Mai made several references to ‘abolitionists ’ in 
4001what I considered to be a critical manner. His pro-prostitution position was 
4002extremely clear, and in order to illustrate his various points about how 
4003abolitionism is both undesirable and unworkable, Mai spoke of police raids on 
4004brothels in Soho, London, in which he cited a scenario in 2013 where people 
4005were arrested. It was unclear to me from his presentation whether he was 
4006talking about brothel owners, pimps, traffickers or people suspected of being 
4007the victims of trafficking. The impression was certainly given, however, that 
4008those who were arrested were ‘sex workers’ who were not trafficked or in 
4009need of intervention. 
4010
4011Mai said of SexHum: ‘This project is about a controversy and the way in 
4012which different actors see sex work—sex workers see these events 
4013differently’. 
4014
4015Continuing on his theme, Mai put the 2013 anti-trafficking operation in 
4016Soho down to ‘gentrification’: ‘Anti-trafficking is used and misused as a way 
4017to clear the ground for gentrification’, said Mai, before qualifying it with a few 
4018
4019
4020words about how terrible ‘real’ trafficking is. ‘The problem being that 
4021trafficking does exist and it is a very serious and heinous crime and that people 
4022who are victims of it should be supported adequately. But this should not be 
4023confused with the enforcement of migration law. Trafficking is a very specific 
4024dynamic, a crime. It means forcing people against their will and with deception 
4025and coercion to work in the sex trade and also in other sectors of the sex 
4026trade.’ 
4027
4028Mai’s conceptualisation of what amounts to trafficking appears to be at 
4029odds with the internationally adopted ‘Palermo Protocol’, which clearly states 
4030that it is not required to show that ‘force’ was used in order to prove 
4031trafficking. If this statement does not make clear Mai’s position on prostitution, 
4032trafficking and the sex trade in general, then I don’t know what does. But 
4033during his talk, Mai identified only the abolitionists as having a position, and a 
4034problematic one at that, but did not state his own lobbying activities for full 
4035decriminalisation of the sex trade, or his links to organisations such as the 
4036IUSW. 
4037
4038The academy plays an important role in producing propaganda to support 
4039legalised and decriminalised prostitution regimes. The University of Nevada in 
4040the USA is home to several pros-prostitution researchers, as is the University 
4041of Amsterdam and others. 
4042
4043I meet with Renate Van der Zee , a journalist and human rights campaigner, 
4044in a cafe in Amsterdam . I ask her about the academic research in Dutch 
4045universities on the sex trade and whether there is any robust critique of 
4046legalisation. ‘No’, says Van der Zee. ‘I just think it’s amazing that we don’t 
4047have any researchers in Holland that have a different premise.34 All the days 
4048was too good an opportunity researchers have the premise of prostitution being 
4049something you can take apart from human trafficking’, she tells me. ‘If we 
4050legalise cleverly enough we could have a clean world of prostitution [they 
4051say]. That was the aim, that was the intention [of legalisation]. People are still 
4052clinging to that idea, although it’s pretty obvious to everybody that it hasn’t 
4053worked out.’ 
4054
4055
4056European Parliament 
4057
4058In 2014 the European Parliament passed a Resolution that affirmed the Nordic 
4059model as the most effective way to tackle trafficking into the sex trade. That 
4060same year, the European Commission made €2.5 million available to study 
4061demand for prostitution. The funding was awarded to the project DemandAT, 
4062which, on its website,35 describes its activities in this way: 
4063
4064DemandAt is an interdisciplinary project addressing the challenge of 
4065understanding demand for trafficking in human beings and analysing the 
4066policy and practical measures that can influence this demand. The project 
4067feeds into recent efforts of European countries to find ways to reduce 
4068demand for the products and services provided by trafficked persons 
4069within their own economies and societies as a means of tackling 
4070trafficking. The project investigates multiple forms of trafficking and 
4071forced labour to assess the impact and potential of demand-side measures 
4072to reduce trafficking. 
4073
4074Despite the fact that the main aim of the project is to ‘explore the demand 
4075for trafficking’, most of the presenters appeared to deny or minimise the harm 
4076or even dismiss the existence of trafficking and pimping. Scare quotes appear 
4077around the majority of mentions of ‘trafficking’ in the book of abstracts, and the 
4078preferred vocabulary of all but three of the presenters is ‘migration for sex 
4079work’. Further, the organisers state that ‘inadequate attention has been paid to 
4080the purchasers themselves’ and that the research team plans on an ‘empirical 
4081in-depth analysis of the demand for human trafficking’. This was certainly not 
4082done at the conference. 
4083
4084Marieke van Doorninck is the representative from the Netherlands , and 
4085was a vocal supporter of the Dutch model before it became clear that 
4086legalisation had been an unmitigated disaster. In 2004, I interviewed her at her 
4087then place of work, the de Graaf Foundation which, as Janice Raymond points 
4088out in Not a Choice , was ‘originally an abolitionist Christian research 
4089institute for the study of prostitution, reversed its mission and began promoting 
4090the acceptance of prostitution as normal work. Supported by generous state 
4091subsidies, the foundation and its studies helped to inspire and lobby for the 
4092legalisation legislation that was ultimately passed in 2000’.36 
4093
4094
4095At the time of our interview, van Doorninck was extremely positive about 
4096tolerance zones and legal brothels. ‘A good legal sex trade is your best 
4097instrument against an illegal circuit’, she told me.37 Van Doorninck is on the 
4098board or otherwise associated with several organisations that support blanket 
4099decriminalisation, such as De Graaf Stichting , La Strada, the Red Umbrella 
4100Fund and Mama Cash . It would be difficult to find anyone with a stronger pro-
4101prostitution CV than hers.
4102
4103The Swedish team member is Petra Östergren, a PhD candidate at LundUniversity. One of Östergren’s PhD supervisors is Don Kulick , the co-author 
4104of a book on sex and disability that can be read as a manifesto against the 
4105Nordic model and for state-funded prostitution for disabled men.38 I have 
4106explored Kulick’s arguments in detail in Chap. 5 on ‘The Invisible Man’. 
4107Östergren is a long time campaigner—the most vocal in Sweden —against the 
4108Nordic model and the radical feminist position on the sex trade.
4109
4110Östergren’s work is much closer to campaigning than to scholarship, 
4111according to Anna Skarhed , who is the Chancellor of Justice in Sweden. 
4112Skarhed compiled the report, ‘The Ban Against the Purchase of Sexual 
4113Services: An evaluation 1999–2008’,39 on behalf of the Swedish government. I 
4114met her at a conference on trafficking in Lithuania in 2015, and asked how the 
4115pro-decriminalisation lobby had reacted to the report. 
4116
4117‘Sometimes it makes me mad’, said Skarhed. ‘It’s part of this lobby that 
4118tries to counter the real success that this is. It has asked for more research. You 
4119can always say people are biased in different ways. In this case you can say 
4120she is not a scholar. She is acting in a way, she’s discussing in a way, she is 
4121writing in a way that is not academic. … I listened to a debate between PetraÖstergren and a person from a feminist NGO group from Sweden ’. Accordingto Östergren, my study showed that “the women in prostitution have had a 
4122really bad time since this legislation came into force”. I just wonder where she 
4123read that?’ 
4124
4125I met Max Waltman , Postdoctoral Researcher at Stockholm University’s 
4126Department of Political Science, in Stockholm, Sweden . I wanted to ask one 
4127of the few abolitionist academics about the resistance in academia to the 
4128Nordic model , in particular in the country that spearheaded the law to 
4129criminalise demand. 
4130
4131‘I got into contact with Professor Catharine MacKinnon [the feminist 
4132scholar, and abolitionist] [which inspired me] to write about pornography 
4133because there’s very little about it in political science’, says Waltman. 
4134
4135
4136‘Eventually that also connected with the issues of prostitution and trafficking 
4137because pornography, prostitution and trafficking are all related in several 
4138ways. Pornographers recruit performers from the same vulnerable populations. 
4139The consumption effect has also been documented. They inspire men to go out 
4140and buy a person for sex because they want to try out all these things.’ 
4141
4142Since Waltman’s work on the sex trade became well known both in and 
4143outside Sweden , he has faced hostility from his pro-prostitution counterparts 
4144and other campaigners for blanket decriminalisation. It is no wonder. As 
4145Waltman notes, Rose Alliance supports a similar agenda for decriminalising 
4146tricks as do other organisations in the world, such as COYOTE and SWOP.40 
4147
4148In recent years, pro-prostitution academics have focused on three main 
4149subject areas. The ‘failures’ of the Nordic model ; ‘the success’ of the New 
4150Zealand model; and the ‘diversity’ of the sex trade (in order to argue that 
4151developing policies around the sex trade within a framework of violence 
4152against women and girls is unsuitable, because, as they claim, increasing 
4153numbers of men sell sex, and increasing numbers of women buy it). 
4154
4155
4156ProsPol Conference, Austria 
4157
4158As mentioned in Chap. 3, being able to observe the world’s leading pro-
4159prostitution academics at the April 2015 ProsPol conference in Vienna , 
4160Austria, over a period of 3 days was too good an opportunity to miss. After 
4161several attempts to register for the conference (and being told that it was full, 
4162and then, when I pointed out that I knew at least two people who had registered 
4163to go who had since cancelled, telling me that it was only for those in full-time 
4164academia , to which I responded that I knew at least half a dozen delegates and 
4165even panellists who were not in full-time academia), I was given a place at the 
4166first international conference organised by ProsPol (‘Comparing European 
4167Prostitution Policies: Understanding Scales and Cultures of Governance’). 
4168
4169I was nervous about attending the conference, feeling a bit like a vegan at a 
4170butcher’s convention. Having read the long list of names who were due to 
4171present at workshops or deliver keynote speeches, I knew that I would be 
4172among a sea of pro-prostitution academics who would possibly be hostile to 
4173my attendance. I was right. Having seen the delegate list, the other attendees 
4174were aware of my presence. I sat at the back of the main hall as Barb Brents 
4175from the University of Nevada delivered the keynote speech on ‘Neoliberalism, 
4176prostitution and the political economy of sex’. Sitting next to me 
4177was a young woman I recognised as Morgane Merteuil , former Secretary 
4178General of the pro-prostitution organisation STRASS (‘Syndicat du TRAvail 
4179Sexuel’, which translates as ‘Union of Sex Work’). I was later told that 
4180Merteuil had tweeted: ‘OMG I am sitting next to Julie Bindel!’ I had a sense 
4181this was not a fangirl tweet, but that Merteuil was stunned to see me at such an 
4182event. 
4183
4184I walked past academics I knew from conferences and other events. No-
4185one replied in response to my greetings and a few turned their backs. I mention 
4186the unfriendliness—often bordering on hostility—towards me by a number of 
4187the delegates at this conference not because I harbour any hurt feelings, or 
4188because people don’t have the right to dislike me and make their feelings 
4189known, but rather because it is relevant to the wider point regarding treatment 
4190of some potential PhD candidates who wish to conduct academic research on 
4191topics and issues relating to the harms of prostitution. 
4192
4193Over the years I have met and been contacted by at least a dozen PhD 
4194candidates who began their studies from a position of believing that the sex 
4195
4196
4197trade is a cause and consequence of women’s oppression, who have told me 
4198stories about their experiences with potential PhD supervisors at universities 
4199in various countries around the world. These PhD candidates all had a similar 
4200story to tell. When approaching potential supervisors in order to put forward 
4201their research framework, they were told that their views on prostitution did 
4202not fit within the “human rights framework” of ‘sex workers’ rights’. A number 
4203have told me that they have had unpleasant experiences in trying to publish 
4204papers during the course of their studies on the harms of the sex trade to be 
4205rejected and have their work dismissed simply, in their belief, because they 
4206did not hold the view that “sex work” was largely unproblematic except for 
4207law enforcement interference. 
4208
4209I did not attend the Mayor’s drinks reception or the conference dinner 
4210afterwards. I was told that the Deputy Mayor, in his welcome speech, said that 
4211in order to tackle the problems with prostitution, all that needed to be done 
4212was for everyone to get over their moralism, their dislike of prostitution and 
4213their uncomfortable feelings about it, and just accept that prostitution would 
4214always be there. 
4215
4216The only friendly person, apart from three feminist academics from the UKwho considered the sex trade to be problematic for women, was Östergren.
4217Despite Östergren being the bête noir of the women’s movement in Sweden , 
4218and me being an active abolitionist, we bonded over the fact that we were the 
4219only lesbians there. 
4220
4221By the closing plenary on the Saturday I was more than ready to leave. I 
4222had been told in workshops that I was not allowed to record the sessions, 
4223despite the fact that others were doing so. During one workshop, in which I had 
4224my voice recorder openly on display, I left the room between speakers for a 
4225very short time. On my return, I was told by one of the speakers that my voice 
4226recorder had been switched off by a delegate sitting on my row, and that from 
4227that moment on I would have to ask permission. I explained that I was only 
4228using the recording as a substitute for taking notes and that I would not be using 
4229them in any public way. I was told, firmly, that I had to ‘seek consent’. I asked 
4230if this applied to everyone at the conference but did not receive an answer. 
4231Later that day I saw a Tweet from a panellist who told her followers I had 
4232walked out of the room during her speech. 
4233
4234The barrister and academic Catherine Briddick was one of the three 
4235delegates who openly opposed the sex trade at the conference. On our return, I 
4236asked Briddick via email for her view of the conference. ‘It was broadly 
4237
4238
4239supportive of the “sex work” perspective and to this end the fact the purchase 
4240of sex remains an activity that is overwhelmingly engaged in by men (of 
4241women, in Europe at least) was not subject to critical analysis’, she replied. 
4242
4243For Briddick, the extent to which prostitution has been ‘re-imagined’ as 
4244concerned with personal autonomy, sexual freedom (and the gay liberation 
4245movement) and prostitution as a matter of economic and sexual ‘rights’, is 
4246problematic. ‘It serves to obscure the fact that prostitution as a practice is 
4247rooted in patriarchy ’, says Briddick , ‘and reinforced by a range of mutually 
4248reinforcing structural inequalities, such as those based on race, migration 
4249status, sexual orientation and economic status’. 
4250
4251The closing session featured, among others, Ronald Weitzer, a USA-based 
4252academic and author of Legalising Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful 
4253Business.41 Weitzer is a long-time campaigner for blanket legalisation of the 
4254sex trade. The opening line of his book reads: ‘It is taken for granted by most 
4255people that buying and selling sex is degrading, dishonourable, or despicable, 
4256and there is a deep-rooted belief that prostitution has always been and will 
4257forever remain taboo’. The paragraph concludes with: ‘I show [in this chapter] 
4258that many popular assumptions about prostitutes, their clients, and their 
4259managers are either entirely fictional or valid for only a segment of the trade’. 
4260
4261During his talk, Weitzer spoke of the lack of a charismatic ‘sex workers’ 
4262rights ’ figurehead since Margot St James had more-or-less stopped appearing 
4263in the media and at public events. Extolling the virtues of St James, Weitzer 
4264argued that unless a suitable successor took the reigns the movement would 
4265suffer the loss. Immediately, several young, conventionally attractive women 
4266beganto mutter their complaints atWeitzer’s claimthatno-one inthe 
4267contemporary ‘sex workers’ rights’ movement was good enough to step into St 
4268James’s shoes. Two of them began to shout out their anger at Weitzer, with one 
4269muttering that: ‘[Weitzer] has no idea about the [SWR] movement. How dare 
4270he?’ 
4271
4272In 1994, Weitzer contributed an article to Gauntlet,42 a periodical 
4273exploring ‘the limits of free expression’. The special edition was entitled ‘In 
4274defence of prostitution’. The cover image was of a handcuffed, topless woman 
4275with ‘For Sale’ written across one breast, and flanked by a uniformed police 
4276officer. 
4277
4278Weitzer’s article, ‘Community Groups vs Prostitutes’, was based on his 
4279research of attitudes from residents and business owners in street prostitution 
4280areas to the sex trade. The majority of interviewees told Weitzer that they were 
4281
4282
4283unhappy with prostitution in their area, citing reasons such as sexual 
4284harassment from punters, health risks to children from discarded used condoms 
4285and needles, noise and disruption, and the depreciation of value in property 
4286prices. Weitzer, having decided that ‘these groups may sometimes exaggerate 
4287the problem, but for the most part they appear to be reacting to real problems 
4288resulting from illegal street prostitution …’ went on to ask them if they would 
4289be opposed to legalised, regulated brothels if that would help to reduce street 
4290problems. ‘[T]hey were remarkably receptive to the idea.’ 
4291
4292Which, of course, is what the residents would agree to when presented as 
4293‘solving the problems’ of street prostitution. This promise of ‘discreet, legal, 
4294indoor prostitution’ as a solution to the problems of street prostitution rarely, if 
4295ever, materialises.43 
4296
4297For me, the clearest example of the irrelevance of much pro-prostitution 
4298academia was a panel entitled ‘Bodies at Work: Body Labour and Work 
4299Strategies in a Nevada Brothel’, chaired by Christina Parreira of the 
4300University of Nevada . Parreira describes herself in an article as having ‘done 
4301several different kinds of sex work, from stripping to camming to porn’ but 
4302admitted that she had not ‘worked in a brothel’ until her research during the 
4303course of six trips to a legal brothel in Nevada. During these visits, Parreira 
4304sold sex herself, as well as conducting interviews with 12 of the other 
4305prostituted women.44 
4306
4307Parreira’s findings are described in the conference abstract as follows: 
4308
4309I found an important connection between the way in which women 
4310conceptualise their body, particularly the ways they reproduce a 
4311mind/body dualism in their descriptions, and their enjoyment of the sex, 
4312feelings about stigma and shame, and their ability and desire to orgasm. 
4313Workers who practised ‘holistically’ (Brents & Jackson 2013) and were 
4314less influenced by Western mind/body dualism, were less likely to 
4315mentally distance themselves from clients, less likely to see their work as 
4316‘dirty work’ and more likely to achieve orgasm with clients. Workers who 
4317report disconnects between mind and body were more likely to distance 
4318themselves from clients. However, this division seemed to break on age; 
4319the majority of workers who reported the ability and desire to achieve 
4320orgasm are over age 40. 
4321
4322Parreira’s claims that women who dissociate from the act of prostitution 
4323
4324
4325are somehow losing out on potential sexual pleasure, including orgasms, is not 
4326just risible but dangerous. Without exception, every single one of the 50 
4327survivors I interviewed for the purposes of this book, and the vast majority of 
4328the prostituted women I have spoken to over the years, say that the ability to 
4329distance themselves to the point of dissociation during any sexual encounter 
4330with punters was crucial. ‘It was the only way I could survive’, says Huschke 
4331Mau , who was prostituted in Germany from legal brothels. ‘Otherwise I 
4332would have gone mad.’ 
4333
4334
4335Anthropologists: Going Native 
4336
4337A number of pro-prostitution academics claim to be ‘sex workers’ and 
4338therefore command respect and are granted authenticity by those who value 
4339personal experience over objective scholarship. But often these academics 
4340have simply dabbled in aspects of the sex trade as part of their field research. 
4341
4342The co-founder of the IUSW, which is neither a union nor international, or, 
4343for that matter, has many ‘sex workers’ as members, is such a person. Ana 
4344Lopes was one of a small group of radical anthropologists at East London 
4345University, UK, who were studying the sex trade. According to Catherine 
4346Stephens (who became involved in the IUSW in 2004), Lopes was a ‘migrant 
4347sexworker’, butthatis untrue. Lopes came to the UKfromPortugal to study 
4348for a PhD. She received a DPhil from the University of East London in 2005. 
4349Her dissertation was entitled ‘Organising in the Sex Trade: An Action 
4350Research Investigation’. 
4351
4352Lopes , along with a small but growing number of academics , decided to 
4353‘go native’ in order to carry out her research. ‘I have carried out participant 
4354observation within the sex trade’, she writes, ‘especially through working as a 
4355phone sex operator and working in an agency that provides health support for 
4356sex workers. Thus, I have observed and experienced two of the major 
4357problems faced by sex workers all over the world: the lack of labour rights, 
4358and stigmatising social attitudes’.45 
4359
4360The assumption here is that ‘labour rights’ would improve the situation for 
4361women on the street and in brothels, and that by doing participatory research 
4362she became ‘one of them’. Lopes writes: ‘This project has consisted in setting 
4363up and developing an organisational platform from which to campaign for sex 
4364workers rights. I carried out this project over five years, during which I was 
4365active in the sex workers’ rights movement, as well as working in the sex trade 
4366myself for most of this time’.46 In fact, Lopes began working on a phone sex 
4367line one year after setting up the IUSW, which may or may not have been in 
4368order to lend authenticity to her research. ‘Going native’ is one method adopted 
4369by anthropologists. 
4370
4371
4372Impartiality? 
4373
4374During my research on disabled men and the argument that they have a right to 
4375pay for sex (see Chap. 5), I approached a UK-based academic (whom I have 
4376chosen not to name as they did not give me an ‘on the record’ interview) who 
4377was known as an expert on sexuality and disability. It was clear from the 
4378beginning of our email exchange that my views on the sex trade were not 
4379shared by the academic. However, they were friendly, courteous and interested 
4380in my approach. In fact, the academic more-or-less admitted that they were 
4381uncomfortable with the idea that disabled men ‘can’t get a real date’ and 
4382therefore should be able to access paid sex. 
4383
4384Having not heard back from this academic for a while following my 
4385request for an on-the-record chat, I received this reply by email: ‘I’m so sorry, 
4386I’m going to have to decline the interview. While I thought your book proposal 
4387looks really interesting (and will make waves, I’m sure), I have worries about 
4388wanting to do future sex work research and not being accepted within sex 
4389worker communities because of inclusion in the book (even as a countering 
4390voice)’. 
4391
4392It would appear that the notion of academic impartiality is somewhat 
4393compromised when it comes to prostitution. This person has quoted those who 
4394are in favour of blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade, and that have an 
4395uncritical viewpoint of prostitution, and is obviously not concerned about 
4396upsetting abolitionists by doing so. They have also been quoted in pro-
4397prostitution literature. This person clearly prioritised access to the pro-
4398prostitution or ‘sex workers’ rights ’ movement over any concerns about 
4399academic impartiality or ‘fairness’. I personally have given interviews to a 
4400number of pro-prostitution activists and academics over the years, as have a 
4401number of abolitionist colleagues. The world did not end. 
4402
4403
4404Complaints About Abolitionist Academics 
4405
4406Ron Weitzer writes on the Sex Work Research blog47: 
4407
4408In no area of the social sciences has ideology contaminated knowledge 
4409
4410more pervasively than in writings on the sex industry. Too often in this 
4411
4412area, the canons of scientific inquiry are suspended and research 
4413
4414deliberately skewed to serve a particular political agenda. Much of this 
4415
4416work has been done by writers who regard the sex industry as a 
4417
4418despicable institution and who are active in campaigns to abolish it.48 
4419
4420The hypocrisy of Weitzer’s opening argument is staggering. All of the pro-
4421prostitution academics cited in this book campaign for total decriminalisation 
4422of the sex trade, some of them working alongside pimps and sex buyers . What 
4423Weitzer is effectively stating is that any academic who arrives at a sound, 
4424evidence-based conclusion that prostitution is male violence against women 
4425and girls are ipso facto not fit to contribute to prostitution debate. Indeed, it is 
4426unfortunately the case that research produced by countries, no less, which have 
4427implemented the Nordic model including Sweden , Norway , Canada , 
4428Northern Ireland , Republic of Ireland, and France, are also ridiculed from the 
4429outset as problematic.
4430
4431During our discussion at the Vienna ProsPol conference, Östergren seemed 
4432surprised to hear that abolitionists are regularly on the receiving end of slurs, 
4433false accusations and insults about our work, intentions and personhood. In2015, Östergren and I spoke by Skype as she had been mulling over her earlier 
4434assumption that it was in fact the pro-prostitution lobby that suffered insults 
4435and personal attacks. She said: ‘We had talked about censoring and 
4436campaigning against our work and you said that what had been done to me was 
4437not OK, and you said ‘look just in this room, there are people who have tried 
4438to stop my work’—and that made an impact on me.’ 
4439
4440Academic and psychologist Dr Melissa Farley has conducted vital and 
4441rigorous research into both the harms of prostitution and the men who pay for 
4442sex. Like other academics who refuse to sign up to a positive view of the sex 
4443trade (because the evidence does not support this), Farley has been bullied, 
4444slandered and vilified by her pro-prostitution counterparts, supported by the 
4445non-academic sex trade supporters and profiteers. 
4446
4447
4448In 2010, Farley experienced a number of reviews of her academic papers 
4449where it was clear that her work was being judged from an ideological rather 
4450than a scholarly position. The reviewers were not at all pleased, it appeared, 
4451that Farley’s data reflected the harm done to prostituted women. She told me: 
4452‘The one that jumps to mind many years ago and sent me into shock and then 
4453fury, was from a law review journal where the reviewers commented, where I 
4454cited Andrea Dworkin’s feminist theory on this topic of the sex trade, ‘Who is 
4455Andrea Dworkin and why should we care anyway?’’ 
4456
4457For Farley, this was a clear message that pro-prostitution trumped the 
4458reviewers’ consideration of the quality of the work. ‘It reflects the ideological 
4459bias of people who are reviewing research’, says Farley . ‘They are not 
4460looking at the adequacy of the design, the execution of the research, 
4461methodology, the analysis of the statistics and whether it’s appropriate or off 
4462base or if something was missed—that’s reasonable criticism. But they’re 
4463going after stuff like they don’t want Andrea Dworkin’s name cited in their law 
4464journal.’ 
4465
4466In 2010, a pro-prostitution academic made an official complaint about 
4467Farley to the American Psychological Association (APA). The complaint was 
4468from Calum Bennachie , a New Zealander who is a major player in the 
4469campaign for global decriminalisation of the sex trade, and co-author of the 
4470book Taking the Crime out of Sex Work: New Zealand Sex Workers’ Fight for 
4471Decriminalisation 49 along with fellow lobbyists Gillian Abel, Lisa 
4472Fitzgerald, Catherine Healy and Aline Taylor. The gist of the complaint against 
4473Farley was that she conducted unethical research, skewed her data and 
4474potentially could ‘cause harm’ to research participants. None of these 
4475complaints has been substantiated. 
4476
4477Bennachie called for the expulsion of Farley from the APA, which would, 
4478had the complaint been successful, have resulted in Farley being unable to 
4479work as a psychologist or undertake any further research under that particular 
4480professional banner. However, the APA never responded to the complaint and 
4481Farley heard nothing from them about it. ‘It was a straw man’, says Farley. ‘A 
4482completely unethical accusation and a totally manufactured complaint. It was 
4483given no credibility apparently by the APA.’ 
4484
4485Roger Matthews has had similar experiences to Farley. ‘I wrote an article 
4486that was designed to be a very comprehensive overview on the debates around 
4487demand’, says Matthews. ‘It looked at international development and the 
4488research on the topic so that it became a comprehensive review on demand. 
4489
4490
4491The reviewers wrote back asking, “Why would you want to write an article on 
4492demand?” I was gobsmacked.’ 
4493
4494I ask Matthews, who is considered to be one of the world’s leading 
4495criminologists,50 for his opinion on why his insightful research was not readily 
4496published. ‘Basically if you write stuff from an abolitionist position in terms of 
4497prostitution, 90% of the people in academia are part of the pro-prostitution 
4498lobby. You can guarantee that even if you get reviewed you are going to get a 
4499very poor review.’ 
4500
4501According to Janice Raymond , also an experienced and revered academic, 
4502any research can be critiqued but the pro-prostitution academics rarely, if ever, 
4503critique each other’s work or research findings. ‘Evidence-based research is 
4504not objective’, says Raymond. ‘There’s this road between what your findings 
4505are and how you interpret those findings.’ 
4506
4507Increasingly, the academy and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 
4508queer, questioning and intersex (LGBTQQI) world rely on each other’s 
4509defence and glorification of the sex trade. Chapter 10 will explore the rainbow 
4510alliance of prostitution apologists and queers and ask: How did a group which 
4511began as a civil rights movement to liberate marginalised people from bigotry 
4512and oppression become hijacked by one that favours pimps and punters? 
4513
4514Footnotes 
4515
45161 
4517The Big Lottery Fund provides grants to organisations in the UK to help improve their communities. The 
4518money is derived from the UK National Lottery. 
4519
45202 
4521Bindel, J. (2008, Feb 29.) It’s abuse and a life of hell. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
4522https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/29/women.ukcrime. 
4523
45243 
4525Bindel, J. (2004, May 15.) Streets apart. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www. 
4526theguardian.com/theguardian/2004/may/15/weekend7.weekend4. 
4527
45284 
4529Matthews, R., Easton, H., Reynolds, L., Bindel, J., Young, L. 2014). Exiting prostitution: A study in 
4530female desistance. (London: Palgrave). 
4531
4532
45335 
4534Magnanti, B. (20120.) The sex myth: Why everything we're told is wrong. London: Weidenfeld & 
4535Nicolson. 
4536
45376 
4538Laura Agustin. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.lauraagustin.com/. 
4539
45407 
4541Gov.uk. (2009.) AM and BM (trafficked women). Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://tribunalsdecisio 
4542ns.service.gov.uk/utiac/37676. 
4543
45448 
4545Grey, S. (1999, Jan 31.) Briton in prostitute aid scandal. In Sunday Times. 
4546
45479 
4548Davies, J.; Davies, B. (2008.) How to use a trafficked woman: The alliance between political and 
4549criminal trafficking organisations. In La Strada. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://lastradainternat 
4550ional.org/doc-center/1743/how-to-use-a-trafficked-woman-the-alliance-between-political-and-criminaltrafficking-
4551organisations. 
4552
455310 Portlock, J. (2009, Aug 5.) Esher man accused of rape tells court description fits his brother. In 
4554Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/4528554. 
4555Esher_man_accused_of_rape_tells_court_description_fits_his_brother/. 
4556
455711 Davies, J. (2009.) ‘My name is not Natasha’: How Albanian women in France use trafficking to 
4558overcome social exclusion (1998–2001). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. 
4559
456012 Bindel, J. (2010, Oct 5.) Who will challenge this obscene protection racket? In The Guardian. 
4561Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/05/challengeobscene-
4562protection-racket. 
4563
456413 Davies, J. (2009). “My name is not Natasha”: How Albanian Women in France Use Trafficking to 
4565Overcome Social Exclusion (1998–2001). Amsterdam University Press. 
4566
4567
456814 US Aid. (Date?) Pioneering the fight against trafficking. On US Aid. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
4569from https://www.usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/pioneering-fight-against-trafficking. 
4570
457115 Davies, J. (2009). “My name is not Natasha”: How Albanian Women in France Use Trafficking to 
4572Overcome Social Exclusion (1998–2001). Amsterdam University Press, p. 100. 
4573
457416 Davies, J. (2009). “My name is not Natasha”: How Albanian Women in France Use Trafficking to 
4575Overcome Social Exclusion (1998–2001). Amsterdam University Press, p. 104. 
4576
457717 Ditum, S. (2016, Sept 18.) Liberal Democrat Dennis Parsons is wrong, prostitution is abuse not a 
4578career to aspire to. In The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.independent.co.uk/ 
4579voices/liberal-democrat-dennis-parsons-is-wrong-prostitution-is-abuse-not-a-career-to-aspire-toa7314786.
4580html. 
4581
458218 Davies, J. (2009.) ‘My name is not Natasha’: How Albanian women in France use trafficking to 
4583overcome social exclusion (1998–2001). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 140–141. 
4584
458519 Mai, N. (2013, Dec 19.) Only a minority of UK sex workers have been trafficked. In The 
4586Conversation. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://theconversation.com/only-a-minority-of-uk-sexworkers-
4587have-been-trafficked-21550. 
4588
458920 Mai, N. (2015). Surfing liquid modernity: Albanian and Romanian male sex workers in Europe. 
4590In Aggleton, P.; and Parker, R. (Eds.) Men who sell sex: Global perspectives. London: Routledge. 
459127–41. 
4592
459321 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tony-blair-misrepresented-intelligence-onweapons-
4594of-mass-destruction-to-gain-approval-for-iraq-war-a6713401.html 
4595
459622 Scott, L. (2010, Apr 25.) Erotic awards: Whatever turns you on. In The Metro. Retrieved 15 June 
4597
4598
45992017, from http://metro.co.uk/2010/04/25/erotic-awards-whatever-turns-you-on-3437799/. 
4600
460123 Open letter. (2009, Oct 22.) Sex trafficking is more than a numbers game. In The Guardian. 
4602Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/oct/22/sex-trafficking-crimebill. 
4603
4604
460524 Kay, L. (2016, May 16.) Three men jailed for total of 22 years for £5m gift aid fraud. In Third 
4606Sector. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/three-men-jailed-total-22-years-5mgift-
4607aid-fraud/finance/article/1395006. 
4608
460925 James, B. (2013, Oct 31.) Hungarian sex gang who allegedly ran brothel based on University of 
4610Sussex campus in court. In The Argus. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.theargus.co.uk/ 
4611news/10775463.Hungarian_sex_gang_who_allegedly_ran_brothel_based_on_University_of_Susex_ 
4612campus_in_court/. 
4613
461426 Bindel, J. (2016, Jun 14.) The pimps, the traffickers, the academics and the cover up: The 
4615shocking tale of John Davies. On Byline. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.byline.com/ 
4616column/7/article/1106. 
4617
461827 Stuff. (2016, Mar 19.) Dad accused of charity scam which helped bankroll daughter’s New 
4619Zealand trip. On Stuff. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/78058525/ 
4620Dad-accused-of-charity-scam-which-helped-bankroll-daughters-New-Zealand-trip. 
4621
462228 Open Charities: The Sompan Foundation. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://opencharities.org/ 
4623charities/1055118. 
4624
462529 Sompan Foundation: Projects. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from web.archive.org https://web.archive.org/ 
4626web/20121201134847/http://www.sompanfoundation.com/projects.html. 
4627
462830 Martin, L. (2004, May 16.) Lap-dance study ‘will be biased’. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 
46292017, from https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/may/16/research.highereducation. 
4630
4631
463231 Lipsett, A. (2008, Oct 3.) Big brothel research ‘seriously flawed’. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 
4633June 2017, from http://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/oct/03/research.women. 
4634
463532 Molisa, P. (2015, Dec 20.) Breaking the silence on prostitution and rape culture. In E-Tangata. 
4636Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://e-tangata.co.nz/news/breaking-the-silence. 
4637
463833 Sexual Humanitarianism. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://sexualhumanitarianism.wordpress.com/. 
4639
464034 United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. (2000, Nov 15.) Protocol to prevent, 
4641suppress and punish trafficking in persons especially women and children, supplementing the 
4642United Nations convention against transnational organizedsrime. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
4643http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingInPersons.aspx. 
4644
464535 Demand AT. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.demandat.eu/. 
4646
464736 Raymond, J. (2014.) Not a choice, not a job: Exposing the myths about prostitution and the 
4648global sex trade. London: Potomac. p. 126. 
4649
465037 Bindel, J. (2004, May 15.) Streets apart. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www. 
4651theguardian.com/theguardian/2004/may/15/weekend7.weekend4. 
4652
465338 Kulick, D.; Rhystrom, J. ( 2015.) Loneliness and its opposite: Sex, disability and the ethics of 
4654engagement. US: Duke University Press. 
4655
465639 Swedish Institute. (2010, Nov.) The ban against the purchase of sexual services. An evaluation 
46571999-2008. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/ 
4658the_ban_against_the_purchase_of_sexual_services._an_evaluation_1999-2008_1.pdf. 
4659
4660
466140 Max Waltman. 2011. “Prohibiting Sex Purchasing and Ending Trafficking: The Swedish Prostitution 
4662Law”. Michigan Journal of International Law 33 (1) 133–157. 
4663
466441 Weitzer, R. (2011.) Legalizing prostitution: From illicit vice to lawful business. New York: NYU 
4665Press. 
4666
466742 Hoffman, B. (1994.) The best of Gauntlet: Exploring the limits of free expression. Texas: Texas 
4668Bookman. 
4669
467043 Yorkshire Evening Post. (2016, Feb 27.) Leeds’s ‘managed’ prostitution zone under review after 
4671backlash. In Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost. 
4672co.uk/news/leeds-s-managed-prostitution-zone-under-review-after-backlash-1-7752702. 
4673
467444 McNeill, M. (2014, June 9.) Guest columnist: Christina Parreira. On The Honest Courtesan. 
4675Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/guest-columnistchristina-
4676parreira/. 
4677
467845 Lopes, A. (2005.) Organising in the sex industry: An action research investigation. Unpublished 
4679PhD dissertation, East London University, p. 10. 
4680
468146 Lopes, A. (2005.) Lopes, A. (2005.) Organising in the sex industry: An action research investigation. 
4682Unpublished PhD dissertation, East London University, p. 12. 
4683
468447 https://sexworkresearch.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/flawed-theory-and-method-in-studies-ofprostitution/. 
4685
4686
468748 Weitzer, R. (2005.) Flawed theory and method in studies of prostitution. On Sex Work Research. 
4688Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://web.archive.org/web/20060111065947/http://www.woodhullfoundati 
4689on.org/content/otherpublications/WeitzerVAW-1.pdf. 
4690
4691
469249 Abel, G.; Fitzgerald, L.; Healy, C. (2010.) Taking the crime out of sex work: New Zealand sex 
4693workers’fight for decriminalisation. London: Policy Press. 
4694
469550 Bindel, J. (2008, Feb 29.) It’s abuse and a life of hell. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
4696from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/29/women.ukcrime. 
4697
4698
4699© The Author(s) 2017 
4700Julie Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55890-9_10 
4701
4702
470310. A Queer Defence of the Sex Trade 
4704Julie Bindel1 
4705
4706
4707(1) London, UK 
4708Julie Bindel 
4709Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
4710What is happening in Russia at the moment is that those in the LGBT 
4711movement who openly promote legalisation of the sex trade are all gay 
4712men. They do not have direct experience of what the sex trade is. The 
4713movement itself is dominated by males, so from LGBT you just have the 
4714letter G left. (Artem , male survivor of the sex trade, Moscow , 2016) 
4715
4716I have never experienced people saying prostitution is comfortable in 
4717Sweden , because most people can empathise with those involved. But 
4718recently, some have been academically brainwashed by the queer 
4719movement that don’t get it – regular people get it very quickly. (Sven 
4720Axel-Mansson , academic, Sweden, 2016) 
4721
4722
4723One of the most vociferous groups in its support of ‘sex workers’ rights ’ is 
4724the new queer movement. This rainbow alliance politics first emerged in the 
47251980s with the scandal involving the National Council of Civil Liberties when 
4726it supported the inclusion of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) .1 
4727There was much dissent and disagreement within the gay liberation movement 
4728(mostly from lesbians) at the time that PIE was looking to join hands with those 
4729who were sexually ‘non-conformist’. Many gay men did not see that the 
4730lobbyists for the normalisation of child sexual abuse had misappropriated their 
4731legitimate fight for equality, protection and rights. 
4732
4733Inthe past, ‘queer’was commonlyused as aninsulttowards those deemed 
4734
4735
4736to be lesbian or gay, and was considered a heinous slur by those of us at whom 
4737itwas targeted. Buttodaythe term‘queer’, whenitis used inthe neutral or 
4738affirmative manner, is an invention of post-modernism. 
4739
4740According to the academic Matt Alberhasky 2: ‘“Queer” is a term 
4741“reclaimed” by the gay and lesbian community as a way to erase distinctions 
4742and include transgendered individuals’. The problem many lesbians have with 
4743the term‘queer’is thatitdepoliticises lesbians’experiences as women 
4744because the term is gender neutral. This, as the likes of feminist scholar Sheila 
4745Jeffreys 3 have rightly argued, is another way of eliminating women. 
4746
4747
4748The Genesis of Sex as Violence 
4749
4750The firsttime the terms ‘queer’and ‘sexwork’were used together inthe 
4751mainstream press was in November 1997 in the Sydney Morning Herald . The 
47522000-word article, entitled ‘Queer, Really Queer’, was an unbridled 
4753celebration of the eroticisation of violence, degradation and abuse. It read: 
4754
4755They use names like Groovi Biscuit, Azaria Universe, Trash Vaudeville, 
4756Indigo Plushbox, Vy1 and Miss Fit. … They mime, scream, provoke, 
4757excite, entertain, occasionally eat fire – vaginally – and not infrequently 
4758consent to receive or inflict bodily wounds. … They work at the literal 
4759cutting edge of artistic and social acceptability, and in deadly earnest. 
4760Welcome to the brave new world of Queer Performance.4 
4761
4762Since the 1970s, the liberals and gay libertarians have striven to include 
4763all and sundry in the sexual liberation movement, and have argued for groups 
4764including ‘sex work’ and the PIE 5—the former being a category of male 
4765violence, and the latter a predatory sexual politic normalising child rape. 
4766
4767
4768The Pact Between Trans and ‘Sex Workers’ Rights’ 
4769
4770We have managed in recent years to bring together in our movement, a 
4771very diverse range of people who are either directly in sex work or 
4772related to sex work. Those who are women, men and transgender, those 
4773who are doing different types of sex work like stripping or BDSM and so 
4774forth. The common obstacles are that the sex workers are criminalised, 
4775there is abuse and corruption and violence on behalf of the state 
4776authorities, and the absence or lack of access to good secure house 
4777services. So by identifying those common obstacles they can build 
4778alliances and grow the organisation and that’s the only way to go forward. 
4779(Irina Maslova , Silver Rose , Russia , 2015) 
4780
4781The rise of transgender identity politics has brought with it a strident 
4782attempt to merge the identities of prostitution and so-called ‘gender-queer’. 
4783There are several arguments used to claim that the experience of being 
4784transgender and being prostituted are very similar, if not the same thing. One is 
4785that many trans women cannot find regular employment, or need fast cash in 
4786order to pay for surgery, and therefore turn to the sex trade. Another is the 
4787queer argument that we are all part of one big happy rainbow alliance and ‘sex 
4788workers’ rights ’, trans rights and queer rights are one thing. What this 
4789argument loses is an analysis of men’s power in relation to women. In fact, 
4790aside from trans women, women are excluded from the equation altogether. 
4791
4792The recently constructed acronyms even lend to my theory that the 
4793transgender and ‘sex workers’ rights ’ issues have become amalgamated to the 
4794point where you literally cannot support one without supporting the other. 
4795SWERF (Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists ) and TERF (Trans 
4796Exclusionary Radical Feminists) handily rhyme. Both groups seem to realise 
4797how important merging their interests is. Pro-prostitution lobbyists regularly 
4798tap into support from the transgender lobby and vice versa. I came to realise 
4799just how handy this was for both groups during the campaign in Britain to 
4800introduce a law to criminalise those who pay for sex. It was 2009 and the 
4801proposed bill I mentioned earlier was being debated in Parliament, which 
4802would criminalise the purchase of sex from a person who was trafficked or 
4803otherwise coerced. It was still considered important to get this bill through, 
4804even though many were sceptical about it because it separated the women who 
4805
4806
4807could show that they had been pimped or forced in some way from those who 
4808were being otherwise abused and exploited in the sex trade, and it would be 
4809practically impossible to police. 
4810
4811The academic Belinda Brooks-Gordon coined the rather amusing phrase 
4812“Carry on Criminology”6 to describe what she considers to be poor research 
4813into the sex trade. For example, Brooks-Gordon was a signatory to the 
4814complaint published in the Guardian newspaper about the ‘Big Brothel’ 
4815research that I co-authored (see Chap. 9). 
4816
4817In the build-up to the debate in Parliament and the House of Lords about the 
4818new bill, Brooks-Gordon was heavily involved in rallying the troops to argue 
4819against it. She posted messages on punter websites such as those on which sex 
4820buyers ‘review’ the prostituted women they buy. Steve Elrond , as we saw in 
4821Chap. 8, is a prolific sex buyer, lobbyist for blanket decriminalisation and 
4822owner of websites that advertise women to other sex buyers. He posted a 
4823message from Brooks-Gordon on his then personal website,7 which is no 
4824longer live but still accessible on archive websites. 
4825
4826‘Dr Belinda Brooks Gordon [sic] who is brilliant at lobbying for our rights 
4827has asked that the following be circulated’, wrote Elrond. Brooks-Gordon’s 
4828message outlined the reasons why both prostituted women (or ‘sex workers’ as 
4829she put it) and sex buyers (‘clients’) should lobby MPs of all parties in order 
4830to get them to vote against introducing a law criminalising demand for 
4831trafficked pernous. She went on to explain how important it was to form 
4832alliances across different issues, before explaining her next move: 
4833
4834On Thursday night I am speaking to a transgender group to explain why 
4835
4836they should oppose the Bill (some are shakey [sic] on this) – it was one 
4837
4838thing for them doing the anti-Bindel nomination demo at the Stonewall 
4839
4840awards , but sex work is another issue for them so am working on this. 
4841
4842There were good links built up over the demo so will keep you posted as 
4843
4844to where they are on this. If anyone wants to come along they are 
4845
4846welcome. 
4847
4848The previous year, I had been nominated and shortlisted in the category of 
4849‘Journalistofthe Year’atthe annual Stonewall Awards.8As soonas my 
4850nomination was announced, the transgender community and much of the gay 
4851press went into overdrive. I am regularly accused of ‘transphobia’ on the 
4852strength of an article I wrote in the Guardian Weekend Magazine in 2004.9 I 
4853
4854
4855had not asked to be nominated for the award, but as soon as the protest started I 
4856knew that I had to turn up to the event or it could have looked as if I had been 
4857intimidated out of doing so. 
4858
4859On arrival, I saw that there were well over 100 protesters arguing that my 
4860nomination should have been withdrawn and that I peddled ‘hate speech’. 
4861Alongside the trans-activists were a number of pro-prostitution lobbyists and a 
4862smattering of academics. The demonstration was the largest in the history of 
4863transgender activism in the UK and there was much publicity relating to it. 
4864
4865One of the main organisers of the demonstration was Sarah Brown , who 
4866was a colleague of Brooks-Gordon during the time they were both Liberal 
4867Democrat councillors. Following the Stonewall saga, Brooks-Gordon saw an 
4868opportunity to get members of the transgender lobby on board in opposing the 
4869law to criminalise the demand, and to fight for blanket decriminalisation of the 
4870sex trade. 
4871
4872What is interesting, at least according to Brooks-Gordon , is that at that 
4873time in 2009, some of the transgender lobbyists were ‘shaky’ about coming out 
4874in support of the pro-prostitution line. Today they are anything but, and it is 
4875hard to find a transgender lobbyist who is anti-prostitution. 
4876
4877Currently in the UK, several local branches and two main political parties 
4878give responsibility on drafting and implementing policy on prostitution in the 
4879sex trade to their LGBT caucuses. The Liberal Democrats, for example, 
4880regularly have trans women speaking at conference, attempting to pass motions 
4881to support the blanket decriminalisation of the sex trade. This is the same with 
4882the Green Party (except they describe themselves as LGBTIQA+10) and some 
4883local branches of the Labour Party. 
4884
4885For example, a key member of the LGBT caucus in the Islington branch of 
4886the Labour Party is Catherine Stephens.11 Stephens is a founder of the 
4887International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW) , the fake union populated by pro-
4888prostitution academics , punters, pimps, brothel owners and other lobbyists for 
4889decriminalisation of the sex trade. For the past 10 years I have seen Stephens 
4890at conferences and other public meetings, and have never heard her declare 
4891herself lesbian or bisexual. However, she now identifies as bisexual, which 
4892means that she has been granted legitimacy within the LGBT group. 
4893
4894
4895Trans Influence on ‘Sex Work’ 
4896
4897Sarah Noble is a Liberal Democrat activist and pro-prostitution trans woman. 
4898
4899In 2014, Noble made a speech to conference calling for decriminalisation.12 
4900Brown , also a trans woman, additionally made a speech at conference calling 
4901for decriminalisation.13 
4902
4903Janet Mock is a male-to-female transgender activist who catapulted into 
4904the public arena with the publication of her memoir about growing up 
4905transgender, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & 
4906So Much More in 2014.14 In the video accompanying the book,15 Mock 
4907appears to celebrate children’s involvement in the sex trade: ‘I was 15 the first 
4908time I visited Merchant Street, what some would call “the stroll” for trans 
4909women involved in street-based sex work. At the time, I had just begun 
4910medically transitioning and it was where younger girls, like my friends and 
4911myself, would go to hang out, flirt and fool around with guys and socialise with 
4912older trans women, the legends of our community.16 
4913
4914Mock goes on to explain how she ‘idolised’ the prostituted trans women in 
4915the area, including those who were used in pornography and in strip clubs. 
4916‘These women were the first trans women I met and I quickly correlated trans 
4917womanhood and sex work’, says Mock, explaining that she came to understand 
4918the role of the sex trade as a ‘rite of passage’ for trans girls. 
4919
4920Mock is disparaging about the role of the media betraying prostitution as 
4921‘shameful and degrading’. Like many pro-prostitution lobbyists, Mock 
4922considers the stigma attached to prostitution as extremely harmful, placing it 
4923above the harm done to prostituted people by sex buyers , pimps and brothel 
4924owners. In fact, Mock strongly suggests that any condemnation of the sex trade 
4925will lead to violence against those selling sex, claiming that anyone with a 
4926negative view of the sex trade ‘dehumanises’ prostituted people. 
4927
4928Mock states: 
4929
4930Sex workers are often dismissed, causing even the most liberal folk to 
4931dehumanise, devalue and demean women who are engaged in the sex 
4932trades. This pervasive dehumanisation of women in the sex trade leads 
4933many to ignore the silencing, brutality, policing, criminalisation and 
4934violence sex workers face, even blaming them for being utterly damaged, 
4935
4936
4937promiscuous, and unworthy.17 
4938
4939As Mock had earlier said, she had learned to link prostitution with being 
4940transgender and argues that, because she had learned that prostitution was 
4941viewed as shameful, she began to view being transgender as shameful: ‘I 
4942couldn’t separate it from my own body image issues, my sense of self, my 
4943internalised shame about being trans, brown, poor, young, woman’. 
4944
4945This is a bizarre and dangerous argument. Mock is effectively saying that 
4946unless we completely normalise and destigmatise the sex trade, trans women 
4947such as herself will never be able to feel proud of their ‘womanhood’. Think 
4948about the implications here: first of all, the total conflation of prostitution with 
4949being transgender, coupled with the somewhat manipulative argument that if 
4950we don’t accept prostitution as ‘empowering’ then trans women will 
4951experienced self-hatred. 
4952
4953Mock writes: ‘These women taught me that nothing was wrong with me or 
4954my body, and that if I wanted they would show me the way, and it was this 
4955underground railroad of resources created by low-income, marginalised 
4956women, that enabled me when I was 16 to jump in a car with my first regular 
4957and choose a pathway to my survival and liberation’.18 
4958
4959There we have it: prostitution is about liberation and any condemnation of 
4960it means that marginalised women and girls will not be able to survive. 
4961
4962
4963‘Transphobia’: A Slur to Abolitionists 
4964
4965At a 2011 conference in Copenhagen , Denmark, where both pro-prostitution 
4966lobby groups and transgender rights organisations are highly organised (united 
4967by a hatred of radical feminism), I was heckled during my speech on violence 
4968within the sex trade by a number of men and women waving placards with 
4969slogans such as ‘End Transphobia’ and ‘Sex Workers’ Rights are Trans Rights’. 
4970
4971I was speaking at the conference, a joint effort between the feminist 
4972abolitionist organisation and the Danish government, with Janice Raymond , 
4973who authored The Transsexual Empire 19 in 1979. Raymond, along with 
4974myself and a number of other radical feminists who take a position against the 
4975sex trade and against the notion that gender is innate or linked to biological 
4976sex, is often prevented from speaking on a number of platforms. 
4977
4978As I write, I have just been disinvited as a keynote speaker at a conference 
4979on prostitution and trafficking in Oslo, Norway . My talk was to focus on the 
4980tactics and arguments of the pro-prostitution lobby internationally. The 
4981conference was organised by the Socialist Left Party of Norway (SV) . One 
4982week before the event, the Women’s Caucus was told by the party leadership 
4983that they had to disinvite me on the grounds of ‘transphobia’. There had been 
4984several complaints from trans people that I would be threatening their ‘safe 
4985space’. The complainants had registered to attend the conference but when it 
4986was announced that I had been withdrawn, they promptly cancelled their 
4987attendance. The complainants were all identified to me as pro-prostitution by 
4988feminists involved in the conference, as well as by a journalist who covered 
4989the story of my ban. 
4990
4991It was a terrible shame that SV, which officially supports the law that 
4992criminalises the demand for prostitution, introduced in Norway in 2008, was 
4993targeted in this manner. 
4994
4995Following an article in the daily leftist newspaper Klassekampen 20 about 
4996me being no platformed, a letter from one of the main instigators of the 
4997campaign to stop me from speaking at the event was published by Ingvild 
4998Endestad , leader of FRI21 (The Association of Gender and Sexuality 
4999Diversity), a close ally22 of PION,23 a pro-prostitution organisation in Norway 
5000. Endestad was clearly displeased by the fact that the journalist who wrote the 
5001piece had interviewed me. ‘SV could have created an arena where Bindel’s 
5002
5003
5004opinions on transgender people could have been challenged’, wrote Endestad. 
5005‘Instead, she was offered a lectern where she could talk freely without having 
5006to be held accountable for her discriminatory opinions.’ Perhaps Endestad is 
5007proposing that anyone who is speaking at a public event, and has views that 
5008she doesn’t approve of on transgender, should be grilled about that topic 
5009whatever they are speaking about? 
5010
5011
5012Vilification of Feminist Positions on Gender 
5013
5014A Google search on ‘Bindel’ and ‘transphobe’ generates 54,600 unique results. 
5015Of course, various combinations and permutations of ‘TERF ’, ‘transphobic’, 
5016or ‘transphobia’ paired with my name and variants thereof (e.g. misspelled 
5017‘Bindle’) generate countless more. Twitter analytics reveal innumerable tweets 
5018containing the terms ‘Bindel’ and ‘transphobe’. By way of contrast, ‘Pemberton 
5019’ and ‘transphobe’ on the Twittersphere generates not a single result. Not one. 
5020
5021Pemberton is just one of the many men who has murdered a trans woman in 
5022the sex trade: in this case, Jennifer Laude . Joseph Pemberton garrotted and 
5023submerged Laude’s head in a toilet bowl after he discovered Laude had a 
5024penis. This in itself should have ensured at least some social media activity. 
5025But Pemberton was no ‘ordinary’ man. Private First Class Joseph Scott 
5026Pemberton was a US Marine on active duty in the Philippines and his trial 
5027lasted from 2014–2016, and in no insignificant way caused enormous tension 
5028between the two allies that continues to this day.24 This was an extraordinarily 
5029important story in male violence, US foreign policy, international diplomacy, 
5030military prostitution, racism, colonialism and of course transphobia. It was 
5031enormous news for the so-called trans and ‘sex workers’ rights ’ activists. 
5032
5033The connection between transgender activists and the pro-prostitution 
5034lobby groups is often explained by claiming that many trans women enter the 
5035sex trade because of being excluded from the mainstream job market. I would 
5036suggest another connection: part of the whole trans woman identity is about 
5037presenting as hyper-sexualised. Because there is no such thing as a ‘natural 
5038woman’, all it can ever be is an idealised image and that image is created by 
5039the male gaze. 
5040
5041The abstract of the postmodern take on transgenderism, prostitution and 
5042race is perfectly highlighted in a paper from the Graduate Journal of Social 
5043Science (2015) by Jet Young entitled ‘Blurred Lines: The Contested Nature of 
5044Sex Work in a Changing Social Landscape’, and subheaded: ‘A Chinese 
5045diasporic trans rentboy, reflects on the contested arena of sex work. 
5046Ponderings on whorephobia as a strategy of imperialism, the continued 
5047oppression of femininity, and the murky politics of penetration’.25 
5048
5049
5050Piggybacking on the LGBT Campaigns 
5051
5052In a Huffington Post article entitled ‘Why LGBT and Sex Worker Rights Go 
5053Hand-In-Hand’, the writer Stephanie Farnsworth , who describes herself as an 
5054‘intersectional feminist’, argues that: 
5055
5056The heart of the demand for LGBT rights is the idea that all people should 
5057
5058be granted autonomy over their lives and bodies, that anyone should be 
5059
5060allowed to sleep with who they choose and that it only concerns the 
5061
5062people in the relationship and not the government or bigots. The very 
5063
5064same idea is at the core of the fight for sex workers. Why should they not 
5065
5066be granted the same freedom? Why should they not be allowed to have 
5067
5068sex with who they choose? It is simply hypocritical for LGBT activists to 
5069
5070fight for bodily autonomy but deny it to sex workers.26 
5071
5072From emotional labour to sex, housework to being a wife or girlfriend, the 
5073queer liberal line is to redefine exploitation as work. As Kajsa Ekis Ekman , a 
5074journalist and feminist, who wrote the searing critique of surrogacy and its 
5075similarities to prostitution, Being and Being Bought 27 told me: ‘The queer 
5076movement is a refuge for some people in prostitution who found that, if you 
5077drink to excess and do a lot of drugs, or have been in prostitution, the queer 
5078movement won’t judge you. There’s a lot of self-destruction in that movement 
5079that is glorifying experiences that are not good for you and that goes for the gay 
5080movement, too’. 
5081
5082Pro-prostitution campaigners are well aware of the advantage to them of 
5083aligning themselves with a wider group of ‘subversives’. In the same way that 
5084a very small transgender community attached itself to the Lesbian and Gay 
5085Liberation Movement at the beginning of 2000, the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ 
5086movement saw an opportunity for wider support from this new and ever 
5087growing rainbow alliance. The lesbian and gay movement had become the 
5088LGBT movement, and then continued to expand until it encompassed pretty 
5089much every letter of the alphabet, leaving out very few groups including, it 
5090would appear, the majority of heterosexuals.28 
5091
5092One of those activists who reaped the benefits of the new alliance is Irina 
5093Maslova , founder of the Russian project Silver Rose . During our interview 
5094she told me that in recent years Silver Rose has succeeded in bringing together 
5095
5096
5097a very diverse range of people ‘who are either directly in sex work related to 
5098sex work’. 
5099
5100According to Maslova, those people comprise people in street and off-
5101street prostitution, drug users and ‘those who work for themselves 
5102independently and those who work for third parties’. She continues: ‘We have 
5103women, men and transgender, and those who are doing different types of sex 
5104work like stripping or BDSM and so forth. So they managed to create this 
5105united movement by finding the common denominator’. 
5106
5107
5108Voices of Dissent 
5109
5110There is, however, a voice of dissent from some gay men. I met Kevin 
5111Mwachiro , a writer, activist and author of Invisible: Stories From Kenya’s 
5112Queer Community, during a trip to Nairobi , Kenya, in 2015. ‘I personally 
5113don’t see [the alliance between the ‘sex work’ lobby and the LGBT movement] 
5114as supporting’, said Mwachiro. ‘I think the sex worker campaigners have been 
5115very smart though, because I think it was a question of building critical mass. 
5116
5117‘The more of us who are in this, the louder the voice. One time I met Denis 
5118[Nzioka, a journalist and LGBT campaigner] . There was a march organised by 
5119sex workers and he was going to support them and he said “come”, but I had to 
5120stop and ask myself because it’s a cause I struggle with. But I think it’s 
5121strategic for both parties. It’s one way of getting numbers of them into the 
5122boardrooms of the Ministry of Health or the National AIDS bodies.’ 
5123
5124But Mwachiro sees a disconnect between the male LGBT activists and the 
5125‘sex workers’ and the rights of the women involved in prostitution in Nairobi . 
5126‘I think organisations [that provide services to men having sex with men] are 
5127doing great work’, says Mwachiro. ‘They are working with a lot of male sex 
5128workers. But if the women get their rights as sex workers, I don’t think they 
5129want to be left behind.’ 
5130
5131Alex Hopkins is a journalist, community activist and gay man. He lives in 
5132London and frequently writes about some of the harmful practices embedded 
5133within the culture of the gay male community. For Hopkins, prostitution is an 
5134abusive system and one that vulnerable young gay men can be harmed by. He is 
5135particularly damning about the normalisation of pornography within the gay 
5136club scene and how it serves to promote prostitution. 
5137
5138‘It is telling how gay male porn represents the escort/client relationship’, 
5139says Hopkins. ‘Scenarios tend to fall into two categories: the first in which the 
5140client is as physically alluring as the escort – the implication being that selling 
5141sex is a pleasure for an escort.’ 
5142
5143Some porn in which the sex buyer is a much bigger, more dominant man 
5144who emasculates the usually smaller, noticeably more vulnerable prostituted 
5145male, is simply the fetishisation of dominance’, says Hopkins. ‘It’s not 
5146improbable that men who pay for sex will watch such abusive scenarios and 
5147re-enact them with escorts—Is this the happy “rainbow alliance” which certain 
5148proponents of prostitution speak of, I wonder? Ultimately, there can be no 
5149
5150
5151“rainbow alliance” in financial transactions which perpetuate a hierarchy of 
5152abuse.’ 
5153
5154
5155Industry Cultish Behaviour and ‘All Sex Is Good Sex’ 
5156
5157
5158I met Sia, a feminist activist from Queensland, Australia , at the first ever 
5159abolitionist conference in Melbourne in 2016. Sia, in her early 50s at the time 
5160of the interview, had experienced serious sexual harassment in the workplace a 
5161few years earlier that put her off political activism for some time. Looking for 
5162a job during the time that decriminalisation of the sex trade was being 
5163implemented, she found herself considering working in a massage parlour in 
5164Sydney. 
5165
5166‘In a lot of ways, [prostitution] was very much accepted, particularly when 
5167you get into the queer scene and the party scene’, says Sia. ‘I didn’t know I 
5168was a lesbian at the time, I worked with other lesbians and we just thought we 
5169were great. 
5170
5171‘A friend of mine opened a massage place in Sydney and I worked there 
5172with her and I thought it was just the best thing in the world, because they were 
5173all there for the women, and women were [seen as] goddesses and it was all 
5174really supportive.’ 
5175
5176Sia soon began doing what she describes as ‘full service’. ‘I worked at 
5177upper-class places’, she says, ‘and tried a few other massage places around 
5178Sydney. I was being validated by the sex-positive community. I still had some 
5179friends from over the years who were like, “Sia! What are you doing?” 
5180Anyway, I was in full service and worked at the top-notch places, but got 
5181raped and then I had a breakdown.’ 
5182
5183I asked her why she thought that people were so keen on believing the myth 
5184about sex work? ‘It was cool and edgy’, says Sia. ‘It was an image. It was part 
5185of the party scene, the drug-taking scene. The bottom line is there was so much 
5186damage for a lot of the women that were involved in that, and of course [that 
5187included] trans people as well. 
5188
5189‘I used to fight against the claim that most of them were abused, which most 
5190women are. But we used to say, “No, we’ve never been abused, we’re doing 
5191this because this is our choice ”. There was a lot of pain there. After I got 
5192raped, I went to [names a counselling service]. What some of the women told 
5193me when they realised what my job was: “Isn’t that great? How empowering 
5194that you’re a sex worker. Good on you”. I want to try and bring in some sort of 
5195support for exploited women because my experience of that was just 
5196horrendous.’ 
5197
5198
5199Gay Men and Celebration of the Sex Trade 
5200
5201The notorious Douglas Fox is not queer-identified. He does, however, conflate 
5202being involved in prostitution with having a gay identity. He says: ‘When you 
5203try and stop the centre of human activity, it’s like with homosexuality. When 
5204you try to battle sexuality, like gay marriage, in the past, in the’ 50s, there 
5205would have been electric shock treatment, you could have been locked up, all 
5206sorts of things could have happened’.29 
5207
5208Yet prostitution is not a sexual identity, I say to Fox. ‘But the similarities 
5209are there, and that’s consensual sexual activity. When you have legislation that 
5210tried to prevent consensual sexual activity …’, he argues. 
5211
5212In the film Politically I Am a Whore, about the life of Thierry Shaffauser, 
5213we see Shaffauser at the Putes Pride (Whores Pride) March in Paris 2010 in 
5214the opening scene. He is dressed in clothing that many would associate with 
5215women involved in street prostitution. Shaffauser is standing with the leaders 
5216of the demonstration: two men and two trans women. ‘I get looked at as if I am 
5217odd’. ‘But this is France. It is a racist country. People can’t cope with anything 
5218different’, says Shaffauser, who is white. 
5219
5220I speak to Shaffauser in Paris, where he is an active member of the 
5221Syndicat du Travail Sexuel (STRASS), which he describes as the ‘sex 
5222workers’ trade union’ in France. ‘I’m pro-feminism. I’m a trade unionist, I’m a 
5223sex worker. My politics is sex workers first and then everything about left 
5224politics—minorities first.’ I ask Schaffauser whether he considers his identity 
5225as ‘sexworker’to be intrinsicallyconnected to the queer movement. ‘Ithinkat 
5226least a big part of the sex workers’ rights movement is linked to the queer 
5227movement’, he says. 
5228
5229For Schaffauser, the link between being gay/queer and a sex worker is the 
5230stigma. ‘I saw similarities about the stigma and the thing around having to 
5231come out or having to hide’, he says, ‘and one of the first things I did as a sex 
5232workers’ rights activist was to organise the Whores Pride. The fact that we 
5233used the concept of pride for sex workers was for France completely new’. 
5234
5235‘Of course I can see that queer sex workers are very vocal in the 
5236movement’, says Schaffauser . ‘Probably the fact that we have this political 
5237strategy to use for coming out, it makes us more visible than the rest of the 
5238movement, so the movement has this image of queer, or sex positive, or all 
5239these kind of trendy labels.’ 
5240
5241
5242There are currently a number of male activists involved in the global ‘sex 
5243workers’ rights’ movement. Douglas Fox , whose partner owns the biggest 
5244escort agency in the North of England, blogs for the Guardian 
5245online, 
5246describing himself as a ‘sex worker’. Fox held a senior position in the fake 
5247union the IUSW, and was a key face of the movement until a civil war 
5248regarding the role of ‘managers’ within the organisation took hold and Fox 
5249withdrew. 
5250
5251
5252Queer in the Academy 
5253
5254Accusations of ‘whorephobia’, which is meant to mean hatred towards or 
5255stigmatising of prostituted women and men, is in fact used to silence and deter 
5256any criticism of the sex trade whatsoever. This viewpoint is enshrined in 
5257university safe-space policies, and has led to a number of students who are 
5258lesbian or gay being diverted into adopting a queer identity. 
5259
5260Prostitution is not a sexuality. There is a clear difference between a sexual 
5261preference or identity and prostitution (a form of men’s abuse). Feminists 
5262recognise this, and as someone who came out as a lesbian as a teenager in the 
52631970s and who has had experience of sexual assault, I understand the 
5264difference very well. 
5265
5266The Nordic model is not a moral perspective about sex: it is an issue of 
5267gender justice to police men’s violence. Accordingly, prostituted women are 
5268not policed: instead the attention is focused on the crime as it is; that is, men’s 
5269abuse. These men are arrested and charged: prostituted women face no 
5270sanction or interference whatsoever. I have never heard any of these survivor 
5271abolitionists say that they are against gay rights or anti-equality. It is interesting 
5272to ask why there is a conflation made between being gay and ‘sex-work’, and 
5273what ideology and motivations drive this. 
5274
5275A number of the academic apologists for the sex trade are themselves gay 
5276men, and have focused some attention on young men/boys who sell sex to men 
5277and who may identify as gay. For example, Graham Ellison , an academic 
5278based at Queen’s University Belfast , who gave evidence to the Northern 
5279Ireland Justice Committee, which I outlined in Chap. 8, became interested in 
5280issues relating to the sex trade after interviewing young street-based boys 
5281selling sex in Prague , Czech Republic. 
5282
5283In his paper ‘Drifters, Party Boys and Incumbents: The life patterns of male 
5284street-based sex workers’,30 based on research conducted in the gay village 
5285within Manchester, UK, Ellison makes it clear that he considers these boys to 
5286be part of some type of rebellious subculture. He goes into detail about one 
5287particular category of boys who sell sex, ‘party boys’, whom he describes as 
5288‘young gay identified men who frequent the village mainly for its social life but 
5289who occasionally partake in commercial sex if a particular opportunity arises’. 
5290
5291Nicola (Nick) Mai , another academic who provided written evidence to 
5292the Northern Ireland Justice Committee and advised a research report that 
5293
5294
5295informed it, has also conducted research into prostituted boys. In his paper 
5296‘Tampering with the Sex of “Angels”: Migrant Male Minors and Young Adults 
5297Selling Sex in the EU’,31 he argues that, even for underage boys selling sex, the 
5298worst negative effect is stigma. In other words: policing the violence done to 
5299them is violence. Mai further argues that for some of these boys, one advantage 
5300of ‘choosing’ this line of ‘work’ is that it makes them feel desirable. The sexual 
5301desirability of children in this sense is understood as a possible social good. 
5302
5303‘Selling sex allowed interviewees to make money and feel autonomous 
5304from the prescriptions and control they left behind by migrating. It made them 
5305feel desirable and sometimes provided them with important affective 
5306references and logistical support’, writes Mai. ‘The main disadvantages 
5307associated with sex work are a consequence of its stigmatisation as well as of 
5308homophobia and the “abject” vulnerabilities of migrant minors and young 
5309adults rather than of the involvement in sex work per se.’ 
5310
5311
5312Rewriting Child Abuse 
5313
5314When I was reading [pro-prostitution] research I was like, ‘This isn’t 
5315jiving to what I went through”, and it was the same shit of framing it [as 
5316though] gay boys choose it. Who enjoys sleeping with a grandfather? 
5317(Chris , male survivor of the sex trade, Los Angeles, 2015 ) 
5318
5319
5320A number of gay libertarian men rewrite histories of childhood sexual 
5321abuse as ‘pleasurable’ encounters. Take Peter Tatchell , for example. On its 
5322website, The Peter Tatchell Foundation is described as seeking ‘to promote 
5323and protect the human rights of individuals, communities and nations, in the UK 
5324and internationally’.32 
5325
5326Tatchell is a gay rights activist who has long campaigned for lowering the 
5327age of consent for all to 14. In the early 1990s, Tatchell reviewed a grotesque 
5328and shocking book, Dares to Speak: Historical & Contemporary Perspectives 
5329On Boy-Love (edited by Joseph Geraci). Tatchell wrote: ‘Abusive, 
5330exploitative relationships are indefensible but … [there are] many examples of 
5331societies where consenting intergenerational sex is considered normal, 
5332acceptable, beneficial and enjoyable by old and young alike’. 
5333
5334In a blog post,33 Tatchell wrote: 
5335
5336Lee is 14. He’s been having sex with boys since the age of eight, and with 
5337men since he was 12. Lee has a serious problem. He wants a steady 
5338relationship and has been going out recently with a guy in his mid-20s, 
5339who he met at the hairdressers. But in the eyes of the law, Lee’s partner is 
5340a paedophile and Lee is a victim of child abuse. That’s not, however, the 
5341way Lee sees it: ‘I want to have a boyfriend. It’s my choice . No one’s 
5342abusing me. Why should we be treated like criminals?’ 
5343
5344There can be no doubt in my mind that Tatchell does not support the abuse 
5345of children, but I have often engaged with him in discussion about whether or 
5346not he properly understands the dynamics of older men ‘grooming’ children and 
5347young people. I was the first journalist to break the story about the grooming 
5348gangs operating in northern towns and cities in England.34 Groups of sexual 
5349abusers—men in their 20s and 30s—were raping and pimping 12 to 15-yearold 
5350girls they had targeted. They managed to convince the girls that they were 
5351
5352
5353their boyfriends, and the girls and young women caught up in this horror 
5354became powerless to resist the abuse. They convinced themselves that they 
5355were in love with these men, despite the fact that they were being abused and 
5356hurt on a regular basis by them and other men to whom they were sold for sex. 
5357
5358I interviewed a number of these girls and young women, both during the 
5359time they were being abused and after they had escaped. Each one of them told 
5360me, in no uncertain terms, that at the time of the abuse they were absolutely 
5361certain that these men were in love with them and that they were in a 
5362relationship. 
5363
5364Tatchell does not even ask the question ‘Why does a fully adult male want 
5365to have sex with a child?’ When Tatchell writes: ‘Lee has been having sex with 
5366men since he was 12’ he is putting the onus firmly on Lee. In fact, adult men 
5367have been sexually abusing Lee since he was 12. Whether Lee ‘enjoys’ the sex 
5368or not is beside the point. Age of consent legislation is in place to protect 
5369children and young people from sexual predators. Tacthell is mistaken when he 
5370says that the law considers Lee’s boyfriend to be a ‘paedophile’. The law 
5371considers Lee’s boyfriend to be a statutory rapist and guilty of child sexual 
5372abuse . 
5373
5374The term ‘paedophile’ muddies the water here. Radical feminists tend not 
5375to like this word, as it medicalises a criminal offence. Because ‘paedophiles’ 
5376are depicted as weird, strange, creepy, dangerous men whom we should be 
5377able to pick out easily in the street, of course men such as Tatchell , and Lee’s 
5378boyfriend, would be appalled at this label being attached to someone who 
5379would claim to be having enjoyable, consensual sex with a perfectly mature 
5380young man. Use of the term ‘paedophile’ serves to distance those men who 
5381sexually exploit and abuse young people from the hard-core ‘perverts’ that the 
5382media loves to depict as monsters. 
5383
5384Why do so many gay men refuse to see the abuse inherent within man/boy 
5385sexual encounters? Child sexual abuse only exists because patriarchy does. 
5386Feminists have an understanding of this: gay men, as a rule, still benefit from 
5387patriarchy despite the fact that they are not viewed, among traditionalists, as 
5388‘real men’. 
5389
5390Tatchell’s blog contains a disclaimer, added to the page following sharp 
5391criticism from feminists and others who were appalled about his views on sex 
5392with children. It reads: ‘Note: My articles urging an age of consent of 14 are 
5393motivated solely by a desire to reduce the criminalisation of under-16s who 
5394have consenting relationships with other young people of similar ages. I do not 
5395
5396
5397support adults having sex with children. I do not advocate teenagers having sex 
5398before the age of 16’.35 
5399
5400If Tatchell’s disclaimer is to be believed, why then is he using the example 
5401of a 12-year-old child having sex with a man in his mid-20s? If his only 
5402concern is about two 15-year olds being criminalised for having consensual 
5403sex (which very rarely happens in the UK, or anywhere for that matter), why 
5404are we being encouraged to sympathise with this adult? 
5405
5406It is precisely this type of view that lends itself to queer theory. Gay men 
5407like Tatchell, who are sexual libertarians, do not understand, or refuse to 
5408recognise, that the power dynamics that exist between men and children are 
5409tilted in favour of the former. Of course child rape cannot be separated from 
5410the sex trade, just as trafficking cannot be. The sex trade will cease to function 
5411if its capacity to source desperate and vulnerable women and girls to be sold 
5412to men is frustrated. 
5413
5414
5415A Defence to Child Abuse 
5416
5417At the World’s Oldest Oppression Conference, in Melbourne in 2015, I was 
5418approached by a delegate who is a detective with over 20 years policing 
5419experience. He told me that a legal loophole existed in Australia that green 
5420lighted men to rape children. He also told me that he had a spreadsheet with 
5421the names of hundreds of men who had raped a child but that he would not be 
5422arresting any of them let alone pressing charges, because these children were 
5423sold to men as ‘adults’—typically aged 18 or 19. The sex trade was not a mere 
5424‘defence’ to a crime of child rape but evidence that no crime had been 
5425committed at all. 
5426
5427The police officer provided me with a list of cases that showed his 
5428particular investigation, which he refused to discuss, was hardly an isolated 
5429one in Australia . For instance: a 17-year-old girl who died of a heroin 
5430overdose in a legal brothel in Australia’s capital city36; a 14-year-old girl 
5431prostituted to hundreds of men from a legal Sydney brothel37 and another girl 
5432of the same age prostituted from a legal brothel in Melbourne 38; a 15-year-old 
5433girl prostituted by her 40-year-old ‘boyfriend’ to hundreds of men on an ‘adult’ 
5434escort website in Sydney39; and a 12-year-old girl, infected with chlamydia 
5435and genital warts, prostituted to hundreds of men who responded to an 
5436advertisement saying ‘Angela, 18-years-old, new in town’.40 
5437
5438Not a single punter was arrested by Australian police because, in law, 
5439these men “committed no crime”. Nor was a solitary brothel or pimp who sold 
5440these children into the homogeneous adult, sex trade condemned by the 
5441political alliance formed to entrench prostitution in Australia : Scarlet 
5442Alliance , Australian Sex Party, and the Green Party, all of whom support the 
5443legalised sale of women and girls41 . 
5444
5445I asked the police officer what he thought was the way forward. He 
5446responded: 
5447
5448Arrest all men who buy sex . Nothing else. The lie that sex trafficking and 
5449
5450child rape are crimes completely discrete from prostitution, or ‘sex work’ 
5451
5452as I’m forced to call it, is not the full story. The ultimate lie is that sex 
5453
5454trafficking and child rape in the sex trade can be policed. The industry, 
5455
5456and the politicians in Australia who support them, like Senator Faraqi, 
5457
5458
5459can’t be more praiseworthy of police when our hands are tied, saying we 
5460are best placed to investigate cases of sex trafficking and child rape. We 
5461are their best friends when we’re ineffectual. 
5462
5463But these crimes are impossible to prosecute even after great expense 
5464for all involved. The moment real solutions are presented – like 
5465regulating the industry or, heaven-forbid, ending demand – police are 
5466slandered as corrupt and violent. Of course there are a minority of bad 
5467police, but so what? Other crimes happen – rape, murder, assault, robbery 
5468
5469– and police do what police do. And for the most part we do a great job. 
5470Arresting men who buy sex – who give zero thought to informed consent – 
5471is as controversial as arresting any other violent man.’ 
5472
5473A Queer Support of Sex Buyers 
5474
5475When the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz , was 
5476reportedly discovered during a tabloid newspaper sting to be paying for sex 
5477from vulnerable young Romanian men, Tatchell was first in the queue to defend 
5478him. It was clear from the short piece he wrote for the Guardian’s Comment is 
5479Free website42 that Tatchell does not understand about the power dynamic that 
5480exists between the buyer and the seller during the prostitution transaction. 
5481
5482Tatchell wrote: 
5483
5484It is said that Vaz failed to declare an interest when his home affairs 
5485committee was investigating a ban on poppers and sex work 
5486criminalisation (Vaz opposed both). Perhaps he should have declared an 
5487interest, but I am not sure that his failure to do so is a major lapse. After 
5488all, we don’t demand that MPs who drink and smoke declare an interest 
5489when they discuss legislation affecting the alcohol and cigarette 
5490industries. There is never any insistence that MPs who have pension plans 
5491step aside from committees discussing pension regulation or that gay MPs 
5492must come out and declare themselves before voting on gay issues. I sense 
5493a whiff of double standards.43 
5494
5495Vaz enjoyed support from much of the gay press in the UK and elsewhere.44 
5496His use and abuse of young vulnerable men was seen as a sexual preference 
5497rather than an act of sexual abuse. The young men at the centre of the story have 
5498reported they understood what was done to them by Vaz as exploitation. But 
5499this is of no consequence to the ‘prostitution is sex work’ narrative because 
5500their accounts are not recorded in peer-reviewed articles owned by the sex 
5501trade narrative but in ‘tabloid trash’. 
5502
5503Prostitution is rife within the gay commercial scene. A number of gay men I 
5504interviewed for my book Straight Expectations,45 which explored previous 
5505and current lesbian and gay culture, told me that as young men they were 
5506almost expected to supplement their incomes by selling sex to older men. I was 
5507told by a number of men who no longer frequent commercial gay bars that they 
5508are sick of seeing adverts for prostituted young men in gay magazines. 
5509
5510
5511The Queer Women 
5512
5513Queer-identified liberal feminists also often see prostitution as sexual identity, 
5514and an enjoyable part of being a ‘sexual outlaw’. 
5515
5516Melinda Chateauvert , a fellow at the Centre for Africana Studies at the 
5517University of Pennsylvania , USA, claims that the Stonewall riot was led by 
5518‘trans women of colour’, and argues that gay liberation groups were reluctant 
5519to support people like Sylvia Rivera, a regular patron of the Stonewall Inn (the 
5520bar in New York City where the riot started): ‘LGBT and queer history should 
5521include sex workers because many sex-worker activists are queer and some 
5522queer activists support themselves through sex work’. But doubt has been cast 
5523by several individuals as to whether Rivera was even at the Stonewall Riot, 
5524for example by the gay historian David Carter .46 
5525
5526According to Chateauvert , whose 2009 presentation was entitled 
5527‘Speaking About the Unspoken: A Conference for Scholars on Leather and 
5528Fetish history’, those who ‘deny the existence’ of trans people within the 
5529‘queer movement’ also reject the involvement of ‘sex workers’. 
5530
5531Chateauvert and other pro-prostitution activists refer to feminists who 
5532critique the sex trade as ‘straight’, thereby labelling those who celebrate it as 
5533‘queer’bydefault. She says: ‘The refusal of“straight” feminists to acceptthe 
5534personal experiences of sex workers as legitimate grounds for analysis 
5535represented a critical moment in the history of feminist politics’.47 
5536
5537I met Siouxsie Q , the porn actor and pro-prostitution activist, at the Los 
5538Angeles Porn Awards in 2015 as she was walking down the red carpet to be 
5539photographed. I introduced myself, told her that I was writing a newspaper 
5540article on the porn industry and asked her about the LGBT movement and its 
5541links to pornography. Friendly, forthcoming and very bubbly, Q told me that the 
5542queer movement and the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ movement were indivisible. I 
5543told her I was a lesbian but nothing else about my politics. She didn’t ask. It 
5544was clear that Q assumed I would be positive towards the porn industry 
5545bearing in mind that I was a queer, too. 
5546
5547‘I always say sex work has been my path to the American dream’, said Q 
5548when we spoke later on Skype, ‘and that’s true of other folks in the industry, 
5549particularly queer people.’ 
5550
5551During this conversation, Q mentioned on several occasions that the main 
5552targets of police brutality, discrimination and violence in general are ‘trans 
5553
5554
5555women of colour’. I asked Q why she thought that the LGBT movement was so 
5556closely aligned with the ‘sex workers’ rights’ movement. 
5557
5558‘Sex workers and people in the sex trade have been part of the modern 
5559LGBT liberation movement literally since the beginning’, she says. ‘Sex 
5560workers threw the first glass bottles at the Stonewall riots and that is no 
5561accident. It’s not because we are troublemakers, it’s because the sex trade has 
5562served as a place where people can get resources and jobs and community 
5563where none have existed.’ 
5564
5565Policymakers, human rights organisations, liberals of every stripe, support 
5566the sex trade if they believe it is a sexual identity. In a podcast interview with 
5567Q and Chateauvert,48 the two women waxed lyrical about the links between the 
5568‘sex workers’ rights ’ and the LGBT movements. ‘You can’t talk about sex 
5569work without talking about trans women’, said Q. ‘Or other kinds of people 
5570who are marginalised in a society that does not provide other economic 
5571opportunities’, agreed Chateauvert . 
5572
5573During their discussion, Q asked Chateauvert what differences or 
5574similarities she sees between gay rights and ‘sex worker rights’. Chateauvert 
5575explained it in terms of what she perceives as an ‘imposition’ of identities by 
5576the oppressors. ‘Prior to the end of the 19th century these were acts that people 
5577committed – they committed sodomy or they committed whoring – but these 
5578weren’t identities’, said Chateauvert. ‘More to the point, these weren’t 
5579identities that emerged from the people themselves. These were identities that 
5580were imposed upon them from without.’ 
5581
5582Not everyone in the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ movement’ has such a rosy 
5583picture of the LGBT movement and the collaboration between the two. 
5584
5585In Stockholm, Sweden , I was invited to lunch at the home of PetraÖstergren, who is passionately opposed to the law targeting sex buyers .
5586Östergren had also invited Carina, an active member of the Rose Alliance who 
5587was curious to meet me. Knowing I was an abolitionist, and that I supported 
5588the law in Sweden criminalising demand, Carina had chosen not to Google me. 
5589‘I wanted to meet you with an open mind’, she said. 
5590
5591Carina was indeed open, warm and not even slightly defensive. Over lunch 
5592she told me why she thought that the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ movement in 
5593Sweden was being let down by the LGBT movement. ‘I am so pissed off with 
5594the LGBTQI movement in Sweden’, says Carina, going on to explain that she 
5595feels the ‘sex workers’ rights’ movement is treated like a poor relative 
5596compared to the queer community. 
5597
5598
5599‘We need to have a better relationship with the gay movement than we have 
5600today because it would strengthen both groups.’
5601
5602Östergren also conflates prostitution and sexual identity. ‘I think when 
5603anything that concerns sex, like non-normative sexual practices, like being gay 
5604or a lesbian, will always carry some kind of stigma as long as it’s not part of 
5605the sexual norms in a society’, she says.
5606
5607I tell Östergren that I do not believe prostitution to be a sexual identity. 
5608‘No, but it’s a sexual practice’, she says. ‘I don’t think it’s a sexual practice in 
5609the understanding that if I sell sex it would be my sexuality, but it is surely a 
5610sexual act in some ways either by voice or by actions. I’m not talking about 
5611sexual pleasure but sex acts in practice.’ 
5612
5613Regardless, accepting prostitution as a ‘sexuality’ brings us full circle 
5614because it is a ‘sexuality’ exclusive to men: men who buy sex . Despite the best 
5615derailing efforts of the sex trade alleging ‘women do it, too’, the fact remains 
5616that in the history of human civilisation there has never been a brothel built for 
5617women to abuse men and boys, and other women and girls, drawn from the 
5618world’s most desperately poor and vulnerable. Women who reportedly buy sex 
5619are the exception proving the rule. 
5620
5621In the report of their study ‘Statistics on Sex Work in the UK’, outlined in 
5622Chap. 2, authors Nicola Smith and Sarah Kingston seem to be suggesting that 
5623those who support the Nordic Model are ‘heterosexist’, thereby effectively 
5624spinning buying sex as an ‘equalities issue’. 
5625
5626‘As we write, our overarching aim is to support the development of 
5627political discourse and policy practice that move beyond simplistic 
5628ideological assertions and that instead recognise and respond to the complex 
5629reality of the sex trade today’, claim Smith and Kingston. ‘We do indeed 
5630believe that calls to criminalise the purchase of sexual services are predicated 
5631on (hetero)sexist stereotypes that erase LGBT/Q identities and practices, as 
5632well as women who pay for sex.’ 
5633
5634The idea is that fighting to abolish the sex trade—and with it the ideas and 
5635practices grounded in male power and supremacy, as well as sexual abuse and 
5636torture—is beyond comprehension. In the next and final chapter you will hear 
5637from the survivors of prostitution, those who have lived and breathed, and 
5638finally escaped, this trade in female subordination. 
5639
5640Footnotes 
5641
5642
5643
56441 
5645de Castella, T.; Heyden, T. (2014, Feb 27.) How did the pro-paedophile group PIE exist openly for 
564610 years? On BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine26352378. 
5647
5648
56492 
5650Alberhasky, M. (2014, Sept 9.) Queer theory. On youtube.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
5651www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVxV1N0MfqM Matthew Alberhasky is an English professor at Des 
5652Moines Area Community College Urban located in Des Moines, Iowa. 
5653
56543 
5655Jeffries, S. (2002.) Unpacking queer politics. London: Polity Press. 
5656
56574 
5658James, B. (1997, Nov 8.) Queer, really queer. In Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 
5659
56605 
5661http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26352378. 
5662
56636 
5664http://theconversation.com/campaigners-for-sex-workers-face-bullying-and-bad-data-21549. 
5665
56667 
5667Elrond Middle England. (2009, Jan 22.) Sex workers campaign in parliament. Retrieved 15 June 
56682017, from Web Cache http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uVkjYy48oPkJ: 
5669elrondmiddleeng.selectwebsitedesign.com/2009/01/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk. 
5670
56718 
5672Grew, T. (2008, Jul 11.) Celebs split over trans protests at Stonewall awards. On Pink News. 
5673Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2008/11/07/celebs-split-over-trans-protestsat-
5674stonewall-awards/. 
5675
56769 
5677Bindel, J. (2004, Jan 31.) Gender benders, beware. In The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
5678https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/31/gender.weekend7. 
5679
568010 The acronym stands for: lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, asexual/agenda/aromantic + other 
5681diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. 
5682
5683
568411 LGBT Labour. (2015.) AGM 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.lgbtlabour.org.uk/ 
5685agm2015/. 
5686
568712 Noble, S. (2014, Nov 3.) Opinion: Why Liberal Democrats must oppose any criminalisation of sex 
5688workers. On Liberal Democrat Voice. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.libdemvoice.org/ 
5689opinion-why-liberal-democrats-must-oppose-any-criminalisation-of-sex-workers-43164.html. 
5690
569113 Brown, S. (2014, Oct 5.) My speech to the Liberal Democrat autumn conference 2014, on sex 
5692work and the Nordic model. On sarahlizzy.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.sarahlizzy. 
5693com/blog/?p=260. 
5694
569514 Mock, J. (2014.) Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much 
5696More. US: Atria Books. 
5697
569815 Mock, J. (2014, Jan 30.) Janet Mock on sex work and redefining realness. On youtube.com. 
5699Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd55yq4LMC8. 
5700
570116 Mock, J. (2014, Jan 30.) My experiences as a young trans woman engaged in survival sex work. 
5702On janetmock.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://janetmock.com/2014/01/30/janet-mock-sexwork-
5703experiences/. 
5704
570517 Mock, J. (2014, Jan 30.) My experiences as a young trans woman engaged in survival sex work. 
5706On janetmock.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://janetmock.com/2014/01/30/janet-mock-sexwork-
5707experiences/. 
5708
570918 Mock, J. (2014, Jan 30.) My experiences as a young trans woman engaged in survival sex work. 
5710On janetmock.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://janetmock.com/2014/01/30/janet-mock-sexwork-
5711experiences/. 
5712
5713
571419 Raymond, J. (1979.) The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male. London: Beacon Press. 
5715
571620 Henriksen, S. (2017, Jan 9.) Vil Ikke La Seg Kneble. On Klasse Kampen. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
5717from http://www.klassekampen.no/article/20170109/ARTICLE/170109956. 
5718
571921 Formerly Norwegian National Association for Lesbian and Gay Liberation. 
5720
572122 http://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/delegate_pack_2015webam.pdf. 
5722
572323 NSWP. (2017.) Regional updates: Europe. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.nswp.org/fr/ 
5724members/europe/pion-sex-workers-interest-organisation-norway. 
5725
572624 Porter, T. (2015, Dec 2.) US marine drowned prostitute in toilet after finding ‘man not a woman 
5727giving him oral sex’. In International Business Times. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www. 
5728ibtimes.co.uk/philippines-us-marine-drowned-prostitute-toilet-after-finding-man-not-woman-giving-himoral-
57291531278. 
5730
573125 Prostpol Vienna Conference. (2015.) Book of Abstracts. 
5732
573326 Farsnworth, S. (2016, Apr 14.) Why LGBT and sex worker rights go hand-in-hand. On Huffington 
5734Post. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-farnsworth/why-lgbt-andsex-
5735worker-rights-go-hand-in-hand_b_9367888.html. 
5736
573727 Ekman, K. (2013.) Being and being bought: Prostitution, surrogacy and the split self. Melbourne: 
5738Spinifex Press. 
5739
574028 Bindel, J. (2014, Jul 2.) Viewpoint: Should gay men and lesbians be bracketed together? On BBC 
5741News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28130472. 
5742
5743
574429 Mai, N. (2011) ‘Tampering with the Sex of “Angels”: Migrant Male Minors and Young Adults Selling 
5745Sex in the EU’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37(8): 1237–1252. 
5746
574730 Ellison, G. (2017.) Drifters, party boys and incumbents: The life patterns of male street-based sex 
5748workers. In Sociology. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://pure.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/100681556/Ellison_ 
5749ARTC_172.pdf. 
5750
575131 Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. Vol. 37, No. 8, September 2011, pp. 1237–1252. 
5752
575332 Peter Tatchell Foundation. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/. 
5754
575533 http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/age_of_consent/14-gay-boyfriend.htm. 
5756
575734 Tatchell, P. (1997, Aug 15.) I’m 14, I’m gay and I want a boyfriend. On petertatchell.net. 
5758Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article72310.ece. 
5759
576035 Tatchell, P. (2010, Sept 23.) An age of consent of 14? On petertatchell.net. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
5761from http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/age_of_consent/an-age-of-consent-of-14.htm. 
5762
576336 Cox, L. (2012, Feb 22.) Crackdown urged on sex trade. On Canberra Times. Retrieved 15 June 
57642017, from http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/crackdown-urged-on-sex-trade-201202231tqu8.
5765html. 
5766
576737 Wells, J. (2013, Dec 16.) Sydney brothel madam Jennifer Weatherstone given suspended sentence 
5768over 14yo prostitute. On ABC News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/ 
57692013-12-16/madam-given-suspended-sentence-for-prostituting-14yo/5159418. 
5770
577138 Hunt, E. (2009, Feb 2.) Brothel manager convicted after girl, 14, worked as prostitute. In Herald 
5772Sun. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/madam-convicted-over14yo-
5773prostitute/news-story/9c777e9ce58d5062e17269cbc5e0cc4d. 
5774
5775
577639 http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/bondi-man-made-teen-prostitute-web-profile/newsstory/
5777914a8045221e6497ac5a4a0742472ae8. 
5778
577940 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tasmanian-man-prostituted-12-year-old-and-shared-proceeds-withmother/
5780news-story/80695d05fa187178ae3d135856a6d202. 
5781
578241 Faruqi, M.; Shoebridge, D. (2015, Aug 15.) Submission to the committee on the regulation of 
5783brothels. On davidshoebridge.org.au. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://davidshoebridge.org.au/ 
5784wp-content/uploads/2011/08/150821-Greens-NSW-Submission-to-Brothel-Regulation-Inquiry.pdf. 
5785
578642 Lees, P.; Tatchell, P.; et al. (2016, Sept 5.) Should Keith Vaz step down as Home Affairs Committee 
5787chair? On The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ 
57882016/sep/05/keith-vaz-home-affairs-committee-chair-prostitutes-sex-trade. 
5789
579043 Lees, P.; Tatchell, P.; et al. (2016, Sept 5.) Should Keith Vaz step down as Home Affairs Committee 
5791chair? On The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ 
57922016/sep/05/keith-vaz-home-affairs-committee-chair-prostitutes-sex-trade. 
5793
579444 Duffy, N. (2016, Sept 12.) Labour MP Keith Vaz ‘was suicidal’ after tabloid outed him in rent boy 
5795scandal. In Pink News. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/09/12/labourmp-
5796keith-vaz-was-suicidal-after-tabloid-outed-him-in-rent-boy-scandal/. 
5797
579845 Bindel, J. (2014). Straight expectations: What does it mean to be gay today? London: Guardian 
5799Books. 
5800
580146 Carter, D. (2004.) Stonewall: The riots that sparked the gay revolution. London: St. Martin’s. 
5802
580347 Chateauvert, M. (2009.) Speaking about the unspoken: A conference for scholars on leather and 
5804fetish history. 13, https://mmchateauvert.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/chateauvert-vita-september
5805
5806
5807
58082015.pdf. Accessed 28th August 2017 
5809
581048 Q, Siouxsie. (2017.) The Whorecast. On itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://itunes. 
5811apple.com/gb/podcast/the-whorecast/id955261410?mt=2. It is episode 77, 5 may 2014. 
5812
5813
5814© The Author(s) 2017 
5815Julie Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55890-9_11 
5816
5817
581811. Surviving the Sex Trade 
5819Julie Bindel1 
5820
5821
5822(1) London, UK 
5823Julie Bindel 
5824Email: juliebindel@yahoo.co.uk 
5825Virginity was taken from me before I knew it was something someone 
5826could take. Before I knew it was something I’m supposed to care about. 
5827You can’t care about something before you ever had it. By the time you 
5828know what it is to care about, you don’t have it any more. (Haley, sex 
5829trade survivor, Minnesota, 2015 ) 
5830
5831I got raped every week, every day – I was incontinent. I would do blow 
5832jobs in just the state I was in. They would see the state I was in and come 
5833and get me and rape me. I couldn’t remember who I was. I didn’t know 
5834who this guy was who raped me yesterday and would rape me again 
5835today. (Lorraine, sex trade survivor, Montreal, 2015) 
5836
5837
5838Introduction 
5839
5840Who are the feminists and human rights activists who seek to abolish the global 
5841sex trade? What motivates them? Why do they prioritise prostitution over other 
5842forms of male violence? Are they ‘prudes’ and ‘man-hating’, as the pro-
5843prostitution activists claim, or progressives seeking to create a world free of 
5844exploitation and abuse? 
5845
5846During the course of almost 2 years, I spoke to more than 50 survivors 
5847(including two men) of the sex trade. To meet them, I travelled to 35 countries, 
5848states, cities, towns and villages across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and 
5849North America. These women had been prostituted under regulation, 
5850decriminalisation and legalisation. All are committed to dispelling the myths 
5851that support the sex trade industry. 
5852
5853The women are from a wide range of backgrounds. Some were pimped by 
5854male relatives, others began selling sex to feed their children. Two of the 
5855women I interviewed had ended their time in prostitution as pimps. Both were 
5856honest enough to tell me that they had turned to selling other women to avoid 
5857being sold themselves. I met mothers who sold sex to feed their children and 
5858protect themselves from domestic violence, only to have their children 
5859removed by social services because of their chaotic existences shaped by 
5860pimps and drug dealers. 
5861
5862I met Haley, who had been sexually abused by men as a child, and who told 
5863me that she experienced prostitution as a continuation of that abuse. There 
5864were several women with similar experiences, and all of them said that at one 
5865stage of their involvement in the sex trade they would have argued that ‘sex 
5866work’ was a way to take back control of their bodies and/or lives. 
5867
5868I travelled with Rachel Moran to a number of countries to attend seminars, 
5869conferences and training sessions on prostitution and the sex trade. I spent time 
5870with the survivors in those countries, hearing them speak publicly, 
5871interviewing them face-to-face, and learning about their individual stories and 
5872how they had come to feminist activism. 
5873
5874I was introduced to middle-class women in Europe and North America 
5875who had been targeted by pimps when particularly vulnerable. In the USA, 
5876African-American women spoke of the inherent racism in the sex trade, and in 
5877Canada and Australia , Indigenous survivors spoke of the sex trade as part of 
5878their colonialist history and experience. 
5879
5880
5881All of the women I spoke to saw themselves as part of a global movement 
5882for change. Some of the survivors now spend their lives supporting girls and 
5883women to leave prostitution, while others take to the very streets on which they 
5884were prostituted with placards and loudhailers, hoping to change complacent 
5885minds and build a stronger abolitionist movement. On occasion I would meet a 
5886survivor in a sharp suit, coming out of a meeting with politicians or delivering 
5887training sessions for police officers and social workers. 
5888
5889Sometimes the survivors I met had been almost, but not quite, destroyed. 
5890These women were held together by the politics of feminism and the strength of 
5891hope. Unlike the pro-prostitution position of inevitability (best illustrated in 
5892the irritating mantra: ‘Prostitution has always been here and always will be’), 
5893the abolitionist movement provided a basis for revolution. ‘We are here for 
5894one reason and one reason only’, said Moran on receiving the Emma 
5895Humphreys Memorial Prize in 2014, ‘to end the international sex trade.’ 
5896
5897In previous chapters, we have heard from ‘sex workers’ rights’ lobbyists , 
5898AIDS activists , human rights campaigners, academics , the ‘sexual outlaws’, 
5899the punters, the general public and industry spokespeople. Their views are 
5900well documented throughout this book and, in the main, their voices are far 
5901louder and have been afforded more legitimacy than those who are the real 
5902experts: the survivors. 
5903
5904Why are they the experts? Many of the survivors I have interviewed for this 
5905book tell me they would have argued for the ‘rights’ of women to sell sex 
5906during the time they were involved in prostitution. They have all encountered 
5907hundreds, if not thousands, of sex buyers and were, during their time in 
5908prostitution, faced with the stark reality of the trade. 
5909
5910These voices are routinely dismissed, invalidated and often silenced 
5911altogether. Their experiences defy the libertarian and self-serving propaganda 
5912put forward by sex trade apologists. 
5913
5914
5915Archetypes 
5916
5917I meet Ana (not her real name) in Amsterdam . Ana was prostituted as a young 
5918woman in the Netherlands before she managed to exit in 2011. Ana is friendly, 
5919talkative and very passionate about her radical feminist politics. Ana had put 
5920together her thoughts on what she calls ‘archetypes’ in the so-called ‘sex 
5921worker’s rights’movement. Ana’s descriptions ofthese archetypes reflectthe 
5922views of many of the survivors interviewed for this book. 
5923
5924The Profiteer 
5925
5926They are the brothel owners, pimps, lady pimps (my word for ‘madams’, 
5927which sounds way too classy), escort agencies, ethically corrupt officials 
5928and leeching ‘boyfriends’ that make good money from sexual exploitation. 
5929It’s obvious what their stake is in a flourishing sex industry. These people 
5930(with the exception of the women) tend to hide behind screens, as they 
5931know how it would look if they speak out in public. 
5932
5933The Payroll Lobbyist 
5934
5935Probably one of my favourite assholes in the lobby because they are 
5936sinister as fuck. When people hear the word ‘payroll lobbyist’, they think 
5937of Mafia movies, suitcases full of money and ‘offers you cannot refuse’. 
5938Reality is a bit different, because that’s not how this works. Lobbyists 
5939often aren’t literally bought, but they get financial support for a job they 
5940were already doing or something they already were sympathetic about. 
5941Payroll lobbyists are often researchers, anthropologists, sexologists, 
5942sexual health educators, journalists, politicians or other professionals. 
5943
5944The ‘Sex Worker’ 
5945
5946During many dark periods in human history, oppressed people have often 
5947been set up against one another to oppress their peers for favours from the 
5948oppressor. Prostituted persons are no different. The ‘sex workers’ rights ’ 
5949movement’ is a euphemism but there is a core of truth to it: there is some 
5950unity among the Uncle Toms of the sex industry to get the most out of what 
5951theydo. Manyofthemworkinthe relatively‘softer’(take this word with 
5952
5953
5954a grain of salt) sectors of the sex industry: they are strippers, camgirls, 
5955phone sex operators or dominatrixes. 
5956
5957The John 
5958
5959There is some overlap between the payroll lobbyist and this group, 
5960because many johns are powerful men in powerful professions who 
5961would love to keep indulging their sexual appetite. Not much has to be 
5962said about this type of person: they may hide that they’re johns, but it’s 
5963clear why they propagate an unrestricted sex industry. 
5964
5965The Sex Positivist 
5966
5967Ah, the sex positive movement, not really lobbyists but definitely worth 
5968mentioning. They are the happy consumers of sexually violent porn and 
5969without their addicted brains what would the sex industry be? These folks 
5970are all too glad to break their keyboards by going online defending 
5971commercial sexual exploitation for the sake of their boners. Of course this 
5972dynamic is fiercely debated among feminists and I’m one of those people 
5973who acknowledges that liberal women have been pressured and 
5974manipulated into ‘sex positivity’ since their teens. Some of these women 
5975are victims themselves but too stuck to do anything. Changing your mind 
5976about sexual violence is nothing to be ashamed of. 
5977
5978
5979Routes into the Sex Trade 
5980
5981People who believe in the abolition of sex work see no distinction 
5982
5983between trafficking and sex work voluntarily. They think that basically 
5984
5985that people who do it are still in a bigger system of power that obliterates 
5986
5987their agency . (Nicola Mai 2016) 
5988
5989Huschke Mau was raised in a violent household in Germany and was 
5990sexually abused by her stepfather when she was a child. She ran away from 
5991home when she was 17. At that time, Mau had eating disorders, was drug 
5992addicted, had severe financial problems and psychological trauma. 
5993
5994‘When men spoke to me on the streets, I said, ‘You can get involved with 
5995me but it costs money’. Some found that OK’, says Mau. ‘I moved to the next 
5996town when I was 19 and I started to study at the university but I had problems 
5997getting my life together. Then I met a policeman who was very fucked up. He 
5998was doing drugs and going to prostitutes himself and he helped me to go into a 
5999brothel.’ 
6000
6001Trisha Baptie is a First Nations Canadian survivor. Baptie covered the 
6002Robert Pickton trial (a serial killer of prostituted women, mainly Indigenous 
6003and from the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver1) as a citizen journalist using 
6004her intimate knowledge of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and her 
6005perspective as a friend to his victims. For this coverage she won the Courage 
6006to Come Back award. 
6007
6008‘I come from a pretty middle class background. My dad came from a 
6009country that was exceptionally unkind to him because of the colour of his skin; 
6010he’s coloured and from Johannesburg. He beat my mum so we spent a lot of 
6011time in transition homes. Just before my 12th or 13th birthday, I turned my first 
6012trick, because once you’re in the care of the State it just seems to be a natural 
6013progression. For the next 15 years I was involved in prostitution mostly in the 
6014notorious Downtown East Side.’ 
6015
6016Ne’Cole Daniels is the Founder/Director of Survivors on the Move , and a 
6017member of SPACE International. Daniels, who is African-American, focuses 
6018on the abolitionist movement on marginalised communities affected by 
6019prostitution. As with many of the survivors I met and interviewed, her route 
6020into prostitution was sexual abuse experienced during childhood. 
6021
6022
6023Fromages 7–11 Iwas sexuallyabused bymygrandmother’s boyfriend. At 
6024that time it made me very hypersexual. From being violated, from it being 
6025taken from me, from me not being able to give myself to my husband or 
6026just on my own terms. [The abusers] were older men and so I decided that 
6027I’m going to control my vagina – I’m going to say who can enter and who 
6028can’t. Or so I thought. 
6029
6030By the age of 14 I was dating a 30-year old. I thought that I was a bad 
6031ass 14-year old, that I can attract these older gentlemen and I can get them 
6032to take care of me because I’m all that … bullshit! 
6033
6034At 15 I went to live with my mum and my dad had to pay rent for me 
6035to live with her. My mum was an alcoholic. I looked like a bum, I had no 
6036lunch money, I had nothing. She was raising her girlfriend’s kids and her 
6037daughter said to me, ‘You’re never going to get shit, we’re not going to do 
6038anything for you, let me tell you how to get this money’. 
6039
6040We’re in San Jose at the time and she took me down to a place called 
6041Ellen Rock. There were a lot of Hispanics on that block and I remember 
6042turning my first ‘date’. I felt disgusting. I thought I would feel better 
6043because I was getting paid for something that was being taken away from 
6044me, but I felt utterly disgusting. But it was quick and it was easy. So I 
6045started using my body as a tool. 
6046
6047
6048Routes into the Survivor Movement 
6049
6050In recent years the survivor movement in Europe has grown via blogging. 
6051Dublin Call Girl’s (DCG) blog was headed ‘secretdiaryofadublincallgirl : 
6052definitely not Belle du Jour’. ‘I named [the blog] after Belle Du Jour’s “secret 
6053diary”’,2 DCG told me, ‘to contrast between the actual reality of an 
6054independent escort and her bullshit. I wanted to create an antidote to her, 
6055especially as young girls were using her as a good role model and a reason to 
6056give prostitution a shot. And the fact she takes no responsibility for that angers 
6057me more than I can articulate’. 
6058
6059When feminist abolitionists noticed the blog The Prostitution Experience 
6060by Moran , a survivor who exited the sex trade in 1998, there was a flurry of 
6061excitement. The Belle de Jour blog about the glamour of the sex trade had set 
6062the scene, promoting prostitution as fun and harmless. Moran’s blog was a 
6063direct contradiction and, like DCG’s blog, it came out of Ireland at that same 
6064time in the spring of 2012. 
6065
6066Moran blogged: 
6067
6068I first came across Dublin Call Girl’s blog in January [2012] ‘I came 
6069across it because, in the aftermath of completing my book Paid For,I 
6070didn’t know how to disengage from the subject. Also, in a climate where 
6071prostitution was heating up as a political issue, I didn’t want to. I was 
6072directed to a group-blog called Survivors’ Connect Network , and what I 
6073found there were links to the writings of prostitution survivors from all 
6074over the world. DCG’s blog was among them. 
6075
6076In early 2012, my book was completed and looking for a home, but I 
6077didn’t know how long that would take because the issue of prostitution 
6078was suddenly politically topical in Ireland. I intended to go public with 
6079my identity when the book came out, but until then I wanted to keep it to 
6080myself for my son’s sake. It was suggested that I write an anonymous blog, 
6081but I didn’t want strangers commenting on what I’d written and 
6082communicating with me. It seemed the only way to input into the public 
6083debate though, so I began blogging. I later came to find my posts were 
6084shared among some of the most prominent abolitionist feminists in the 
6085world. That was hugely encouraging. 
6086
6087
6088The first political meeting about prostitution Moran attended, a year before 
6089she’d begun blogging, was the launch of the campaign Turn off the Red Light . 
6090‘So I’m sitting there and everyone was talking and it had gone on for about 
609190 min or more and I just knew I had to stand up and say something’, says 
6092Moran. ‘It was terrifying because it was a very large room and the place was 
6093jammed.’ 
6094
6095‘People were standing at the back and spilling out down the hallway, and 
6096half a dozen heads would turn to look at whoever was talking. When I stood up 
6097and said, “My name is Rachel and I was in prostitution for 7 years”, every 
6098bloody head in the room turned. It was shocking. I only spoke for 2 or 
60993 minutes, but I wrapped it up by saying that people needed to get real about 
6100what prostitution is, and that it’s the commercialisation of sexual abuse. I used 
6101that then as the strap line of the blog I went on to write because that’s exactly 
6102what it is and that’s why it needs to stop.’ 
6103
6104Moran’s blog was only live for 1 year, folding as her book was published. 
6105SPACE International (Survivors of Prostitution Abuse Calling for 
6106Enlightenment International) was launched the day Paid For was published 
6107and was advertised on the last page of the book. The combination of the 
6108publication of a book on the realities of the sex trade, and the launch of SPACE 
6109International, was explosive. Not only did Moran refuse to use a pseudonym, 
6110but she also accepted invitations to appear on mainstream Irish TV networks 
6111and gave numerous interviews to the national press. 
6112
6113The fact that the blog, book and SPACE, founded by Moran and four other 
6114Irish survivors, came to fruition in the Republic of Ireland meant maximum 
6115coverage. Never before had a sex trade survivor spoken out about against 
6116prostitution in this highly public way in Ireland. 
6117
6118
6119Male Survivors 
6120
6121In Chap. 10 we saw how sexual abuse of young men who either identify at the 
6122time as gay, or who go on to be gay, is twisted into some kind of sexually 
6123liberating experience, at least in the minds of the queer-identified ‘sex 
6124workers’ rights’ lobbyists. I’ve spoken to a number of male survivors of the sex 
6125trade in the past and interviewed two male survivors for this book. 
6126
6127I met Chris during a trip to Los Angeles where I was attending the annual 
6128porn awards in 2015.3 We spent a couple of hours sitting in a café in 
6129Hollywood, talking about Mafia involvement in the sex trade and the rise of the 
6130sex trade survivor movement. Chris was born into a family with connections to 
6131the mob. From an early age he was sexually exploited and abused by powerful 
6132men. In his teenage years he met a pimp and was sold for sex for 6 years 
6133before managing to escape. 
6134
6135Unlike the majority of the European survivors I met who had been 
6136prostituted domestically, Chris describes himself as a trafficking victim. Such 
6137terminology can be a bone of contention within the abolitionist movement. 
6138While there are those, like Chris, who argue all prostitution is trafficking, and 
6139believe that this is a more authentic description of their experience, others, like 
6140Moran , say that trafficking language can detract from the day-to-day reality of 
6141prostitution. In other words, all prostitution is a terrible human rights violation, 
6142and it is not necessary to use a word that merely describes a process rather 
6143than the experience. 
6144
6145‘Part of my story isn’t considered a trafficking thing because I had the 
6146money’, says Nicholas. ‘All of my mental life was controlled. I had to 
6147practically check in with the pimp. I had money but it came with a terrible cost. 
6148I couldn’t go out to the pub without telling somebody where I was going. I was 
6149controlled. I was keeping a lot of people out of prison. My ex-pimp is now in 
6150jail on a murder charge.’ 
6151
6152Artem is a male survivor based in Moscow . We spoke over Skype with 
6153the help of Anna Zobnina , a feminist campaigner and Russian speaker. This 
6154method was necessary as I had been refused a visa to travel to Russia because 
6155of my outspoken views on Putin and his policies on LGBT issues. 
6156
6157I asked Artem what he knew about prostituted young men in his own 
6158country, and whether he considered his experience of the sex trade to be 
6159typical. ‘Gay men who are in this industry have the most difficult and tragic 
6160
6161
6162stories. There are those who did not even have a hint of a choice in their 
6163lives’, says Artem. ‘They were most often homeless young men, those arriving 
6164from other areas, although some had been groomed and sexual abuse had 
6165happened in their lives prior to entering the sex trade. In this sense these 
6166factors are very similar to those that we know about the young women who 
6167enter the industry. However even for the most oppressed representatives of 
6168male prostitution there does not exist the double stigma that women face, which 
6169is about misogyny.’ 
6170
6171I asked Artem about the most effective way to get survivor voices included 
6172in the debate within Russia , particularly in the light of Silver Rose being such 
6173a dominant force. ‘The most important and successful way to educate people 
6174about prostitution would be for the people who have had direct experience in 
6175prostitution to speak out and share the truth about it,’ said Artem . ‘Not just by 
6176building political or rational arguments around it, but by appealing to a sense 
6177of empathy or perhaps even compassion.’ 
6178
6179
6180From ‘Sex Worker’ to Survivor? 
6181
6182I do think our views are legitimised by the fact we no longer have any 
6183emotional need to defend the industry. I had a lot of cognitive dissonance 
6184when I was in the business. (Rae Story, 2015 ) 
6185
6186I had to tell myself lots of things, lots of lies, in order to keep my brain 
6187from splitting into a million pieces and me going crazy with the continual 
6188abuse that was happening over and over and over, and the violence and 
6189everything else that goes along with prostitution. My hope is that [pro-
6190prostitution lobbyists ] will come over to the other side, but in the 
6191meantime we have to hold our position strong as abolitionists . (Autumn 
6192Burris , 2015) 
6193
6194Marian Hatcher is the Chicago representative of SPACE International, and 
6195works for Cook County Sheriff’s Office as the Human Trafficking Coordinator 
6196in the USA. Along with her two colleagues in the department, Hatcher is one of 
6197only three sex trade survivors to work with law enforcement. She explains: 
6198
6199The derogatoryreferences to ‘sexwork’or ‘sexworker’implya chosen 
6200way of meeting your basic needs: an occupation. In reality, it is not a 
6201chosen path to gaining economic security. It is forced servitude, most 
6202often by an opportunistic male such as a pimp or trafficker and in other 
6203instances an undesirable choice for basic survival. Fuelled by the johns 
6204who consume it, the sex trade is not a noble place in society; it is a human 
6205rights violation that perpetuates slavery. It is a travesty to coin a phrase 
6206that diminishes the harm and attempts to normalise it. 
6207
6208Sabrinna Valisce recalls the moment when she realised that fighting for so-
6209called ‘sex workers’ rights ’, in the way the New Zealand Prostitute Collective 
6210(NZPC) did, was never going to be effective in removing the abuse and 
6211exploitation from the industry: 
6212
6213One of my jobs at NZPC was to find all of the media clippings. There 
6214was one thing I read,’ says Valisce . ‘It was somebody talking about being 
6215in tears and not knowing why, and not being able to contextualise it, and it 
6216wasn’t until they were out [of the sex trade] that they understood what 
6217
6218
6219those feelings were. I had been through that for years [thinking], ‘I don’t 
6220know what’s going on, why am I feeling like this?’, and realised when I 
6221read that, ‘Oh God, that’s me’. So as I started coming across other 
6222articles, I started actually reading them for the first time. 
6223
6224For Valisce , there was no turning back. Once she had allowed herself to 
6225admit the horrors of prostitution and its effects on her, she began to make sense 
6226of how damaging the sex trade is for women. It also made her realise why she 
6227had felt so many emotions during her time in prostitution that she was unable to 
6228make sense of at the time. 
6229
6230
6231Bullying Survivors 
6232
6233I have walked through picket lines with survivors of the sex trade and heard 
6234some activists from the pro-prostitution lobby shout and hurl insults at the 
6235women who are campaigning to stop the abuse of prostitution. I know from my 
6236own personal experience as an abolitionist how hostile some members of this 
6237lobby can be, and realise how much worse it must feel for the women who’ve 
6238had to endure prostitution to be further vilified by those wishing to normalise 
6239and legalise it. 
6240
6241In 2015, I was invited by the Guardian 
6242newspaper to chair a Q&A 
6243following a screening of the film Dreamcatcher,4 a documentary directed by 
6244Kim Longinotto focusing on Brenda Myers-Powell, a survivor of the sex trade 
6245who now runs Dreamcatcher Foundation, a charity which helps women in 
6246Chicago leave prostitution. Days before the event was due to happen, I 
6247received an email from the Guardian 
6248telling me that, regrettably, they had to 
6249ask me not to moderate the event. Apparently, the film’s director and 
6250distributors had received multiple angry emails and telephone calls from the 
6251pro-prostitution lobby complaining that it was inappropriate to ask me to take 
6252part in this event, and saying that my position on the sex trade put women in 
6253danger. There were several hostile and aggressive threats that the event would 
6254be disrupted. The director and her producer were understandably worried 
6255about the event becoming a controversy about me and my views rather than 
6256about the film. 
6257
6258The fact that the Dreamcatcher Foundation is not a pro-prostitution 
6259organisation but one that helps women leave the sex trade seemed to go over 
6260the heads of those who achieved their aim—to get me disinvited from the 
6261event. There were several women in the audience who were prostitution 
6262survivors themselves. Apparently none of the pro-prostitution lobby turned up. 
6263They simply wanted to disrupt the event and to ensure there was a cloud over 
6264it. Not once in all my years as a feminist campaigner have I ever heard of, been 
6265alerted to or taken part in a picket or demonstration against a pro-prostitution 
6266lobby event. But the ‘sex workers’ rights ’ activists routinely pull stunts like the 
6267one described above, and in particular go after the survivors, who speak the 
6268truth that pro-lobbyists put so much effort into subverting. 
6269
6270A number of the women I interviewed told me horror stories about being 
6271labelled as mentally ill, liars, fraudsters, fantasists and masochists. I have 
6272
6273
6274personally witnessed survivors being vilified this way. One example comes to 
6275mind. As a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper, I pitched the idea 
6276of a profile interview with Moran , pegged to the success of her book and of 
6277her work in the genesis of the survivor movement in the Republic of Ireland. 
6278The section editor I approached replied with a ‘no’ to the piece, saying that 
6279‘there were rumblings about its authenticity in more than a few quarters …’. I 
6280asked from where but she never replied. This incident worried me, as it was 
6281obvious that the lies about Moran and other survivors could do real damage to 
6282the very careers and political work of survivors, as well as cause distress and 
6283torment on a personal level. 
6284
6285Valisce has been vilified, perhaps because of how very well she 
6286understands the way the pro-prostitution lobby operates. After all, Valisce was 
6287involved with the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective as a volunteer for 
628824 years. She campaigned to bring in the new law that decriminalised brothels 
6289and street prostitution, because she genuinely believed that it would be better 
6290for the women and afford them more freedom. Because the pro-prostitution 
6291lobby relies on misinformation, mythology and plain old public relations, it is 
6292particularly galling to them when one of their own crosses over to the other 
6293side. 
6294
6295I have met several women who were involved in ‘sex workers’ rights ’ 
6296who later realised that it was all a sham. Cherie Jimenez is one such woman, 
6297from Boston and a US representative of SPACE International: 
6298
6299I had a couple of people come to me, such as Karen . I remember getting 
6300
6301into an argument. I can’t take that shit. [Karen] came [to Boston] because 
6302
6303of the Demand initiative and was causing a lot of disturbance. She was 
6304
6305writing an article, and two days in a row she harassed me to speak to her. 
6306
6307She’s from New York, which has a strong sex workers’ movement and the 
6308
6309same with San Francisco. It’s hard for people because I do have that 
6310
6311history. I say – I was one, take that shit somewhere else. 
6312
6313Valisce tells me about an event she was speaking at in Townsville at the 
6314Prostitution Narratives book launch when Elena Jeffreys , president of the 
6315Scarlet Alliance (the Australian pro-prostitution lobby group), made every 
6316attempt she could to silence her. ‘She stood on a chair, towering over an 
6317audience who wanted to hear me; booing, interrupting and bellowing,’ recalls 
6318Valisce. ‘I didn’t feel anger or even annoyance. I strangely identified with her. 
6319
6320
6321[I thought] she’s scared. I can see it because I’ve felt that same defensiveness. 
6322“Don’t take my livelihood. I’ve got nothing else. I’ve got nowhere else to turn 
6323to.” I looked at her and smiled, nodded and said, “I understand”. It wasn’t a 
6324designed response. It was instinct.’ 
6325
6326Valisce then invited Jeffreys and the other pro-prostitution women 
6327accompanying her to have a chat after the event: 
6328
6329One approached me and we had a very good conversation. Three others 
6330physically circled me. It was a bizarre feeling. They quite literally 
6331walked around one way, then the other, approximately four or five feet 
6332away. Then they approached and it was yelling all at once, voices 
6333drowning each other out. 
6334
6335The woman I was talking with actually came to my aid telling them to 
6336calm down and just talk. The conversation improved immensely. Elena 
6337avoided me. I approached her and she actually high-tailed it away from 
6338me. I think that’s what shocked me. They live permanently on the 
6339defensive, but they can’t take understanding with disagreement of the 
6340solutions to the problems. This certainly wasn’t the only incidence of 
6341bullying, nor even close to the worst. It was the moment I realised how on 
6342edge I’d lived for so long and how little I missed the life. 
6343
6344Mau has also been bullied by the pro-lobbyists and accused of having 
6345made up her entire story about being a sex trade survivor. ‘The lobbyists 
6346connected with me on Twitter and tried to make me look crazy. We have a 
6347group of sex workers here in Germany ’, says Mau . ‘They have an Internet 
6348presence where they wrote I was fake. They say this about everybody who 
6349says the truth about prostitution.’ 
6350
6351Soon after the bullying began, Mau realised that many journalists believed 
6352the pro-prostitution lobbyists ’ story that she had constructed her history of 
6353prostitution. 
6354
6355‘The German journalists won’t contact me because they think I’m a fake. If 
6356you search the Internet you get the information that I’m a fake’, says Mau . 
6357‘They sent me emails pretending they are a radio station and want to interview 
6358me, and they hope I will give them my telephone number. I didn’t give it.’ 
6359
6360This pattern repeats itself in the lives of all the publicly visible survivors. 
6361At a Berlin press conference to launch her book, the first question asked of 
6362Moran was: ‘What do you say to those who claim you have made everything 
6363
6364
6365up?’ 
6366
6367‘ Der Spiegel contacted me,’ says Mau, ‘and after interviewing me for an 
6368article about the sex trade, wanted proof that I exist, which is difficult for me 
6369because I couldn’t give my name or my telephone number. It’s very mean what 
6370the lobby does. You cannot prove that you exist and that you’ve been a 
6371prostitute. There is no sheet of paper that says you’re a prostitute.’5 
6372
6373
6374Fighting for the ‘Right’ to Sell Sex 
6375
6376Three pro-prostitution activists, Terri-Jean Bedford (who had previously run 
6377escort agencies), Amy Lebovitch6 and Valerie Scott, took the Canadian 
6378government to court, arguing that its laws on prostitution were unconstitutional. 
6379The three women, all of whom identified as ‘sex workers’, objected to aspects 
6380in the criminal code, including around advertising prostitution services, 
6381operating a brothel and pimping. Prostitution itself is legal in Canada but these 
6382women wished to remove all laws pertaining to the sex trade. 
6383The ruling of the Court of Appeal for Ontario was that certain rulings 
6384would be changed, making it legal to run a brothel. Bridget Perrier and other 
6385survivor activists were at the court, and after the ruling Bedford flicked her 
6386riding crop (Bedford ran a BDSM practice), which delighted the many 
6387journalists who were there to cover the story. Perrier produced a bent coat 
6388hanger, which she called her ‘pimp stick’, telling the journalists that she had 
6389been beaten by her pimp with such an implement every day. 
6390At court with Perrier was her adopted daughter Angel, whose mother had 
6391been murdered by Pickton . Perrier relates: 
6392
6393Terri-Jean was too cowardly to go after me, so instead she went after an 
639418-year-old whose mother had been murdered by a serial killer of 
6395prostituted women’, says Perrier. ‘But I taught my kid well. My kid told 
6396her, ‘Over my mum’s dead body will we agree that legalising prostitution 
6397is good for women’. 
6398
6399Angel said she would lobby to make sure it wouldn’t be legitimised, 
6400and Terri-Jean even went as far as to put her hand on my child. After she 
6401was done chastising my child she went to one of our survivors, a girl who 
6402had been sexually tortured from the age of 11 until 25. She walked up to 
6403her and said, ‘Why are you crying? This is a victorious day for us’. I 
6404remember our girl looking at her, and there was a picture of our girl and 
6405Terri-Jean in the papers, and this survivor put her finger right in TerriJean’s 
6406face and said, ‘Like hell it will!’ 
6407
6408The girls that we work with don’t want to see prostitution legitimised. 
6409They see it as something they didn’t have a choice to do for survival. I’ve 
6410witnessed some really bad antics by the pro-sex lobby, I’ve had one pro 
6411say that if her daughter wanted to be a prostitute she would teach her how 
6412
6413
6414to sell her cunt and make good money. I was so disgusted and I was on 
6415next so I stood up and said ‘If there are any child welfare workers in the 
6416building, please follow her home and take those children because they are 
6417at risk’. 
6418
6419I’ve had the pro-lobby take my children’s pictures from Facebook and 
6420put ‘Bridget’s future hooker’. I’ve had the pro lobby attack me, send me 
6421pictures of little girls having intercourse with grown men. I couldn’t stop 
6422looking at the pictures because the mama in me wanted to climb through 
6423the pictures to rescue the little girls. These are babies, 4-year-olds. 
6424
6425Valisce left prostitution in early 2011 and moved to the Gold Coast from 
6426New Zealand, seeking a new direction in life. She was confused and 
6427depressed, and when her neighbour asked her to perform webcam prostitution 
6428Valisce politely declined. ‘I felt like I had ‘whore’ stamped on my forehead. 
6429How did she know to ask me? I now know being female was the only reason’, 
6430says Valisce. The neighbour asked Valisce again, which made Valisce angry. 
6431Afterwards, the neighbour would shout insults such as ‘The bitch is home’ 
6432whenever she saw her. ‘My final exiting involves multiple stories like this. I 
6433exited first emotionally, then physically and lastly intellectually and 
6434psychologically’, says Valisce. ‘I feel like I’m still exiting because my self-
6435view still battles to be whole.’ 
6436
6437Alice, whom I met at the Oldest Oppression Conference in Melbourne , 
6438was prostituted in Queensland at the age of 22. She told me: 
6439
6440I had never heard of the term ‘gaslighting’ until I went public with my 
6441story about my time as a prostitute.7 Gaslighting is something I have 
6442experienced incessantly throughout my life – beginning with the 
6443perpetrators of the child commercial sexual exploitation that started when 
6444
6445I was 5, right through to adulthood from various other abusers and violent 
6446persons. But never in a million years did I expect to encounter that same 
6447behaviour from people after learning I am a survivor of the sex trade. 
6448
6449The opposition and behaviour exhibited towards me by the pro-sex trade 
6450lobby since going public about having worked in the industry caught even 
6451my pessimistic, catastrophising self completely off guard. I can now say 
6452with complete confidence that the pro-sex industry lobby is a bigger, more 
6453heartless and far crueller beast than even the most insipid of mental 
6454
6455
6456illnesses I have developed as a result of all the trauma I have endured. 
6457
6458Soon after Alice went public with her criticisms of the sex trade and her 
6459personal experiences within it, the pro-prostitution lobby instantly began to 
6460label her a SWERF ,8 claiming that she hated women in prostitution: 
6461
6462The pro-sex trade lobby continually question my background and claim I 
6463am lying about having worked in the sex industry. Those who don’t deem 
6464me a liar say that I am ‘naive’, ‘foolish’ and am ‘being pimped out and 
6465used’ by abolitionists to further their cause. Others have accused me of 
6466making a profit from the publication of my story and say that I am stealing 
6467from survivors and women currently in the industry. 
6468
6469Alice has also been bullied face-to-face by the pro-prostitution lobbyists 
6470when they have turned up at events where she has spoken about her 
6471experiences in the sex trade. ‘I have watched these people (almost exclusively 
6472women) boo, hiss, jeer and yell at other survivors,’ says Alice. ‘I have walked 
6473out of events only to be met by a group of protesters who proceeded to 
6474verbally attack me.’ 
6475
6476Another tactic of the lobby is to deliberately misrepresent the things the 
6477survivors say and post slurs on social media. Alice recalls: 
6478
6479I was once talking to an audience about the way in which the pro-sex 
6480trade lobby will say that people who have not had involvement in the 
6481industry are not permitted to comment or discuss issues pertaining to the 
6482industry. I commented on the ridiculousness of that argument, comparing it 
6483to someone telling you that you are unable to speak out about the 
6484increasing cultivation of palm oil because you are not an orangutan. The 
6485next day, a sex worker union employee who had attended the talk tweeted 
6486to her followers that I had called sex workers orangutans. 
6487
6488
6489Bullying Tactics 
6490
6491I have heard several stories over the years of the sex trade lobby actively 
6492promoting the sex trade public events at which survivors are speaking, and 
6493even of attempting to recruit women back into the industry. 
6494
6495At the World’s Oldest Oppression Conference in Melbourne , Australia , in 
6496April 2016, which I was speaking at, a number of protesters turned up outside 
6497the venue handing out flyers containing propaganda about the sex trade and the 
6498so-called benefits those who choose to become involved in ‘sex work’ would 
6499experience. One protester’s placard read ‘Whybe Poor?’Pro-lobbyists had 
6500attempted to get the conference cancelled before it happened on the grounds 
6501that discussion of the harms of the sex trade, which the lobby claimed were 
6502false, would be dangerous for those women who choose to be in prostitution. 
6503
6504I have also heard stories from survivors about the pro lobby turning up at 
6505abolitionist events and attempting to persuade women who had exited 
6506prostitution to re-enter, using the arguments that the survivors must have had 
6507exceptionally rare, bad experiences of sex buyers and pimps, and that they 
6508should work for one of the ‘good’ brothels. 
6509
6510Alice again: 
6511
6512At one event, not even 10 minutes after speaking about the incredible 
6513trauma the sex industry has left me with, a women came up to me and 
6514started a conversation [in which she] was acknowledging the terrible 
6515working conditions that existed within the brothels of the area that we 
6516were in [a place where prostitution was legalised and regulated]. For her, 
6517terrible working conditions didn’t include abusive clients and employers, 
6518or the rampant drug abuse common as a coping method for the ongoing 
6519trauma. 
6520
6521No, to her, terrible working conditions were comprised of the fact that 
6522because prostitution was legalised within regulated brothels, anyone who 
6523worked there had to hand over a portion of their earnings to their 
6524employers. Incorrectly assuming that was where I had worked within 
6525Australia’s sex industry, this woman assured me that ‘conditions are much 
6526better down in New South Wales and I really encourage you to come 
6527down and give [sex work] another go’. I was completely shocked – had 
6528she not listened to my story 10 minutes earlier? I found out later that the 
6529
6530
6531woman I was talking to had recently left her position as the president of 
6532Australia’s leading sex-worker union – a position she’d held for almost a 
6533decade. 
6534
6535And with the pro-sex trade lobby it’s not even what you do that they 
6536will use as fodder for their gaslighting, even what you don’t do is a big 
6537green light for further attack. You don’t advocate for transgender and male 
6538prostitutes? Congratulations, you are a TERF !9 You don’t discuss the 
6539political arguments of prostitution? Congratulations, you are a super-
6540fundamentalist, ultra-religious abolitionist who disapproves of anything 
6541sexual and simply want to force your moral view upon the rest of the 
6542world! 
6543
6544I have witnessed the abuse and slander towards Moran on more than one 
6545
6546occasion. Moran describes her treatment at the hands of the pro-prostitution 
6547
6548lobby as ‘soul sickening’. When we visited Munich together, where Moran 
6549
6550was launching the German edition of her book, we were told by the local 
6551
6552feminist group hosting one of the events that pro-lobbyists had threatened to 
6553
6554turn up and disrupt the book launch. The same was threatened in other cities, 
6555
6556although the protests failed to materialise. 
6557Moran says: 
6558
6559I’ve seen pro-lobbyists turn up to events with their stupid red umbrellas 
6560and deliver outpourings of hatred into the faces of women who are simply 
6561there to state the pain and harm men did to them in prostitution, and the 
6562most pukesome part of it is that these women will tell you that they are 
6563feminists and say so with a straight face. 
6564
6565As for me, I’ve been slandered and defamed so routinely that it’s just 
6566become part of the landscape of my life. The people actively engaged in 
6567this behaviour describe themselves as ‘sex workers’ rights activists ’. 
6568Most are women and many have never been in prostitution themselves. 
6569
6570I’ve had violent threats direct to my front door. My home has had to 
6571be put on the Pulse System, which means that the Rapid Response Unit 
6572will be dispatched if a 999 call comes in from my home. I’ve had my 
6573bank details, personal email and home address procured and passed 
6574around among pro-lobbyists; my home address was subsequently posted 
6575online. Since they got hold of my email address the harassing emails have 
6576never stopped. Turning on my laptop feels like going into battle and it’s 
6577
6578
6579been years since I felt able to casually open my own front door. 
6580
6581It’s little wonder that younger, more vulnerable women are hounded 
6582out of speaking publicly. It’s a deliberate strategy of the pro-lobbyists of 
6583course, and these young women cannot take the stress. I’m glad I came to 
6584this activism in my mid-30s with over a decade out of prostitution under 
6585my belt. I’ll be hounded out of nothing and I’m well able to handle the 
6586stress. 
6587
6588
6589Racist Stereotyping of Survivors 
6590
6591I meet Cherry Smiley , a First Nations woman, in Montreal, Canada . With her 
6592is Jacqueline , a survivor of the sex trade who is also First Nations. Cherry 
6593and Jacqueline tell me about a particular woman who had been prostituted in 
6594the past and now is a pro-prostitution lobbyist . She claims that abolitionists 
6595such as Cherry and Jacqueline hate women in prostitution and are responsible 
6596for their deaths. Cherry recalls a story when she was speaking on a panel about 
6597the sex trade at an event to which a number of Indigenous women had come, 
6598bearing in mind how relevant this topic is to the lives of Indigenous women. 
6599
6600The women in the audience were asking questions and they were great, 
6601but they were [furious] of course. The organisers were threatening to call 
6602the police on the Aboriginal women in the room because we were too 
6603savage and out of control, and these ‘angry Indians’ are going to storm the 
6604panel. 
6605
6606It’s very particular to Aboriginal women because [we are] painted as 
6607uncontrollable and violent as soon as we express strong views. The only 
6608role we get to play in the prostitution debate is as the missing and 
6609murdered women, the only roles we get to play are victims. That’s what 
6610the media want, that’s what the public want. They don’t want to hear what 
6611we feel or what we think. 
6612
6613They just want us to get up there and either cry our eyes out and have 
6614to open ourselves up and tell the awful stories of our lives, or they want 
6615us to get up there and play our drums and sing our songs and do our 
6616dances. But they don’t want to hear what we think. 
6617
6618A number of the black and Indigenous women I interviewed told me that 
6619they are routinely patronised and belittled by the pro-prostitution lobbyists . It 
6620is interesting, and somewhat contradictory that being against the sex trade is 
6621almost akin to being racist as far as the pro-lobbyists are concerned, and yet 
6622the very women who are speaking out against the over-representation of black 
6623and Indigenous women in the sex trade, the racist punters, and the colonial 
6624nature ofwhite menbuyingwomen‘other’thanthemselves are silenced, or 
6625even, in some instances, referred to as ‘White Feminists’. 
6626
6627
6628Effects of Prostitution 
6629
6630Marian Hatcher is clear about the effects of prostitution on her and the 
6631survivors with whom she works. Like all of the survivors I met, Hatcher talks 
6632about the disassociation it is necessary to adopt to cope during the sex of 
6633prostitution, and the effect that constantly removing oneself from one’s own 
6634body has upon every aspect of life: 
6635
6636The concept of intimacy was lost as we held our breath until it was over, 
6637trying at first to dissociate from what was being done. We had gone from 
6638being a pure and special creature to a human toilet. Dissociation alone no 
6639longer worked and so, out of disgust for ourselves, drugs and alcohol 
6640were needed to absorb the blows to our psyche and humanity while 
6641money was exchanged to pound away at whatever orifices the punter 
6642purchased. 
6643
6644But Hatcher , like so many women I interviewed, is optimistic about the 
6645future and the possibilities that lie ahead within the abolitionist movement: 
6646
6647Our solidarity, our sisterhood binds us through shared pain. It is stronger 
6648than our individual experience and firmer than male privilege. We no 
6649longer stand by and allow the demand for our bodies to satiate the infinite 
6650wants of men who want to purchase our bodies. 
6651
6652For Hatcher , the sex trade is akin to slavery, and she considers the lies 
6653told by those wishing to sanitise prostitution to be dangerous and deeply 
6654offensive. 
6655
6656We are not chattel branded, nor born with price tags and barcodes on our 
6657flesh. We refuse to be the means to further normalise prostitution. We have 
6658experienced hurt so deep we couldn’t speak. Human contact is supposed 
6659to be a life-giving means to survival and thriving, not destruction at any 
6660cost. 
6661
6662
6663Survivors under Legalisation/Decriminalisation 
6664
6665As we saw in Chap. 1, abolitionist movements are emerging in countries with 
6666legalised or decriminalised regimes. In 2016, Moran’s book was translated 
6667and published in Germany , sparking a series of events and debates on the sex 
6668trade among feminists and leftists. 
6669
6670For Mau , the fact that the survivor-led movement is beginning to take 
6671shape across Germany means that the government will have to eventually take 
6672note that legalisation is under threat in the country: 
6673
6674We have mainly four survivors that are involved in the movement: [one of 
6675whom is Mau who co-founded Sisters e.V, a group campaigning for 
6676awareness raising and support with exiting]. But it’s also other members, 
6677like Sonja, who speaks publicly. 
6678
6679Then we have Anja, who is another co-founder of Abolition 2014 and 
6680is also a member of SPACE . Jana Koch-Krawczack wrote a book on her 
6681prostitution experiences and now works as a street outreach worker. Then 
6682there are some women who are still in prostitution who were interviewed 
6683from Stern TV 2 years in a row. Stern TV is a format that is watched by 
6684millions. These women are not involved in our movement but of course 
6685their testimonies made a huge impact. 
6686
6687I think that survivors have a huge impact on the shifting public 
6688opinion. Their voices count more and more, and make it easier for people 
6689to not feel like they are betraying the prostituted when they are critical 
6690towards prostitution. Fiona Broadfoot has spoken here and Rachel 
6691[Moran] several times. 
6692
6693Marie Merklinger , a German representative of SPACE International, was 
6694prostituted in legal brothels. On losing her job and facing financial difficulties, 
6695she decided to place an advertisement on an ‘escort’ website: 
6696
6697I had sold everything which was possible. I was completely desperate 
6698about my financial situation. It was a permanent fear for my existence, for 
6699the basics just to exist. I’m not one who gives up easy. So I thought, ‘OK, 
6700I did everything legal I could do’, then I thought, ‘No I didn’t do 
6701everything legal I could do’. I was a woman in the middle of my 40s. I 
6702
6703
6704had a life before. I lived, I loved, I had children, I enjoyed my sexuality 
6705and if I didn’t have a partner then I had one night stands and that was OK 
6706for me. I thought, ‘It’s nothing different’, I thought, ‘OK, I do that and take 
6707money for it’. 
6708
6709I ask Merklinger her thoughts on the future of the survivor movement in 
6710Germany and whether there are opportunities for it to grow: 
6711
6712Yes, I think so. The activist groups really appreciate to work with 
6713survivors and to support us and to give us a platform that we will be 
6714heard. 
6715
6716
6717There is still a long way to go before the German feminist movement as a 
6718whole faces the reality of the sex trade, according to Merklinger: 
6719
6720The young feminists, I call them the pup feminists or fun feminists, are 
6721really hard pro-prostitution. Even some radical feminists are pro-
6722prostitution here, although the majority have really started to think about 
6723[prostitution under legalisation] and support me and are part of the 
6724activism. 
6725
6726It’s great to meet the survivors. It is really power if we are connected. 
6727It will help others to know what the realisation of prostitution means not 
6728only for the women who are prostituted, but for the whole society. I see 
6729now how it works in other countries and what they can do. 
6730
6731For Perrier , prostitution is prostitution, however it is dressed up. ‘There 
6732comes a time when you know you have to get out,’ she told me. ‘I was asked 
6733once why I did not work as an independent. I said, “If I have to put another 
6734penis in my mouth, I will bite it off”.’ 
6735
6736
6737The Future of the Survivor Movement 
6738
6739When I first began to focus most of my feminist energy on the campaign to end 
6740the sex trade in 1996, there were hardly any survivors speaking out. I had been 
6741involved in anti-violence against women work since 1979, and during that time 
6742had met hundreds of women who were active in such campaigns and who were 
6743survivors of men’s violence. Women would give speeches at conferences on 
6744how they had been abused as children and the effects that this had had on their 
6745lives, and women would speak about the hell of living with domestic violence. 
6746But it was extremely rare to hear a woman speak publicly about her 
6747experiences in pornography or prostitution. It is obvious with the benefit of 
6748hindsight that this was because of the extreme nature of the shame. 
6749
6750Globally, there are thousands of women who have survived the sex trade 
6751standing up, speaking out and refusing to allow stigma and shame to be theirs. 
6752None of the women I have met would ever describe themselves as victims, but 
6753every one has been brutally and sadistically victimised by traffickers, pimps, 
6754punters and police. But these women, like all of those who are prostituted and 
6755come out of it alive, are so much more than a story about their childhood 
6756abuse, or rape, or domestic violence. 
6757
6758The goal of these women is to end prostitution, and for no more people to 
6759be abused within it. But it is far harder to stand up and say ‘I was in 
6760prostitution’ than it is to say ‘I was beaten by my husband’ or ‘I was forced into 
6761marriage’. The difference is there is not an enormous, global, well-funded and 
6762viciously antagonistic political movement mobilised to demand that women are 
6763married off or beaten senseless by their husbands. We might well say that there 
6764is and that it is called patriarchy , but it is not organised or structured in the 
6765same way. Also, in the present climate (because of decades of feminist 
6766activism), it is generally understood that domestic violence and forced 
6767marriage are unacceptable forms of violence. Prostitution is not regarded as 
6768such, in part because of those who oppose the testimony of its survivors. Sex 
6769trade surviving women simply have an additional level of pressure that other 
6770victims of male violence do not have. 
6771
6772In Melbourne I was asked to launch a new book, Prostitution Narratives: 
6773Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade,10 a collection of testimonies from women 
6774who have lived prostitution and have turned the personal into the political. The 
6775large room was heaving with people, and a number of the contributors were 
6776
6777
6778gearing themselves up to read from their work. The women hugged each other, 
6779nervously preparing, and one turned to me and said, ‘I don’t know what I am 
6780worried about—after all I have been through so many near death experiences, 
6781what could scare me now?’ She laughed, and sipped at her drink, rehearsing 
6782her reading. I chatted to Charlotte,11 the youngest and most recently exited 
6783survivor at the launch. Alice was sold to child abuse rings by her father at 
67845 years old, and had suffered serious trauma from her time in the Australian 
6785sex trade. 
6786
6787But Charlotte’s words were anything but despondent: ‘To anyone reading 
6788this who is still involved in the sex industry, you are so much more than your 
6789body and your ability to provide sexual gratification. You are worthy, 
6790important and loved. You deserve so much more and you will survive this’. 
6791
6792The sex trade survivor movement will continue to flourish, despite the 
6793efforts of the pimps and pro-prostitution lobbyists . One thing I came to 
6794understand, during the time I spent with the survivor abolitionists , is how 
6795hopeful, how optimistic these women are, despite the numerous barriers and 
6796hurdles they face. 
6797
6798‘I’m here to make a difference. To speak for the worthless. It’s not OK. We 
6799can’t just sit with this shit and act like it’s not there and it didn’t exist,’ Daniels 
6800told me that day we met in Minnesota. Daniels was telling me how proud of 
6801herself she was for having returned to her studies and become a social worker: 
6802
6803We’ve been broken. We’ve been torn apart. We’ve been from $20 to 
6804$5,000 and all of it feels the same. It feels like $2. There’s no difference: 
6805high-class, low-class, I’ve done it all and it still feels the same. When I 
6806cry today it’s from healing, it’s from overcoming, it’s the victim that’s 
6807crying, it’s the survivor that’s crying. I am thinking, ‘Really? Me? I’m out? 
6808And I’m here? And I’m supporting 150 people who are getting out?’ I 
6809never would have thought I would be here. 
6810
6811Footnotes 
6812
68131 
6814Bindel, J. (2005, Aug 5.) The disappeared. On The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https:// 
6815www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/features11.g2. 
6816
6817
68182 
6819Belle de Jour. (2007.) The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. London: Weidenfeld & 
6820Nicolson. 
6821
68223 
6823Bindel, J. (2015, Feb 3.) A report from the Porn Oscars. On The Spectator. Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
6824from http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/author/julie-bindel/. 
6825
68264 
6827Bindel, J. (2015, Mar 12.) Dreamcatcher depicts the grim truth about prostitution. In The Guardian. 
6828Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/12/dreamcatcherprostitution-
6829women-oppression-sex. 
6830
68315 
6832Amy Lebovitch – http://prospol.eu/is1209/events/vienna-conference-2015 
6833
68346 
6835Lebovich, A. (2015, Apr 16-18.) Certain truths still emerge: Examining elitism and exclusion in sex 
6836work-related anti-violence initiatives. In Prospol Conference Abstracts Booklet. 
6837
68387 
6839Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person manipulates another individual in order to lead them to question 
6840their reality. 
6841
68428 
6843Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminist. 
6844
68459 
6846Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist. 
6847
684810 Norma, C.; Tankard Reist, M. (Eds.) (2016.) Prostitution narratives: Stories of survival in the sex 
6849trade. Melbourne: Spinifex Press. 
6850
685111 ‘Charlotte’ in the book. It is Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade, Spinifex, 2015 
6852
6853
6854Conclusion: The Way Forward 
6855
6856My final research trip was in October 2016. I spent a day in the Queens , New 
6857York City (NYC) Human Trafficking Intervention Court (HTIC). The HTIC 
6858was founded in 2004 and used as a model for a statewide 11-court programme 
6859that began nine years later. 
6860
6861So far, over 3000 female and transgender defendants have passed through 
6862its doors. The concept behind the HTIC is to help those caught up in the sex 
6863trade to recover from their experiences and to exit prostitution. A defendant 
6864can be referred to drug treatment or immigrant legal services, as well as being 
6865offered general support and counselling. The HTIC is partnered with a large 
6866network of counsellors and court advocates, including two who work with the 
6867Asian women that make up the majority of the defendants in the Queens 
6868courtroom. 
6869
6870Friday is the busiest day of the week for the HTIC, but I manage to observe 
6871a number of cases and speak with court officials, lawyers and defendants. 
6872None of the women wanted to go on record, but all were both critical of being 
6873treated as criminals and grateful that the court at least provided support and 
6874assistance with the multitude of problems women in the sex trade face. 
6875
6876The Queens court piloted the HTIC approach when Judge Fernando M. 
6877Camacho became dismayed at seeing the same teenage girls reappearing in his 
6878court for prostitution. The young women would be fined, and effectively forced 
6879to sell sex to pay the fine. Camacho wanted to break the cycle by offering them 
6880alternatives to a criminal record or jail. Today, the women are referred to 
6881court-mandated programmes such as yoga classes, art therapy or group therapy. 
6882Additionally, social workers help the women with immigration, housing, and 
6883child care. 
6884
6885When the sessions are completed, the judge then grants an adjournment in 
6886contemplation of dismissal of the charges. If the defendant is not arrested for 
6887up to six months, the record will be sealed. 
6888
6889The HTIC system has its critics, in the main, campaigners for blanket 
6890decriminalisation of the sex trade. NYC-based writer and artist Molly 
6891Crabapple , known for her pro-prostitution views, wrote in Vice 
6892that, ‘To the 
6893courts, anyone who’s been arrested for sex work is raw material, incapable of 
6894making his or her own choices’, and described those of us who consider 
6895prostitution to be abuse as, ‘pious, middle-class feminis[ts], devoted to the 
6896moral uplift of the poor. By ministering to prostitutes, middle-class women got 
6897
6898
6899both respectable jobs and the frisson of proximity to vice’. 
6900
6901Whilst the women who go through the HTIC should not be in court in the 
6902first place, at least under this system they have a chance to be heard, and for 
6903their charges to be dismissed if they take advantage of the support on offer. 
6904
6905My time in Queens was both enlightening and frustrating. I hated seeing the 
6906women in court, in one case handcuffed, and being criminalised, however 
6907benignly. The laws on prostitution across the USA are dreadful. Abolitionists 
6908and pro-prostitution activists agree on this, but not on the potential solutions. 
6909
6910The fight to abolish the sex trade is part of a wider violence against women 
6911movement. The challenges abolitionists face include the same challenges 
6912feminists face in naming sexual assault, domestic violence and forced marriage 
6913as male violence towards women and girls, but with one complication— 
6914prostitution involves money. Without billions of dollars of money meant to 
6915tackle the AIDS crisis being diverted into organisations with a pro-sex trade 
6916agenda, the global ‘sex workers’ rights’ campaign would be relatively 
6917insignificant. 
6918
6919If sex industry profiteers were prevented from bankrolling and fronting the 
6920pro-decriminalisation movement, far fewer folk would believe the lies and 
6921myths peddled about prostitution. 
6922
6923Were the lesbian and gay movement to regain its radical edge, and move 
6924away from a neoliberal stance on prostitution as a ‘sexual identity’ and instead 
6925consider the harm to young men and women within the community, they might 
6926begin to reject the ‘rainbow coalition’ that involves pimps, procurers and other 
6927sex trade apologists. 
6928
6929During my research I met abolitionists within academia , healthcare, the 
6930AIDS world, and the LGBT movement. I saw, over the period of two years, the 
6931survivor-led abolitionist movement grow and thrive. New books would be 
6932published, conferences organised, and laws passed. I write this on the day that 
6933the President of the Republic of Ireland signed the Sexual Offences Bill, and 
6934enshrined the Nordic Model in law. 
6935
6936The tide is turning. The Nordic model has now been adopted in Sweden , 
6937Norway , Iceland, Northern Ireland , the Republic of Ireland and France . The 
6938evidence is stacking up against countries that have legalised the sex trade, and 
6939the much-lauded ‘New Zealand model’ has been exposed as nothing more than 
6940a licence for traffickers, pimps and punters to do as they wish. 
6941
6942In Germany , Holland and Australia , survivors are speaking out against the 
6943legal brothels in which they were sold. In New Zealand, the truth is emerging 
6944
6945
6946about how so-called ‘decriminalisation’ is no different from the disastrous 
6947legalisation approach, and that nothing has improved for those who are 
6948prostituted under this regime. 
6949
6950Those governments, policymakers, service providers and individuals who 
6951argue that the sex trade can never be abolished and therefore should be 
6952regulated and ‘managed’ are lacking in imagination. The same attitude is never 
6953applied to poverty in Africa, child sexual abuse , or cancer. 
6954
6955The fight against the tobacco industry is perhaps a good analogy with the 
6956campaign to end the normalisation of pimping, brothel owning and sex buying. 
6957The message from those pimps and punters that seek to legalise the entire 
6958industry, is that the sex trade is a harmless industry that causes little or no 
6959damage. 
6960
6961The rich and powerful tobacco industry held the ground for decades, 
6962peddling propaganda about how cigarettes were glamorous and sophisticated, 
6963and even convincing many that smoking could cure a cold or sore throat. 
6964
6965In the postwar years things began to change. Pressure groups were set up as 
6966doctors began connecting a range of diseases to smoking. But until they were 
6967left with little choice , the tobacco profiteers refused to accept those facts, and 
6968produced their own experts to argue the opposite. 
6969
6970As recently as 1994, industry executives were denying to a US 
6971congressional committee that nicotine was addictive, but as a result of 
6972campaigning by anti-tobacco activists, including many who had suffered ill 
6973health through smoking, civil cases for damage caused by smoking began to 
6974come to court. That year, the state of Mississippi became the first state to sue 
6975the tobacco industry, as a way of recovering health costs incurred by smoking-
6976related illnesses. 
6977
6978In 1996, President Clinton announced plans to reduce the number of young 
6979people becoming smokers, but the following day five tobacco companies 
6980began attempts to block the new regulations. 
6981
6982As a result of industry lobbyists, an attempt at a nationwide class action 
6983against the industry was dismissed. 
6984
6985The effects of passive smoking also came to the fore with a class action 
6986brought on behalf of 60,000 non-smoking flight attendants. The industry— 
6987which has been aware of the negative effects of tobacco since the 1950s—has 
6988long denied what we know to be true: smoking causes lung cancer and other 
6989disease; smoking has a secondary effect and can cause ‘passive smokers’ to 
6990develop the same illnesses as smokers; nicotine is highly addictive; and 
6991
6992
6993advertising promotes smoking as ‘cool’ and stylish. 
6994
6995Today we have legislation banning smoking in countries around the world, 
6996as well as health warnings on packaging, a ban on advertising, support to quit 
6997smoking, and a general change in attitude towards smoking. 1 The combination 
6998of legislation and public awareness campaigns has led, in the UK for example, 
6999to a massive reduction in numbers of smokers, and a normative effect that has 
7000resulted in smoking becoming stigmatised, and at the same time, increased 
7001availability of support for those who wish to kick the habit. 
7002
7003If we can achieve this, bearing in mind that smoking is a chronic addiction, 
7004and the tobacco industry one of the most rich and powerful industries in the 
7005world, then we can do it with the sex trade. There is no ‘addiction’ involved in 
7006the actofpayingfor sex, onlychoice . There is no ‘glamour’for the women 
7007selling sex, only harm. The survivors and other abolitionists I have met during 
7008the course of my activism and research in this area wish to see a world in 
7009which no child, woman or man is paid for access to the inside of their body. 
7010Until prostitution is seen as an ancient relic, and consigned to history, there is 
7011much left to do. 
7012
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7022Augustín, Laura María. 2007. Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue 
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7025Barry, Kathleen, Charlotte Bunch, and Shirley Castley (eds.). 1984. International Feminism: Networking 
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7037
7038Burns, Tara. 2014. I’m Katha Pollitt’s “Highly Educated” Leftist—And A Sex Trafficking Victim. On Tits 
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7042Burns, Tara. 2014. Sex Trafficking: How I Survived Foster Care. On Vice . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
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7045Cacho, Lydia. 2012. Slavery Inc. The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking . London: 
7046Portobello Books. 
7047
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7049Clarion Press. 
7050
7051Clancey, Alison et al. 2015. Report on Migrant Sex Workers Justice and the Trouble with “Anti-
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7055Crow, Eithene. 2015. Arguing Right(s) . London: Crow’s Head. 
7056
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7058
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706015 June 2017, from https://desiredxthings.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/a-few-thoughts-on-the-demise-ofpage-
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7062
7063Doezema, Jo. 2001. Ouch! Western Feminists’ ‘Wounded Attachment’ to the Third World Prostitute’. 
7064Feminist Review 67. 
7065
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7067
7068Emmy, Lady. 2014. I Did Not Consent To Being Tokenized. Tits and Sass . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from 
7069
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7074
7075Ham, Julie. 2011. Moving Beyond ‘Supply And Demand’ Catchphrases: Assessing the Uses and 
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7078
7079Hayes, Sophie. 2012. Trafficked . London: Harper Collins. 
7080
7081Hele, Colleen, Naomi Sayers, and Jessica Wood. 2015. What’s Missing from the Conversation on Missing 
7082and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. On The Toast. . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://thetoast.
7083net/2015/09/14/whats-missing-from-the-conversation-on-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women/ 
7084
7085Ivison, Irene. 1997. Fiona’s Story . London: Virago. 
7086
7087Jacobs, Ruth. 2014. European Parliament’s Attempt to Reduce Prostitution Fails Women. On Women’s 
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7089
7090
7091
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7093
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7095Aldine de Gruyter. 
7096
7097Jordan, Ann. 2012. Issue Paper 4: The Swedish Law to Criminalize Clients: A Failed Experiment in 
7098Social Engineering . Washington, DC: American University. 
7099
7100Joyce, Choice. 2012. Cozy Bedfellows: Prostitution Abolitionists and Anti-Abortionists. ChoiceJoyce.
7101blogspot . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://choice-joyce.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/cozybedfellows-
7102prostitution.html . 
7103
7104Kempadoo, Kamala, and Jo Doezema (eds.). 1998. Global Sex Workers: Rights, Resistance, and 
7105Redefinition . New York: Routledge. 
7106
7107Kinell, Hilary. 2008. Violence and Sex Work in Britain . Portland: Willan Publishing. 
7108
7109Kline, R.K., and Daniel D. Maurer. 2015. Faraway . Minneapolis: Two Harbours Press. 
7110
7111Korsvik, Trine Rogg, and Ane StØ. 2013. The Nordic Model , trans. Maria Kvilhaug, Hansina Djurhuus, 
7112Fazeela Jiwa, Guri Istad, and Tom Bechtle. United States: Ottar. 
7113
7114Koyama, Emi. 2011. Understanding the Complexities of Sex Trafficking and Sex Work/Trade: Ten 
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7116http://eminism.org/blog/entry/268 . 
7117
7118Krüsi, A., et al. 2014. Criminalisation of Clients: Reproducing Vulnerabilities for Violence and Poor Health 
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7120
7121Kvinnofronten/The Women’s front in Sweden. 2013. Speaking of Prostitution: Arguments and 
7122Counterarguments About Prostitution . Skarpnäck: Kvinnofronten. 
7123
7124LeChat, Cassandra. 2015. Lasiren—Reflections on Being a Mixed Race Black Sex Worker . On 
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7126103760360138/lasir%C3%A8n-reflections-on-being-a-mixed-race-black . 
7127
7128Levy, Jay. 2015. Criminalising the Purchase of Sex: Lessons from Sweden . Oxford: Routledge. 
7129
7130Love, Sinnamon. 2013. Transforming Pornography: Black Porn for Black Women. Guernica . Retrieved 
713115 June 2017, from https://www.guernicamag.com/transforming-pornography-black-porn-for-blackwomen/ 
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7133
7134Lyon, Wendy. 2014. Client Criminalisation and Sex Workers’ Right to Health. Hibernarian Law Journal 
713513 (58). 
7136
7137Matthews, Roger. 2008. Prostitution, Politics and Policy . Oxford: Routledge-Cavendish. 
7138
7139Matthews, Roger, Helen Easton, Lisa Young, and Julie Bindel. 2014. Exiting Prostitution: A Study in 
7140Female Desistance . Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. 
7141
7142
7143Maynard, Robyn. 2015. Black Sex Workers’ Lives Metter: Appropriation of Black Suffering. Truthout . 
7144Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/32807 
7145
7146Maynard, Robyn, and Nandita Sharma. 2010. Sex Work, Migration and Anti-Trafficking: An Interview 
7147with Nandita Sharma. Briarpatch Magazine . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://briarpatchmagazine. 
7148com/articles/view/sex-work-migration-anti-trafficking 
7149
7150Merteuil, Morgane. 2015. Building a Sex Workers’ Trade Union: Challenges and Perspectives. Salvage . 
7151Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://salvage.zone/in-print/building-a-sex-workers-trade-union-challengesand-
7152perspectives/ 
7153
7154Mgbako, Chi Adanna et al. 2013. The Case for Decriminalization of Sex Work in South Africa. 
7155Georgetown Journal of International Law 44. 
7156
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7158. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://feministire.com/2012/11/23/taking-ideology-to-the-streets-sex-workand-
7159how-to-make-bad-things-worse/ 
7160
7161———. 2012b. Just Don’t Call it Slut-Shaming: A Feminist Guide to Silencing Sex Workers. Feminist Ire . 
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7163sex-workers/ 
7164
7165Passion, A. 2014. One Black Trans Sex Worker’s December 17th. Tits and Sass . Retrieved 15 June 
71662017, from http://titsandsass.com/one-black-trans-sex-workers-december-17th/ 
7167
7168November, Juliet. 2012. “Hey Baby, How Much?”: Stop Blaming Sex Workers for Street Sexual 
7169Harassment. Born Whore. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://bornwhore.com/2012/12/07/hey-babyhow-
7170much-stop-blaming-sex-workers-for-street-sexual-harassment/ 
7171
7172Phipps, Alison. 2014. The Politics of the Body . Cambridge: Polity Press. 
7173
7174———. 2015. You’re Not Representative: Identity Politics in Sex Industry Debates. Genders, Bodies, 
7175Politics . 
7176
7177Philipine Sex Workers Collection. 2013. We Are Here To Win. Sex Workers Collective . Retrieved 15 
7178June 2017, from https://sexworkerscollective.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/we-are-here-to-win/ 
7179
7180Ray, Audicia. 2012. Why the Sex Positive Movement is Bad for Sex Workers’ Rights. Feministe . 
7181Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2012/04/20/why-the-sex-positivemovement-
7182is-bad-for-sex-workers/ . 
7183
7184Rhee, N’Jaila. 2015. Daniel Holtzclaw, Black Women, and the Myth of Police Protection. Tits and Sass . 
7185Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://titsandsass.com/daniel-holtzclaw-black-women-and-the-myth-ofpolice-
7186protection/ 
7187
7188Richie-Zavaleta, Arduizur Carli (ed.). 2013. Unheard Voices of Redemption: Transforming Oppression 
7189to Hope . Australia: Justice Press. 
7190
7191Rogers, Stephen. 2009. Onthegame.ie: Prostitution in Ireland today . Dublin: Gill & Macmillan Ltd. 
7192
7193
7194Sandnes, Heidi Elisabeth. 2014. Norwegian Ban on Buying Sex Affects Immigrant Women. Science 
7195Nordic . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://sciencenordic.com/norwegian-ban-buying-sex-affectsimmigrant-
7196women 
7197
7198Sayers, Naomi, and Sarah Hunt. 2015. Abolition of Sex Work Won’t End Violence Against Native 
7199Women. The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/ 
7200abolition-of-sex-work-wont-end-violence-against-native-women/article22572753/ 
7201
7202Seraphim, Olive, et al. 2013. Outcasts Among Outcasts: Injection Drug-Using Sex Workers in the Sex 
7203Workers’ Rights Movement. Tits and Sass. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://titsandsass.com/outcastsamong-
7204outcasts-injection-drug-using-sex-workers-in-the-sex-workers-rights-movement-part-1/ 
7205
7206Sex Worker Open University. 2014a. SWOU Statement on Poverty, Sex Work and the Swedish Model: 
7207‘Poverty is objectifying, demeaning and coercive’. London: Sex Worker Open University. Retrieved 15 
7208June 2017, from https://www.swarmcollective.org/blog/statement-on-poverty-sex-work-and-the-swedishmodel-
7209poverty-is-objectifying-demeaning-and-coercive1 
7210
7211———. 2014b. Trans Rentboys: Love Don’t Pay the Rent. QZap Zine Archive . Retrieved 15 June 2017, 
7212from http://archive.qzap.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/423 . 
7213
7214Shane, Charlotte. 2013. “Getting Away” with Hating It: Consent in the Context of Sex Work. Tits and 
7215Sass . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://titsandsass.com/getting-away-with-hating-it-consent-in-thecontext-
7216of-sex-work/ 
7217
7218———. 2015. Men Consume, Women are Consumed: 15 Thoughts on the Stigma of Sex Work. Jezebel. 
7219Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://jezebel.com/men-consume-women-are-consumed-15-thoughts-on-thesti-
72201727924956 
7221
7222Simon, Caty. 2016. “Junkie Whore”—What Life is Really Like for Sex Workers on Heroin. The 
7223Influence. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://theinfluence.org/junkie-whore-what-its-really-like-for-sexworkers-
7224on-heroin/ 
7225
7226Simon, Caty, and Monia Jones. 2015. Nothing Scarier than a Black Trans Woman with a Degree: An 
7227Interview with Monica Jones. Tits and Sass . Retrieved 15 June 2017, from http://titsandsass.com/nothingscarier-
7228than-a-black-trans-woman-with-a-degree-an-interview-with-monica-jones/ 
7229
7230Torres, Jenna. 2015. How New York City’s Treatment of Sex Workers Continues to Harm Us. On Rewire 
7231. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://rewire.news/article/2015/09/22/new-york-citys-treatment-sexworkers-
7232continues-harm-us/ 
7233
7234Anon. 2015. Rentboy Wasn’t My ‘brothel’ It was a Tool to Stay Alive in this Economy of Violence. The 
7235Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/01/ 
7236rentboy-online-brothel-tool-economy-sex-work 
7237
7238Weitzer, Ronald. 2012. Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business . New York: New 
7239York University Press. 
7240
7241Young, Jet. 2014. ‘I’ve Got 15 Mins and in it I'm Going to Talk a Little About Sex Work as a Trans 
7242Guy. Then About Whorephobia and the Politics of Penetration Being the Underlying Opposition to 
7243Sex Worker Rights . London: Sex Worker Open University. 
7244
7245
7246Index 
7247
7248A 
7249
7250Abolitionists 
7251
7252Academia 
7253
7254Academics pro-prostitution 
7255
7256Agency 
7257
7258Agustin, Laura 
7259
7260Ahlborn, Barbel 
7261
7262Ahmedabad 
7263
7264AIDS 
7265AVERT 
7266International council of Aids Service Organisations (ICASO) 
7267UN Conference 
7268
7269AIDS/HIV 
7270
7271AIDS in the World 
7272
7273Albania 
7274
7275Alberhasky, Matt 
7276
7277Alexander, Priscilla 
7278
7279American Jewish World Service (AJWS) 
7280
7281Amnesty International 
7282
7283Amsterdam 
7284
7285Amsterdam GGD 
7286
7287Anderton, James 
7288
7289Anthony, Jane 
7290
7291Anti trafficking initiatives 
7292
7293Apne Aap 
7294
7295APPG 
7296
7297Arden, Fern 
7298
7299Argentina 
7300
7301Armitage 
7302
7303Artem 
7304
7305Asian Women for Equality 
7306
7307
7308Asian Women’s Coalition Ending Prostitution (AWCEP) 
7309Asscher, Lodewijk 
7310Atkins, Helen 
7311Auckland 
7312Agustin, Laura 
7313Austin, Susan 
7314Australia 
7315
7316B 
7317
7318Balástya 
7319Balkans, The 
7320Bangladesh 
7321Baptie, Trisha 
7322Bar Hostess Empowerment Support Programme (BHESP) 
7323Barré-Sinoussi, Francoise 
7324Bartlett, Jamie 
7325Baskin, Sienna 
7326Bass, Alison 
7327Bazelon, Emily 
7328Bedford, Terri-Jean 
7329Bennachie, Calum 
7330Berlin 
7331Beyrer, Chris 
7332Bien-Aimé, Taina 
7333Big Brothel 
7334Bindman, Jo 
7335Bjorke, Jarle 
7336Blanchette, Gregory 
7337Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) 
7338Boily, Marie-Claude Dr 
7339Bolkovac, Kathryn 
7340Bosnia and Herzegovina 
7341Boston 
7342Bradford 
7343Bradford Working Women’s project (BWWP) 
7344Brents, Barb 
7345Briddick, Catherine 
7346
7347
7348Brighton International conference 
7349Broadfoot, Fiona 
7350Brooks-Gordon, Belinda Dr 
7351Brown, Sarah 
7352Buckingham, Helen 
7353Burris, Autumn 
7354Butler, Jennifer 
7355
7356UN Population Fund 
7357Butler, Josephine 
7358
7359C 
7360
7361Cambodia 
7362Campbell, Audrey 
7363Campbell, Lee 
7364Camwhores 
7365Canada 
7366CARE 
7367Caribbean 
7368Carina 
7369
7370Rose Alliance 
7371Carson City 
7372Carter, David 
7373Carter, Vednita 
7374Cathouse 
7375CATW 
7376Chapman, Steve 
7377Chateauvert, Melinda 
7378Chelsea 
7379Chicago Tribune, The 
7380Chile 
7381Choice 
7382Christchurch 
7383Church, Memorial, Point Foundation 
7384Cohen, Job 
7385Colette, Maddy 
7386Conference AIDS debate Melbourne 
7387Conference 
7388
7389
7390Brighton 1996 
7391Men who buy sex 
7392The World’s Oldest Oppression 
7393
7394Contagious Diseases Act 
7395Copenhagen 
7396Cormier, Danielle 
7397COYOTE 
7398Coyote Vs Roberts 
7399Crabapple, Molly 
7400Croatia 
7401
7402D 
7403
7404Da Costa, Catrine 
7405Danczuk, Simon MP 
7406Daniels, Ne’cole 
7407Darlington 
7408Das, Pamela 
7409Davies, Benjamin 
7410Davies, John Dr 
7411Davies, Nick 
7412De Faoit, Mia 
7413De Graaf Stichting 
7414Delhi 
7415Den Haag 
7416Der Spiegel 
7417Devereaux, Mark 
7418De Wallen 
7419DIGNITY 
7420Dillon, Eamon 
7421Dirie, Yonis 
7422Disability and Society 
7423Dittmore, Melissa 
7424Ditum, Sarah 
7425Dockerty, John 
7426Doezema, Jo 
7427Doogan, Maxine 
7428Downtown Eastside 
7429
7430
7431Dreher, Axel 
7432Dubai 
7433Dublin 
7434
7435secretdiaryofadublincallgirl 
7436Dublin Call Girls (DCG) 
7437Dunham, Lena 
7438Dworkin, Andrea 
7439DynCorp 
7440
7441E 
7442
7443Easton, Helen 
7444Eaves for Women 
7445Ekberg, Gunilla 
7446Ekman, Kajsa Ekis 
7447Elliott, Cath 
7448Ellison, Graham Dr 
7449Elrond, Steve 
7450Endestad, Ingvild 
7451English Collective of Prostitutes(ECP) 
7452Eriksson, Marianne 
7453Escort-Ireland 
7454Escort Ireland/E Designers 
7455Estonia 
7456
7457F 
7458
7459Falle, Natasha 
7460Faraqi, Mehreen Dr 
7461Farley, Melissa Dr 
7462Farnsworth, Stephanie 
7463Feminist Abolitionists 
7464Feminist Campaigner 
7465Feminist Current 2008 
7466FKK clubs 
7467Fokken, Louise 
7468Fokken, Martine 
7469Ford Foundation, The 
7470
7471
7472Fox, Douglas 
7473France 
7474
7475G 
7476
7477GAATW 
7478Gates, Bill and Melinda, Open Society Foundation 
7479Geertz, Charles 
7480Germany 
7481Gilman, Lance 
7482Giobbe, Evelina 
7483Gira Grant, Melissa 
7484Global Fund for Women (GFFW) 
7485GMB 
7486Gosovska, Marta 
7487Greece 
7488Green Party (Germany) 
7489Grey, John 
7490Gruber, Jorn 
7491Guardian, The 
7492Gujarat 
7493Gupta, Ruchira 
7494Gupta, Tanika 
7495
7496H 
7497
7498Habib, Conner 
7499Häggström, Simon 
7500Hague, The 
7501Hakim, Catherine Dr 
7502Haley 
7503
7504Minnesota 
7505Hanmer, Jalna 
7506Happy hooker 
7507HASC 
7508Hatcher, Marian 
7509Hawere (NZ) 
7510Helvacioglu, Banu 
7511
7512
7513Hill, Jacqueline 
7514Hoefinger, Heidi 
7515Hof, Dennis 
7516Hogan, Mike 
7517Holbeck 
7518Hollander, Xavier 
7519Hopkins, Alex 
7520Hopkins, John 
7521Horton, Richard 
7522Hotaling, Norma 
7523Hubbard, Phil 
7524Hughes-Jennett, Julianne 
7525Human Rights Watch (HRW) 
7526Humphreys, Emma 
7527Hungary 
7528Hunter, Andrew 
7529Huschke, Susann Dr 
7530HVO-Querido 
7531Hydra Berlin 
7532
7533I 
7534
7535Indonesia 
7536International Labour Organisation 
7537Istanbul 
7538Itzin, Catherine 
7539Ivison, Irene 
7540
7541J 
7542
7543Jakobsson, Pye 
7544Jamaica 
7545Jeffreys, Elena 
7546Jeffreys, Sheila 
7547Jeness, Valerie 
7548Jimenez, Cherie 
7549John school 
7550Jones, Owen 
7551
7552
7553Jordan, Ann 
7554Justice for Women 
7555
7556K 
7557
7558Kai Kitchen, The 
7559Kassandra 
7560Kenya 
7561Kerb Crawler 
7562Kiev Connections 
7563Kim, Moon Dr 
7564Klassekampen 
7565Kleine, Inge 
7566Knight, Chris 
7567Koch-Krawczack, Jana 
7568Kosovo 
7569Kulick, Don 
7570Kullander, Eva 
7571
7572L 
7573
7574Lancet, The 
7575Lane, Tim 
7576Larkin, John QC 
7577Las Vegas 
7578Laude, Jennifer 
7579Laufhaus Caesars World 
7580Lazarus Trading 
7581Lee, Laura 
7582Lees, Paris 
7583Leigh, Carol 
7584Lesko, Vera 
7585Linke gegen Prostitution 
7586Longo, Paulo 
7587Lopes, Ana 
7588Lord Morrow 
7589Los Angeles 
7590Lyon 
7591
7592
7593M 
7594
7595Macedonia 
7596Magnanti, Brooke 
7597Maguire, Paul 
7598Mai, Nick 
7599Mai, Nicola 
7600Majoor, Mariska 
7601Mama Cash 
7602Mansson, Sven Axel 
7603Marshall, Denise 
7604Martin, Di 
7605Martinelli, Ronald 
7606Maslova, Irina 
7607Matthews, Roger 
7608Mau, Huschke 
7609McCann, Wilma 
7610McCarthy, Michelle Dr 
7611McCormick, Mark 
7612McCormick, Peter 
7613McDonald, Jayne 
7614McDonalds 
7615Melbourne 
7616Merklinger, Marie 
7617Merteuil, Morgane 
7618Migrant women 
7619Mitchell, Kathleen 
7620Mock, Janet 
7621Montenegro 
7622Moore, Robin 
7623Moran, Rachel 
7624Morava Foundation (Albania and Romania) 
7625Morrissey, Audrey 
7626Moscow 
7627Moylan, Brian 
7628Ms Magazine 1992 
7629Muller, Hermann 
7630
7631
7632Mullin, Frankie 
7633Mumsnet 
7634Munich Congress 
7635Murdoch, Rupert 
7636Murphy, Catherine 
7637Mustang Ranch 
7638Mwachiro, Kevin 
7639Mwangi, Perninah 
7640
7641N 
7642
7643Nairobi 
7644National Council of German Women’s Organisations 
7645National Organisation for Women (NOW), California 
7646Netherlands, The 
7647Neumayer, Eric 
7648Nevada 
7649New Plymouth NZ 
7650New Zealand 
7651Nicholas 
7652Noble, Sarah 
7653Nordic Model 
7654Nordic Model in Australia Coalition (NorMac) 
7655Northern Ireland 
7656Norway 
7657NOW California 
7658Nuremberg 
7659Nzioka, Denis 
7660NZPC 
7661
7662O 
7663
7664O’Connell Davidson, Julia 
7665Open Doors 
7666Open Society 
7667Ostergren, Petra 
7668Overs, Cheryl 
7669Owens, Tuppy 
7670
7671
7672Özer, Dora 
7673
7674P 
7675
7676Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) 
7677Parreira, Christina 
7678Parsons, Dennis 
7679Patriarchy 
7680Paying the Price 
7681Pemberton, Joseph 
7682Perrier, Bridget 
7683Perry, Georgina 
7684Petite, Jasmine 
7685Philippines 
7686Phnom Penh 
7687Phoenix, Jo 
7688Pickton, Robert 
7689Pionko, Daria 
7690Police Vice Conference 
7691Poppy Project 
7692Porn Awards 
7693Prague 
7694Pretty Woman 
7695Pro Prostitution Lobby 
7696Prostitutes Union of Massachusetts (PUMA) 
7697Prostitutes United for Social and Sexual Integration (PUSSI) 
7698Prostitution Information centre (PIC) 
7699Prostitution Papers, The 
7700Prostitution reform Act (PRA) NZ 
7701Prostpol 
7702Puerto Rico 
7703
7704Q 
7705
7706Q, Siouxsie 
7707Queens 
7708
7709R 
7710
7711
7712Radical Feminist 
7713Radio Leeds 
7714Raymond, Janice 
7715Rees, Madeleine 
7716Red School, The 
7717Reid, Kirk 
7718Rhode Island 
7719Riley, Justine 
7720Rochdale 
7721Roth, Kenneth 
7722Rotterdam 
7723Royal Court Theatre 
7724RUC 
7725Russia 
7726
7727S 
7728
7729S&M 
7730Safe IQ Ltd 
7731SAGE 
7732Salomon Alapitvany Foundation (Hungary) 
7733Sanchez Taylor, Jacqueline 
7734Sanders, Teela 
7735Sarajevo 
7736Saraniya 
7737Scarlet Alliance 
7738Schaapman, Karina 
7739Schaffauser, Thierry 
7740Schon, Manuela 
7741Schwander-Sievers, Stephanie Dr 
7742SDP, The 
7743Seeking Arrangement 
7744Seo-Young, Cho 
7745
7746Sex At The Margins 
7747
7748Sex buyers 
7749Sex buyers, male 
7750Sex tourism, female 
7751Sex Trade 101 
7752
7753
7754Sexual abuse, child 
7755Sexual Freedom Coalition (SFC) 
7756Sex workers 
7757
7758academics 
7759activists 
7760Asia Pacific Network of Sex workers (APNSW) 
7761Cambodian 
7762Global Network (NSWP) 
7763International Union of (IUSW) 
7764Rights 
7765Rights in Europe (ICRSE) 
7766Scarlet Alliance 
7767STRASS (France) 
7768
7769
7770Sex Workers Alliance Ireland 
7771Sex Workers project, Advisory board 
7772Sex Work 
7773
7774Global working group on HIV and sex work 
7775Sex workers’ rights 
7776
7777Red Umbrella Fund 
7778Sex workers’ rights lobby 
7779Shively, Michael Dr 
7780Sidibé, Michel 
7781Silicon Valley 
7782Silver Rose 
7783Simelela, Nothemba Dr 
7784Sindy 
7785Skarhed, Anna 
7786Slags 
7787Sluts 
7788Slutwalks 
7789Smiley, Cherry 
7790Smith, Nicola 
7791Sompan Foundation 
7792Socialist Left Party of Norway (SV) 
7793SOOBS 
7794Soros, George 
7795SPACE 
7796
7797
7798Spain 
7799Sporer, Helmut 
7800Stepan, Maureen 
7801Stephens, Cat 
7802St James, Margot 
7803Stereotypical 
7804Stonewall Awards 
7805Story, Rae 
7806Streep, Meryl 
7807Streetreach 
7808Stuart, Rachel 
7809
7810Sugar mummies 
7811
7812Survivors Connect Network 
7813Survivors on the Move 
7814Sutcliffe 
7815Sweden 
7816SWERF 
7817Sydney Morning Herald, The 
7818Szeged 
7819
7820T 
7821
7822Tallinn 
7823TAMPEP 
7824Tatchell, Peter 
7825Teggart, Grainne 
7826Terrence higgins trust 
7827TERF 
7828Thailand 
7829Thomas Cook 
7830Tiberg, Julia 
7831Tipplezone 
7832Turkey 
7833Turn Off the Blue Light (TOBL) 
7834Turn Off the Red Light (TORL) 
7835
7836U 
7837
7838
7839UAE 
7840Ugly Mugs 
7841UNAIDS 
7842UNHC 
7843UNHCR 
7844United Nations (UN) 
7845University, Bilkent, Ankara 
7846University, Bournemouth 
7847University, Bradford 
7848University, Kingston 
7849University, London Metropolitan 
7850University, London South Bank 
7851University, Metropolitan Leeds 
7852University, Nevada 
7853University, Queens, Belfast 
7854University, Sussex 
7855University, Witwatersrand 
7856University of Pennsylvania 
7857UN Women 
7858USAID 
7859Utrecht 
7860
7861V 
7862
7863Valisce, Sabrinne 
7864Vancouver Rape Relief (VRR) 
7865Van Der Zee, Renate 
7866Van Doorninck, Marieke 
7867Vaz, Keith MP 
7868Venezuela 
7869Vienna 
7870Viner, Katherine 
7871Vlora Women’s Hearth 
7872Vonk, Marijke 
7873Vullnetari, Julie 
7874Vullnetari, Olsi 
7875
7876
7877W 
7878
7879Wadia 
7880Waltman, Max 
7881Watson, Simon 
7882Weisehan, Debbie 
7883Weitzer, Ron 
7884Westbrook, Janette 
7885West Yorkshire 
7886WHIMPER 
7887WHISPER 
7888White, Penny 
7889Whorephobic 
7890Whores, Housewives and Others (WHO) 
7891Whores Congress 
7892Willitts, Philippa 
7893Winslet, Kate 
7894Winberg, Margareta 
7895Wolfsen, Aleid 
7896Women Against Pornography 
7897Women Against Pornography 1985 
7898Women’s Agenda for Change (WAC) 
7899Women’s Network for Unity (WNU) 
7900World Health Organisation (WHO) 
7901
7902Y 
7903
7904Yorkshire Evening Post 
7905
7906Yorkshire ripper, the 
7907Young, Jet 
7908YWCA, Toronto 
7909
7910Z 
7911
7912Zaffaroni, Eugenio 
7913Zobnina, Anna 
7914Zurich 
7915
7916
7917Footnotes 
7918
79191 
7920M. Walker, Testimony at the Minnesota Trial, 1998 cited in C. Bates & A. Rowell, Tobacco Explained: 
7921The truth about the tobacco industry…in its own words. On World Health Organisation. Retrieved 15 
7922June 2017, from http://www.who.int/tobacco/media/en/TobaccoExplained.pdf . 
7923
7924