In 1892 6 Jewish men were put on trial Austrian city of Lemberg. They were accused of trafficking Gentile women into prostitution or sex slavery, including to the brothels of Istanbul The eastern borderlands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had been a centre for lurid stories of white slavery that both titillated and horrified the European public. They helped to fuel a global moral panic about … Continue reading THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LYDIA HARVEY
When I started this blog just over ten years ago I wrote a lot about sex work and the attempt being made in Scotland at the time to criminalise the purchase of sex, an attempt that thankfully failed although similar laws were brought in in both parts of Ireland. At the same time I began to engage with a number of inspirational people involved in … Continue reading REMEMBERING CAROL LEIGH
Punternet is not a pretty sight for anyone who thinks that women should be respected. Amongst other ”delights” there are reviews by punters so feel free to pass comment on a woman’s belly, saggy tits, off putting tattoos, or criticise a sex worker for not being enthusiastic enough or clock watching (mate, she’s a worker, workers do clockwatch and if you think that being fucked … Continue reading THE SERVICE
This post was first published on Smutathon.com on 28th September 2019. Now reposted here His Twitter followers come and go, at least the vast majority that you either don’t know in real life or interact with to any great extent online. I long ago stopped keeping track of who had followed me or unfollowed me, but it was nonetheless a very pleasant surprise, a few … Continue reading When Bedford Went to Ottawa
Matt Ridley of The Times can generally be relied to write nonsense, which is maybe not surprising as his late father Nicholas Ridley never said much that wasn’t nonsense. Ridley pere’s ideological loyalty to Margaret Thatcher did not save his political career as the gaffes mounted up and she decided he had to go. Father and son Ridley both considered themselves libertarians and in an … Continue reading Sex Work and the not so Libertarians
The Nordic Model is a bit like Brexit. The more discredited it is by facts and evidence, the more tenaciously its advocates cling to it. It is not entirely surprising that The All Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution has recommended the criminalisation of the purchase of sex in its report on pop-up brothels. This group is chaired by Labour MP and evangelical Christian Gavin Shuker. … Continue reading Gavin Shuker Rides Again
It is, I guess, not unusual to hear bad news these days but this week I heard news that truly shocked me. This was the death, at the scandalously early age of 39, of Laura Lee. Laura had acquired a significant profile over that last couple of years as an articulate and determined sex workers rights activist both in Great Britain and in Ireland, where … Continue reading Remembering Laura Lee
As the Brexit negotiations get underway, the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are beimg much discussed and the Government is, apparently, keen to give them the right to stay in the UK after Brexit, Even before Brexit, however, there are some EU citizens who are apparently not welcome. This statement from Wiltshire police describes the arrest of three Romanian women who had … Continue reading When EU Citizens Are Not Wanted
This is a post I originally published on the Everyday Whorephobia blog two years ago. Following the criminalisation of clients in Northern Ireland it appears that the flawed arguments of the sex work prohibitionists are enjoying a second wind. They remain however deeply flawed. One of the flaws is the naive faith in the police as agents of”rescue”. Melissa Gira Grant, in her book Playing … Continue reading Police and Thieves
It is nearly three years since I stumbled on the debates about sex work and its legal status and following the arguments about Rhoda Grant’s attempt to criminalise the purchase of sex in Scotland was certainly an education. This was particularly true of reading the cogent, well informed responses to the consultation by opponents of the proposal. Two and a half years on two responses … Continue reading The Policeman in the Bedroom
Sex Work and Human Rights
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26 years of previously repressed melodrama
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Madam Becky Adams. Award Winning Author & Keynote Speaker 'The Art of Seductive Customer Servicing.' - Profitable liaisons with the customer sub-conscious.
Eve's Temptations 