NY Times on Prop K

In San Francisco, a Proposition Supported by Its Prostitutes
By JESSE MCKINLEY

SAN FRANCISCO — When Proposition K was added to Tuesday’s ballot, many people likely snickered at the possibility that San Francisco might take its place alongside such prostitute-friendly havens as Amsterdam and a few rural counties in nearby Nevada.

But this week, it became readily apparent that city officials are not laughing anymore about the measure, which would effectively decriminalize the world’s oldest profession in San Francisco. At a news conference on Wednesday, Mayor Gavin Newsom and other opponents seemed genuinely worried that Proposition K might pass.

“This is not cute. This is not fanciful,” Mr. Newsom said, standing in front of the pink-on-pink facade of a closed massage parlor in the Tenderloin district. “This is a big mistake.”

Supporters of the measure say it is a long-overdue correction of a criminal approach toward prostitutes, which neither rehabilitates nor helps them, and often ignores their complaints of abuse.

“Basically, if you feel that you’re a criminal, it can be used against you,” said Carol Leigh, who says she has worked as a prostitute for 35 years and now works as an advocate for those who trade sex for money. “It’s a really serious situation, and ending this criminalization is the only solution I see to protect these other women working now.”

The language in Proposition K is far-reaching. It would forbid the city police from using any resources to investigate or prosecute people who engage in prostitution. It would also bar financing for a “first offender” program for prostitutes and their clients or for mandatory “re-education programs.”

Full Story

Decriminalization of Sex Work versus Human Trafficking

It is clear that the major argument against Prop K is the idea that the decriminalization of Sex Work would facilitate human trafficking.  I have been in Belgrade, Serbia for the past week and a half, where I have met interviewed a couple of different groups dealing with issues of human trafficking and sex work.  Their experiences showed that decriminalization of sex work would potentially help minimize human trafficking.  They had some very interesting things to say.

Here are some important highlights:

(from an interview with Jelena Dordeveic, of the Anti Trafficking Center in Belgrade, Serbia)

“We stopped working with trafficking, because we saw that trafficking became an excuse for NGO’s and police to restrain women,” said Jelena Dordevic, the Deputy Director of the Anti Trafficking Center, “The whole idea of trafficking turned against us and the people we were trying to support.”

“There is this perception that there are the right victims and the wrong victims,” said Dordevic, “Sex Workers did not agree to get raped, to not be paid.”

According to Dordevic, many NGO’s do not see individuals who choose to do sex work as qualifying for their services. The Anti Trafficking center sees this as a major problem, thus their focus has turned more towards those who are excluded from trafficking arguments, but are still at risk for rape and other forms of violence.

News on Prop K This Week

CBS5 Poll: Undecideds To Determine Prop.K Fate

The poll of 677 likely San Francisco voters conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday found that 35% were certain to vote “yes” on the measure, while 39% were certain to vote “no.” With a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 points — the measure is at a virtual tie.

Fight Intensifies Over Prop K in San Francisco

A woman who has dedicated her life helping prostitutes leave the profession is urging San Francisco voters to vote No on Proposition K.

Sam Spade’s San Francisco

The San Francisco Chronicle and all these people got it right. They support San Francisco’s Prop K and so does Sam Spade’s San Francisco.

Naked politics

The rhetoric is getting louder over San Francisco’s Proposition K, which would decriminalize prostitution in the city.

There were dueling news conferences on the issue Wednesday. First, Mayor Gavin Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris spoke to reporters outside what had been a brothel fronting as a massage parlor on Geary Boulevard. Later, the backers of Prop. K promised to have sex workers at an afternoon event in the “red-light district” of North Beach. (They produced one former prostitute and several advocates for sex workers.)

Stripping Down Proposition K – Why San Francisco Should Decriminalize Prostitution

Supporting Prop K does not mean that you advocate prostitution. Prop K is about supporting the rights and health of all San Francisco residents, including prostitutes. Prop K asks San Franciscans to look past their socially-conditioned attitudes about prostitution to the human lives that are impacted by prohibition.

Prop K decriminalizes the act of exchanging sex for money. Prop K does not hinder the ability of law enforcement to investigate any crime that is related to trafficking, child abuse or sexual assault.

Decriminalization does not mean that there are no regulations. For example, a carpenter is not ‘legalized’ but simply is not a criminal. There are plenty of regulations in place that protect the carpenter as a worker, the community in which the carpenter is working (such as materials, zoning, noise, etc) and a carpenter can apprentice, be trained or join a union. Under decriminalization, sex workers would have similar rights, but also have civil, labor and social guidelines to follow.

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The oldest conundrum

From The Economist:

The red lights are going out all over Europe—but not elsewhere

WHEN the Netherlands legalised brothels eight years ago, the mood was upbeat. Politicians thought they were well on the way to solving one of the world’s perpetual policy dilemmas: how to stop all the bad things that are associated with the sex trade (coercion, violence, infectious diseases) while putting a proper, and realistic, limit to the role of the state.

Opponents of Prop K Use Lies and Fear Tactics to Sway Voters

The ‘Not For Sale’ campaign has joined in the attacks against sex workers in San Francisco. They have a No on K Coordinator dedicated to defeating sex workers’ rights, Louisa Barry.

Her call to action included the same misinformation and flat out lies that are characteristic of the No on K argument this year:

At first blush Prop K’s language appears to be an attempt to decriminalize prostitution; the terrible truth hidden within Prop K is that it would: (1) severely hinder if not completely stop- local law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute crimes of trafficking and slavery, by making it illegal for police to garner funds to investigate crimes of trafficking, and (2) de-fund programs that assist survivors, women and children, exiting the sex industry.

Neither of these claims is true. So let us address them (again):

KCBS Podcast on Prop K

KCBS Podcast on Prop K

My response to Farley on Freakonomics- Should prostitution be Decriminalized?

I wrote and submitted this last night, but no new comments have appeared since yesterday afternoon, so it may yet go up. If not, however, I am posting it here. I also resubmitted it today without the jabs at Ms. Farley, in case that was the issue.

Beyond Offensive

The following video found on break.com is extremely offensive and constitutes a hate crime against sex workers.  “Dead Hooker Removal Service.”   It’s in the category “Funny Videos.”  Apparently this is also a website that actually has a Pay Pal account for the “dead hooker removal” !  Jesus.

Please complain to Break.com and ask them to remove this video on the basis that it constitutes a hate crime and is morally offensive, and include the link to the video.

I notice if you do a search for “hooker,” more negative videos comes up under the thin guise of “comedy.”

Proposition K on RH Reality Check

SF’s Proposition K: Changing the Landscape for Sex Workers

Sienna Baskin and Melissa Ditmore on October 28, 2008 – 8:00am

Next week, San Francisco voters will vote on Proposition K, which would prohibit the use of public funds to enforce laws criminalizing prostitution, and mandate that police investigate crimes against sex workers. The passage of Proposition K would change the landscape for sex workers in San Francisco in critical ways. First, by removing police officers’ power to arrest sex workers, it would reduce sex workers’ vulnerability to all of the abuses of that power sex workers currently experience: police profiling and harassment, sexual harassment and assault, rape, and extortion of sexual favors under threat of arrest by police officers, and entrapment.

Prop K Phone Bank Party Idea

In Tucson, we’re going to be having a Phone Bank Party this weekend to support Prop K.   We’re grabbing our friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, relatives, co-workers, old bosses, baristas and bag boys, and anyone else we can think of to gather together with cells phones and land lines and carrier pigeons, and we’re going to burn through as many phone lists as possible.

We’re going to set up shop at a local coffeehouse on Saturday at noon, and cause commotion and guerilla phone warfare and create change and generate massive amounts of positive energy for our San Fran sisters!!!

We are behind you all the way!

CNN: 73% of San Francisco voters support Prop K

Dec 17th, March in DC

Who feels like freezing their asses off for a good cause? I do! If you too feel like freezing your ass off for a good cause, well then, make plans to attend, dammit.

“National March for Sex Workers Rights
Dec. 17, 2008Meet at Franklin Square (14st NW & Eye ST NW) near McPherson Square Station for rally and speeches.
March Gathers at noon.
March ends at The White House (1600 Pennsylvania AVE) about 3 blocks away. Join the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP-USA) as we march on Washington to demand rights for all sex workers! On Wednesday, December 17, 2008, advocates from across the nation will converge to mark the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Together, we will take a stand for justice, dignity, and the freedom to do sex work safely and in dignity. We are calling for an end to the unjust laws, policing, shaming and stigma that oppress our communities and make us targets for violence. At this vibrant event, we will both honor the lives lost in 2008 and celebrate our vital movement. Some housing is available for out-of-towners – consider staying on to attend our big party that weekend. On Dec. 17th, SWOP-USA and its allies in harm reduction and social justice welcome your support as we march for sex workers rights!”

Come on, you know you wanna go…

Prop K Visibility

Did you know that they discussed Prop K on The View and that Barbara Walters said she would support it? The whole country is debating whether or not decriminalization makes sense. Help us keep the positive messages visible by posting a ‘Yes on Prop K’ badge to your blogs and sites!

Volunteers are distributing literature and calling voters all over the city, but we need to expand our visibility throughout the web to reach SF voters who may not have seen our fliers or received a call. Posting something at your own site, even if you are not based in San Francisco, helps maintain a visible positive message that the news media will pick up on.

Get your own badge

Be sure to link your badge back to http://www.YesOnPropK.org

Thanks for your help!

Kamala Harris’ Derogatory “Pretty Woman” Comments

I’ve noticed that in various interviews, San Francisco District Attoney Kamala Harris has brought up the unrealistic image of prostitution that “Pretty Woman” protrays to promote her opposition to Prop. K.  My question is:  What does this have to do with Prop. K?  Prop. K isn’t about “Pretty Woman.”  It’s about ending the persecution of sex workers and promoting sex workers’ rights.  Regardless of whether prostitution is glamorous or not, sex workers don’t deserve to be persecuted for it.

XXBN Election Night Coverage

XXBN, http://www.xxbn.net  http://www.xxbnradio.com will have a two hour election night show from 10:00 to Midnight on Election Night.  XXBN hosts Gracie Passette, Jill Brenneman and Zack will be on the air with national, state and local coverage from around the nation including extensive coverage of Propostition K in California. 

We are still looking to schedule guests and hosts for this two hour event.  Please contact Jill or Gracie via the XXBN blog http://www.xxbnradio.com to join as a guest, as a host or in other capacities. 

From Annie Sprinkle

Dear Smart and Sexy, Compassionate Friends,
I don’t know about you, but lately some of my wonderful sensual massage friends have been getting repeatedly arrested for doing FULL BODY MASSAGE. How sad it is. These arrests/convictions ruin lives, and are so unfair and mean spirited. One sexual healer friend was busted for a third time (simply for massaging a penis,) and now has to resort to full service prostitution in Nevada to save her house from foreclosing and pay lawyer bills. She never has wanted to do full service. It’s absurd!

10/ 25 Prop K Events and Updates!

Hi Everyone,

The Yes on Prop K campaign is certainly picking up steam- and we couldn’t do it without you! Here’s what we’ve got coming up:

LITERATURE DROP/ PRECINCT WALKING
This is really important!!

Information about Proposition K needs to be distributed to as many San Francisco residents as possible—join us in our efforts! All you need is a bag for flyers, a bottle of water and your own two feet (and maybe a buddy)—we’ll provide the rest! Help us spread the word by dropping literature in different neighborhoods around San Francisco, so that voters can make an informed choice about Proposition K on November 4^th.

We need to cover as many neighborhoods as possible, so we will be distributing different areas to various volunteers to ensure that residents in all areas are receiving information about Prop K. Please be prepared to provide us with a contact name, phone number, and most importantly, an email address so that we can email you your precinct map. If you would like to receive your precinct map by some other means, please let us know and we will do our best to make it available to you.

San Francisco to Vote on Prostitution