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Recently an open letter to presidential candidates has been gaining traction in addressing the topic of decriminalization of the sex trade. If you aren’t familiar with these terms, let me catch you up to speed: In the past few decades, there has been a growing advocacy for the rights of those in the sex industry, with the theory that legalization will be the solution to the risks they face in their line of work.

“Those in favour of decriminalisation…consider prostitution to be work, and argue that ‘sex workers’ can be protected by unions and health and safety measures,” says Julie Bindel, political activist and author of The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth. Since the turn of the century, cities around the world have begun adopting a decriminalization method, legalizing brothels and other forms of sex work that were historically considered criminal offenses. For example, in 2000 the Netherlands made formal what had already been acceptable for some years, and lifted the ban on brothels. Three years later the New Zealand government passed the New Zealand Prostitution Reform Act which decriminalised street-based prostitution and brothel-keeping.

The question is, have these approaches made sex work safer? Have they prevented trafficking and made it more difficult for men and women to be sexually exploited for another person’s gain?

According to research, the answer is no.

One piece of evidence is that just three years after laws were changed in the Netherlands, the government began closing down street prostitution zones and restricting the number of “window brothel” licences to try to control organized crime and trafficking. Former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen said legalisation had failed to remove organised crime from the sex trade, and that he hoped to “partially reverse” the legislation. One third of the infamous “windows” of the Red Light District have now been shut down.

“We have seen in the last years that women trafficking has becoming more, so in this respect the legalizing of the prostitution didn’t work out,” Cohen said.

 

“Nevada has a 63 percent higher rate of illegal sex-trade activity than any other state in the country,” reports the New York Post, “and ranks in the top 10 for trafficked and exploited youth, [which means] that only 10 percent of prostitution in Nevada is legal.”

 

Karina Schaapman, Amsterdam councillor and sex trade survivor, said in 2005 that the legalisation came out of the notion that women were actively choosing to be prostitutes. “But that image is incorrect,” she said. “Two-thirds of prostitutes are foreign, most often illegal, and nobody is registering them.”

I found this to be true in the three months I spent in an internship with The Lighthouse, an outreach center in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. By our count, only about 10% of the women in the windows were Dutch – the rest had come from Eastern Europe and South America based on someone’s promise of a better life. Most of them now felt stuck – whether because of an abusive or controlling partner, the lack of citizenship and language to find other work, or the expectation they would be sending lots of money home to their families.

In New Zealand, trafficking of women into legal and illegal brothels is still a serious problem, and for every licensed brothel there are, on average, four times the number that operate illegally. Violent attacks on women in the brothels are as common as ever.

“The men feel even more entitled when the law tells them it is OK to buy us,” says Sabrinna Valisce, who was prostituted in New Zealand brothels both before and after decriminalisation.

Another stark example sits close to home. Here in the United States, prostitution was legalized in Nevada forty-eight years ago. Now, “Nevada has a 63 percent higher rate of illegal sex-trade activity than any other state in the country,” reports the New York Post, “and ranks in the top 10 for trafficked and exploited youth, [which means] that only 10 percent of prostitution in Nevada is legal.” Nevada also is ranked sixth in the country for rape and sexual assaults against women, according to anti-trafficking leaders in Reno. Rebecca Bender, a survivor and advocate, is one of the many leaders who has signed the open letter to presidential candidates. She was trafficked for years in Las Vegas before being able to leave her abuser.

“This is not the way forward,” states Bindel, “unless we want to make it easier for the men who run the global sex trade to make more money out of women’s bodies.” The misconception that decriminalization makes it safer for the sex worker is simply not true. And it is this misconception that the open letter to presidential candidates, written and signed by survivors and advocates, is trying to address.

It is clear from examples of what has been tried before that legalizing prostitution actually increases exploitation, rather than prevents it. “Do not be confused- full decriminalization means allowing pimps, sex buyers, and brothel owners to operate with impunity,” the open letter states. “At a time when we are culturally taking a stand against violence and harassment towards women and marginalized groups, creating spaces of inclusion and opportunity, why would we take a step backward by allowing these very groups to be further exposed to the harms of prostitution as long as it is monetized?”

 

“[Decriminalization] is not the way forward,” states Bindel, “unless we want to make it easier for the men who run the global sex trade to make more money out of women’s bodies.

 

“We urge presidential candidates to learn from survivors the truth about the pervasive harms and suffering perpetrated by sex buyers, pimps, traffickers, and other exploiters before issuing statements about the sex trade.”

One way everyday people can make a difference again sex trafficking is through our voting power. It is crucial for us to be well-informed about the issue of decriminalization, as it looks likely to become a much-discussed topic in the upcoming presidential race. Being aware what candidates support legalization is immensely important for us all, especially considering the hundreds of thousands of people in the US who are sexually exploited each year.

Here at Compassion Connect, we believe God is calling ordinary men and women of faith to rise up and take action in ending sex trafficking in our cities. We believe that it is the body of Christ working together in unity that provides the force needed to take this stand. Together, let’s raise our voices to advocate for justice for the vulnerable and demand our leaders prevent the exploitation of boys and girls in our communities.

To read the open letter to presidential candidates and learn more about the dangers of decriminalization, click here.

 

By Jenna Funkhouser