Pole tax, hardy har har… and activism
I feel obligated to write something about the astoundingly moronic SB 91, but whenever I try, I just find myself at a loss for words. I’m overcome w/ exasperation and wonder why I should waste my damn time. But then I think, well, if no one “wastes their time” spelling out, yet again, everything that is WRONG w/ this bullshit, then it’ll just keep on happening, like it always does. And far too many people, who are otherwise intelligent and thoughtful people, just accept these stupid lines about sex work that are built into society without any questioning. It’s not a conscious, “Yes, I accept that;” it’s just, you know, everyone knows that’s how it is, so what is there to question? Or maybe a political blogger here and there writes about it as an amusing one-off, w/ some stupid un-funny joke (e.g., “pole tax”) before moving on to the REAL IMPORTANT issues.
I get so fed up w/ constantly rehashing the 101-level stuff, but yet, I know it’s important. That’s how people’s minds are changed, when they’re able to see a perspective they had never considered before. (And, to clarify: I really don’t mind it one-on-one, w/ friends or people I know are engaging in good faith. Like when Lain DM’ed me on Twitter the other day asking why one would oppose an anti-sex trafficking event, and wondered if it was because law enforcement targets non-trafficked sex workers. I was happy to send him informational links.)
A related story. When Griftdrift wrote that Jack Murphy said there’s a direct correlation between strip clubs and child prostitution (don’t you just LOVE how these people pull this nonsense out of their asses and everyone just nods their heads sagely??) it reminded me of a freelance work offer Rusty and I had a few years ago. It was for an organization that purportedly provided resources to victims of child sex trafficking. I don’t know if it was Innocence Atlanta, but they did have Innocence in their name. Will Hinton was the one told us about it. So, who could be opposed to that, right? But we were skeptical from the beginning, because we know to be. We combed through all the verbiage on their existing site and found some shit that would slip under many people’s radar… like, “a business owner might give a reformed stripper a second chance with a job.” Wait, what? I thought you were an org focused on child victims of sex trafficking. What’s this talk of strippers? And reformed, what’s that shit?
We turned down the job. Couldn’t do it in good conscience.
I wish there was an active sex workers’ rights group here in Atlanta. I really tried w/ the 2007 International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, I really did. I was encouraged because two other people organized it w/ me, so hey, that’s two others that are interested in fighting the good fight! It was, in fact, one of them that proposed doing something in the first place! And we had a sign-up sheet for an email list that night, and lots of people signed up, and there was talk of doing a march through midtown on Dec. 17 the following year, and then… nothing.
A grad student (at least I think she’s a grad student) from the UGA Women’s Studies department, whom I met briefly at Sex 2.0, emailed me to let me know about an upcoming conference on sex trafficking in Macon. She thought a protest would be a good idea, and she wanted to know what I had in mind, too, as far as local action for sex workers’ rights activism (in response to my March 3 post where I sighed about the lack of activity in Atlanta). I told her, well, I wish there were more of us. I wish there was a critical mass. I wish we had a SWOP chapter, or something.
But I can’t do everything. And I’m worn out.
And sometimes I feel like that’s a cop out – even as I try my best to remember Melissa’s words of wisdom.
I’ve said before that I’m a reluctant activist, or even not really an activist at all, because I’m not made for front-lines shit. It’s true, because time and again I see how that shit exhausts me mentally, emotionally, and physically. And yet I still feel driven and have this extreme inner conflict. I wish I were one of those people who could organize, fight, rally the troops, not get discouraged; I feel like, why say I can’t do it, because then no one’s doing it, and this is important work that needs to be done.
Then it just all goes down the rabbit hole and I start thinking about the nature of civil disobedience and my mind drifts to the French Revolution… yeah.
If people don’t make their voices heard and agitate for change, then (surprise!) nothing changes. But maybe I also need to remember that there are many different ways to make one’s voice heard and agitate for change, and that real substantive change doesn’t happen overnight. I just worry that too many people are going to take the back seat and say, “Oh, I’ll just blog about it,” when it takes REAL WORLD action, too. But at the same time, some of us just aren’t cut out for a whole lot of real world action – but we want to do our part among a critical mass of others who ARE.
*sigh*
My mind boggled when I went and read the proposed legislation (it is still only proposed at present, I understand, not actually passed/enacted yet? I don’t know how US States’ procedures work.)
I’m with you entirely – if no one explains why it’s wrong, it just gets through because of a general social blindspot.
Yes, it’s still only proposed. It cleared the Senate Finance Committee Friday which means it can move forward for consideration on the Senate floor.
I hadn’t even heard about this, wtf?! Somehow my job is related to child prostitution now? I’m not far from you if you want to talk about organising something
Actually it has to pass through the Senate Rules Committee next and that’s the place loopy bills go to die. If it passes there then it goes to the full Senate. If it passes there, it goes to the House. House leaders have said categorically they are not going to pass any new taxes this year. So it’s chance of full passage is slim. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep an eye on this piece of junk.
Ah yes, the Senate Rules Committee. I had forgotten about that step but Rusty gave me a refresher course in civics tonight.
Rusty and I are such a pair of political nerds
Honestly, Amber, I’m the same… I can’t deal with a lot of “front line” stuff, or at least not consistently, because my brain’s just not designed to not shit itself when it comes to things like protests.
Fortunately I’ve found my little niche (at least for now) in a combination of online stuff, and organising opportunities for other people to do front line stuff. I certainly understand how exhausting that can be. I can only imagine how exhausting it will be in time… and how disappointing it must be when it doesn’t work out.
Also? Fucking stupid piece of proposed legislation, that.
[...] post about the conference and related issues highlights a problem I often feel — that one can end up drowing in a wave [...]
This conference is like . . . what . . . I can’t get my head around it. If I were to organize a conference on trafficking, I’d include scholarly experts, like Laura Augstin and Kamala Kempadoo. I mean, at the least.
Is sex trafficking a horrible thing? Absolutely. But is Patricia McCormick the person to talk about it? Fuck no. Don’t get me started on how horrible Cut was.
I would love to take part in a counter event. Being a trafficking victim myself that found her way to a rights based approach. I believe I may be able to offer a unique insight that could be beneficial.
Since it’s already so close to the date, I think any sort of counter event would be best in the form of letter-writing. To try and scramble and get together something in-person wouldn’t be good. I will find contact information (or maybe it’s available on the web site? need to look in more detail) and maybe a group of us can each write civil but firm and straightforward letters about why this conference is problematic.
I know you’re a reluctant activist but methinks you might need to be the one to get a SWOP-Atlanta started. I know, I know…but you obviously want to get some things done and few others around you are actually doing it. Maybe Sakura can help out if she’s inclined? She sounded pretty enthused about organizing something for this at least. But as it doesn’t seem as though this moral uptick in America is going to subside any time soon…
Not trying to force you into anything of course. But you are passionate about rights. And the conference, guh! Such a lopsided world we’re in.
I would *love* for there to be a SWOP-Atlanta chapter, but… I just can’t. I want it to exist, but knowing everything I know about myself and my mental and physical health, I just cannot take on a project of that magnitude anytime in the foreseeable future. I wish I could. I feel guilty for not doing it, in fact. But I just can’t.
(Also? I think a SWOP-Atlanta chapter should be headed up by current or former sex workers.)
Oh no, don’t feel guilty for not doing it! You know yourself better than anyone else can so if you can’t do it you can’t. There’s nothing wrong with that! And yeah, I agree that a chapter should be headed by current or former sex workers. But allies count too! Especially dedicated ones such as yourself. I do hope sex workers in Atlanta take the helm soon. Is HIRE still out there?