Nadijah Robinson
Sex workers and Prostitutes are hated, loathed, feared by society at large and in the media for sure. How did the oldest profession in the world get such a bad rap? Well the stereotype has the public imagining a depraved nymphomaniac drug-addict, working on the most run-down of street corners. The reality of the situation is quite different. Did you know that 80% of sex work is not done on the street? Well now you do. But then how is it that 93% of criminal charges involve street sex work? Did you know that sex workers face being robbed, beaten and sexually assaulted on their job, but usually don’t report it to the police for fear of being arrested? Many people in the profession are also the victims of violent and heinous crimes, but they don’t appear in the news reports at night... why is that?
People believe the stereotype, and society in general has an issue with the profession. But what do we (as a society) really have a problem with - the fact that men and women are wielding their sexuality in their professions? If so, why don’t we have a similar problem with wait staff or musicians who use similar degrees of intimacy and flirtation in order to get ahead? Can we get off our moral high-ground, and meet sex workers half-way? As long as everyone continues to look down on sex workers, to dehumanize them, and see them as victims, the violence against them, and their vulnerable position in society will continue to be tolerated. And that’s the issue.
Here’s what you can do. Engage in the discussion. Watch these two videos. Hear it from their own mouths for a change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akKzsWyjL5w and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hHYzTZJZlU
Sources:
- http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?k=47531&id=093ac70f-4011-4edc-b959-be759e2b6bf7
- http://www.research.uottawa.ca/perspectives/10020
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