An Open Letter to Australian Feminists Concerned About Sex Worker Exploitation
Open Letter to Australian Feminist Concerned about Sex Worker Exploitation
“An Open Letter to Australian Feminists worried about Sex Worker Exploitation”
How might we think through the complexity and important issues raised (as well as the responses to them) via the reading for this week?
4 responses so far ↓
adtrol09 // Aug 25th 2011 at 10:16 am
This reading was very enlightening and I do believe that people should not impose their morals on others. Women should stand up for these sex workers who seem to have little say because their work is “degrading”, perfect for feminists; women fighting for better conditions and the rights as individuals. Conditions are extremely dangerous when they shouldn’t be. How come it is not a respectable profession among so many if it is the individuals choice?
emseav09 // Aug 25th 2011 at 12:29 pm
I found this reading very interesting and insightful into the world of sex workers and the aspects that we don’t normally hear about. We hear about what they do or who they do it with, but we don’t regularly hear about how the workers are treated by the outside public. Before this article I never realized that the sex workers are harassed and exploited by law enforcement due to the “degrading” notion of the work in which they do. These workers are trying to be safe in what they do in using protection and law enforcement is only taking away they safety precautions they have. Why must outsiders look down on this profession when it is a women’s choice to partake in said career? Other jobs women hold don’t get judged as harshly. Is it really hurting anyone else that some women choose to be sex workers?
esmarv09 // Aug 25th 2011 at 2:02 pm
I found this reading very interesting and eye-opening. I have a much deeper respect for workers in the sex industry because of the troubles they face from law enforcement and society, in order to do what they want. This reading allowed me to see the industry from a point-of-view that society rarely takes into consideration. It is unfair for sex workers to be discriminated against, just because the majority of society sees it a certain way. Conditions need to be changed and law enforcement needs to focus on bigger issues than attempting to stop an industry that exists based on choice.
ogmcma08 // Aug 25th 2011 at 3:45 pm
In a way, this article exemplifies the feminist contradiction we were discussing the other day. Although different from Johnson’s example, the person writing identifies herself to be a feminist, but she was fearful that knowledge of her profession would lead to severe disapproval from her fellow peers. She believes that they would try and change her, change the industry, and make it their personal goal to combat the issues that they(as outsiders) saw. Now here is the bigger issue: Although one can be passionate about specific problems, it seems ill advised to act on those passions without the input and more importantly the approval of group you are trying to assist. I had never given much thought to that concept, I have always been a mind of action. However, it makes sense that action without information can in turn harm those parties involved. Although the writer admits to holes and dangers of the industry she wants to work together with her fellow sex workers and with people in power to change it for the better. Maybe this is the key. Maybe we need to work together with those parties we wish to change. We need to trust those parties and let them show us the truths.
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