a quick (but important) one…
Huge apologies for the tardiness and neglect, but I promise a proper post is on it’s way – as some know already it’s been a mad couple of weeks and catching up/recovery is the name of the game at the moment. For today, I’m posting to remind everyone that we now have one calendar month left until the fourteenth of December, to write to Rhoda Grant and protest about the proposed criminalisation of the purchase of sex in Scotland. The consultation in full is here.
Rhoda claims we (contented, well adjusted, non-exploited independent sex workers) do not exist, despite having read letters and submissions from and articles by us and even after meeting some of us in person, dismissing those who are living proof as a tiny minority of irrelevances. Prove her and her blinkered, narrow minded, ignorant acolytes wrong.
She denies us all the right to have whatever sex we like with whomever we choose to have it, and for whatever reason we see fit. Consenting adults should, and have, always been able to do whatever they like behind closed doors, and it is imperative in a civilised society that this situation be allowed to remain. It is already illegal to have sex with somebody who cannot, or has not given informed consent.
She also seeks to make vulnerable workers even more vulnerable by frightening the kind, respectful and pleasant clients we rely on into reducing or ceasing their punting – this will not make any difference to those who don’t care about obeying the laws of the land, because if they seek to rob, attack and exploit us they are breaking them anyway and another clause in the statute book won’t alter that. If a person thinks it’s OK to treat other people this way because they are prostitutes, they need dissuading of that idea by other means whether they be therapy or locking up. Depriving their targets of their livelihood by reducing their client base does nothing to alter their attitude or behaviour towards us, and actually makes us easier to attack, abuse and exploit as with fewer punters to go round, we have little option but to cross our fingers and engage with some who we’d previously have crossed the road to avoid.
This proposition only punishes willing workers and their punters, and makes no difference whatsoever to those who genuinely need support and protection – only proper policing including the appropriate enforcement of existing legislation against rape, child abuse, kidnap and false imprisonment, fraud and exploitation can do that. If these laws are not being enforced now, what chance does wasting money adding yet another new one have? It is not possible to make something which is already illegal MORE illegal; it either is or it isn’t.
You don’t need to give your legal name, by all means use your work name or any alias you like. Ask for your response to be treated as anonymous if you do not wish your name to be published on Rhoda Grant’s website and by the Scottish Parliament: names used will be published.
Punters, prossies and anybody else with a passing interest in a society which recognises basic human rights may write to Ms Grant here:
Rhoda.Grant.msp@scottish.parliament.uk or by post to:
Rhoda Grant MSP
Room M1.06
Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
We need to stick up for ourselves – don’t think because it’s Scotland and not England it doesn’t matter, or it won’t happen here. It can, and if we sit back and wait for everybody else to do something about it, it will. Even a quick email (won’t take more than ten minutes) in response to the questions will be great, and if you’re really struggling for what to say, Scot-PEP have some templates here; just print, sign and send.
More (very) soon. Promise.
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