I have written about the Policing and Crime Bill in relation to prostitution. The Bill got its second reading on the 19th January and now has gone to the Public Bill Committee.
The English Collective of Prostitutes have produced a very good briefing about this Bill. Clauses 13, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 25 will drive prostitution underground. And there’s an misguided notion that this Bill will ‘protect’ sex workers. No it won’t it will criminalise people who already exist on the margins of society. This Bill has a strong stench of Victorian morality emanating from it.
Clause 13: ‘Paying for sexual services of a prostitute controlled for gain’. This is such a loose definition, especially ‘controlled for gain’ as that can apply to the whole of the labour market and commodification under capitalism. But in this context, the meaning of controlled is stretched as it includes anyone who works with a sex worker i.e. maid, receptionist, partner.
And in December of 2008, the cops have been raidng premises in Soho. Receptionists have been threatened with ‘controlling prostitution for gain’. The ECP correctly argue, who is this benefiting? It is far safer for sex workers to work indoors as opposed to on the street.
Clause 15: ‘Soliciting is persistent ‘if it takes place twice over a period of three months’
If NL were serious about supporting sex workers getting out of prostitution then how is further criminalising them helpful? Criminal records have a tendency to hinder people getting employment. So they are already stymied at the first hurdle. And again, using prisons as punishment that are already used as social dustbins will make sex workers more vulnerable and marginalised. Prison does not work!!
You can read about the other Clauses on the ECP briefing. They also state:
The proposals claim to offer protection and safety, and “support those involved in prostitution to develop routes out”. They do not. As the economic recession hits, more women, especially mothers, are likely to resort to prostitution to support their families. If prostitution is forced underground women will be exposed to greater dangers and be less able to come forward to get help.
The other good thing about the ECP is that sex workers are given a voice to talk about their own experiences. Surely it is imperative that sex workers are central of decision making as opposed to being ignored, deemed invisible and vilified, for that is what NL is doing. Dismissing the voices of sex workers with their continuous binge of authoritarian legislation. And this is a question to feminists who support further legislation in criminalising prostitution, does this in anyway support women sex workers, does this legislation advance the struggle for women’s autonomy? No, it doesn’t. Sex work is a reality.
Along with living under a patriarchal capitalist society which is dominated by unequal power relationships, there’s an economic demand for selling sex, and sex, like any other commodity, can be sold and where the transaction will have a material advancement for the seller.
The only viable alternative is, and as I stressed before, is unionisation and decriminalisation.
[...] are my previous thoughts on this specific [...]
[...] Debates, fundamentally, need counter-balanced arguments which are unfortunately left out of the political equation and therefore if you don’t hold a certain line on sex work and pornography then you are marginalised, silenced and no platformed. It is about controlling the debate which stymies debate and openness. I admit my politics are contrary to these given prescriptives as I am anti-censorship of porn (certainly oppose state censorship) and support the decriminisation and unionisation of sex workers. [...]