A brief history of the ‘Sex work is work’ movement - Nordic Model Now

[stumbledin]

In 1977 a Swedish project was launched to discover the everyday reality of prostituted women’s lives. Researchers interviewed hundreds of women, johns and pimps. What they found exploded the old Victorian myths that prostitution resulted from a biological urge in men and a mental defect in the women. Instead, they found it was something that men do to women with tragic consequences.

Around the same time feminists in the United States and elsewhere, such as Kathleen Barry and Andrea Dworkin, were making a powerful analysis of pornography and prostitution as key elements in the systematic subordination of women. As a result, the sex industry had a serious image problem on its hands.

This article provides an insight into the ways in which the sex industry fought back, including by using euphemism to obscure the reality of prostitution and the idea of prostitutes’ trade unions to give itself legitimacy.

nordicmodelnow.org/2021/06/05/a-brief-history-of-the-sex-work-is-work-movement/

[Thisbee]

I have not watched Line of Duty or Secret Diary. I have not read the books or the blog. They play no part in my understanding of prostitution in Britain and I would ignore anything in them.

In her two books 'The Sex Myth: Why Everything We're Told is Wrong' and 'Sex, Lies & Statistics' she looks at the evidence about prostitution, pornography and erotic dancing. I quote below from the chapter in The Sex Myth about the false statistics that claimed to show that the presence of lap dancing clubs in Camden increased the incidence of rape.

"I don't object to opinions. Think lap dancing is a sin? Great, that's fine for you. Think it's oppressing women? Great, I look forward to your paper. What gets my goat is invoking a semblance of statistical analysis. I'm a (former) statistician, yo. You're on my turf now."

That's the problem with all the statistics coming from Radical Feminists. They don't stand up to scrutiny. Anyone who has been trained in statistical analysis, like Brooke Magnanti, can find the flaws in their arguments.

[Thisbee]

@InspiralCoalescenceRingdown

If sex work is a job like any other, how does The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 apply?

Sex work isn't a job like any other. Do you know of any other jobs where if two women choose to work together for safety they are arrested and imprisoned? It's illegal to work as a prostitute unless you are alone. Escort agencies are illegal. If that was changed there is no reason why the Health and Safety at Work Act could not apply.

There are a number of informal ways for people to make money. That can be a problem when it comes to tax and regulations about safety. You don't make things better by either criminalising the service providers or their clients.

Is there any testimony from retired sex workers in their 60s? Is there any testimony from retired accountants or retired waitresses? What about Cynthia Payne? There is a book called Lucky Girl by Violet Ivy and there are blogs. I'm not sure how many are by people over 60 and retired.

[copperpotsalot]

@sharksarecool

If sex work is work:

• Are sex workers entitled to statutory maternity pay?
• Were sex workers able to claim furlough if they could prove their earnings?
• What's the process for performance management? Is there a payscale?
• Is income generated through sex work taxable?
• What's the law concerning unfair dismissal?

I don't think the fact that sex workers aren't afforded these rights takes away from sex work being work. It just means the law doesn't recognise it as such.

[Thisbee]

@InspiralCoalescenceRingdown

I'm all for more and better evidence, as well. The Swedes' own inquiry into the Nordic model suggested that demand had reduced under their model

The inquiry only suggests this. It doesn't tell you that surveys show an increase in the proportion of Swedish men who are active sex buyers from 1.3% to 1.8% between 1996 and 2008. The sex buyers' law was introduced in 1999, the survey previous to that was in 1996 and the first one after was in 2008. This is the most important evidence about demand, anything else is merely suggestive.

[InspiralCoalescenceRingdown]

The rumour that Douglas Fox had input on Amnesty's sex work policy is false:

I see Amnesty and yourself mention Douglas Fox, but not Alejandra Gil.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/22/pimp-amnesty-prostitution-policy-sex-trade-decriminalise-brothel-keepers

[InspiralCoalescenceRingdown]

If that was changed there is no reason why the Health and Safety at Work Act could not apply.

Cool, so that would work how? With regards to PPE?

All you've supplied so far in this thread are unsourced assertions and name dropping appeals to authority.

[Thisbee]

Apart from condoms a sex worker doesn't need any more PPE than a masseur. When they all get their 2 vaccinations they can start earning money again without the risk that they will be spreading covid. Don't believe all the rubbish that sex workers have to do oral sex without a condom and CIM. Some people believe that which contributes to their idea that all prostitution harms all prostitutes.

So when I said that there was an increase in the proportion of Swedish men who are active sex buyers after the Nordic Model was introduced you think this is an unsourced assertion? It comes from the 2014 Länsstyrelsen study by Endrit Mujaj and Amanda Netscher.
www.lansstyrelsen.se/download/18.35db062616a5352a22a1d7a5/1559733783690/Rapport%202015-18%20prostitution%20in%20Sweden%202014.pdf

This document gives all the relevant data from the Swedish surveys. What proportion of Swedish men have paid for sex in the previous 12 months (active sex buyers). What proportion of men have paid for sex at any time in their lives. What proportion of women have sold sex at any time in their lives.

It also explains the difference between prevalence and incidence statistics and why prevalence statistics should not be used if incidence statistics are available.

I've tried to tell you who are the leading authorities on the subject and I have quoted from their published works. That's not 'name dropping appeals to authority'.