You need to read this article about the Leeds red light district.

[DJLippy]

I read this blog about the Leeds red light district from someone who lives there. It's so illuminating. This needs a wider audience - please share on social media. This is what decriminalisation looks like.

littlegirlblue.blog/2018/05/25/living-in-the-red-light-district/

Here is the link to the Chat thread to bump it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3260727-any-journalists-here?msgid=78182328#78182328

Thanks @LassWiADelicateAir

Come on let's get bumping.

I really feel like we could all be a catalyst to put this fucking disgrace of an 'experiment' for what it is.

@LassWiADelicateAir , how do I link to the journalist thread from here so people here can try & get that some attention too?? Thanks

I am aware of the establishment aspects re journalistic publishing but wouldn’t it be infinitely better, particularly because @Celinedayjardnz is looking for work, if she was able to have her work published by her?

Surely people like JB and others could actually help re opening doors rather than actually writing things for her. She’s a good writer, I don’t think she necessarily needs someone to essentially rewrite it for a mainstream publication.

Regeneration of Holbeck has stalled so many times - any other locals remember Holbeck Urban Village? I used to live in Holbeck, and the change that occurred in just the few years before I moved again was staggering. It is so close to the city centre, but miles away in terms of deprivation.

I posted this on the Chat thread.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3402023/Devastating-truth-Britain-s-legal-red-light-district-police-council-insist-s-city-safer-reality-Intimidation-murder-locals-scared-out.html6

The knock on effect on every one's lives in this area should be considered.

It is a Daily Mail article from 2016. I'm not going to apologise for it. There is nothing in to criticise.

It draws attention to the miserable life of the prostitutes; the day to day deterioration of the quality of life for those who are not involved in prostitution in any way; and ultimately the wrecking of other people's businesses and security.

I am aware of the establishment aspects re journalistic publishing but wouldn’t it be infinitely better, particularly because @Celinedayjardnz is looking for work, if she was able to have her work published by her?

That is what I meant- not that Janice Turner or The Times should re-write it but that they provide the vehicle for it to be seen.

Good good...

Once again!

I am not condoning the exploitation of anyone! I am not being gender specific here, and think if people are being exploited something should be done!

I am genuinely staggered at some of the postings!

But then maybe should not be surprised given some of the offensive language used! I think this shows a real lack of intellect and ability to structure a coherent argument.

Basically some of you feel that every single woman in the sex trade is doing it unwilling, and that there is absolutely no way any have chosen to do it!
And that all men are rapists if they pay for any kind of services.

We do indeed live in a country with a welfare system, but it obviously does not cover enough.

Thinking that absolutely no one chooses to work in the industry of their own free will is deluded!

What do you say to the women who choose to do this?

Thinking that absolutely no one chooses to work in the industry of their own free will is deluded!

I have already said - I don't care if it is of their own free will. Accepting prostitution as inevitable/ acceptable is damaging to society as a whole.

And that all men are rapists if they pay for any kind of services.

Now you're getting it.

I actually agree with you!

It should not be a necessity. I think it is terrible that anyone feels this is their only option!

I am merely stating that for everyone's safety and well-being, especially the workers involved, wouldn't it be better to create a safe environment.

I think this shows a real lack of intellect and ability to structure a coherent argument.

Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah yes, the rules of debate! Men always think women are stupid and can’t debate when they disagree with them...

To clarify; yes, all men who pay women for sex are rapists. No, obviously a small minority of very privileged sex workers choose and sometimes enjoy sex work, this makes no difference to any argument re the harms of the sex industry as a whole.

Paying someone undermines consent. This totally uncomtroversial principle is why you aren’t allowed to pay someone for their kidney or to carry a baby for you.

I am not condoning the exploitation of anyone!

Yes you are. Every time a man buys sex he drives demand for the industry. Every time. If you pay for sex you are directly encouraging it. And not only that, you commodify women as something to be bought and sold - that attitude has knock on effects through the rest of society. no man who pays for sex sees women as equals
Did you read the article? Women who have nothing to do with prostitution are afraid to go out, and are being propositioned for sex. Do you have any idea how frightening that is?

Willing proportion of prostitues? Someone asked this on the thread the other day. The figures found on a government research report were that:
90% wanted to leave.
95% have been sexually assaulted
70% had been raped
80% of trafficking victims are female women and children.

The article posted today shows that 90% of the working girls in Holbeck are hooked on hard drugs. The idea of them as some sort of willing upper market escorts is laughable. Or it would be if it wasn’t so tragic.

So under ten percent are there willingly. And that’s across the board. Street prostitution is the bottom end of that so I’d imagine the ‘happy hookers’ are almost absent in Holbeck.

I’ll ask you again, have you ever bought sex?

Alternate Flippant comment, but your excessive , inappropriate and grammatically incorrect use of exclamation marks isn't helping your case.

Paying someone undermines consent. This totally uncomtroversial principle is why you aren’t allowed to pay someone for their kidney or to carry a baby for you.

Yup. Or be paid to donate blood or sperm or platelets or bone marrow or take part in a clinical trial.

But fucking a woman who is only doing it because she’s forced, vulnerable or hooked on drugs is totes ok! Equality! Or something, I don’t know my brain is too pink to engage in serious debate

Yes you are. Every time a man buys sex he drives demand for the industry. Every time. If you pay for sex you are directly encouraging it. And not only that, you commodify women as something to be bought and sold - that attitude has knock on effects through the rest of society. no man who pays for sex sees women as equals

Yes. It is the coarsening of society as a whole- promoting a race to the lowest level.

Lets try to be constructive about this.

Those in Holbeck are quite possibly on hard drugs. What is your suggestion on how they feed or support their habit?
I am not exploiting anyone, and have not paid for sex, but I do believe that it will happen regardless of my thoughts. In some cases because these workers are hooked on drugs, and maybe society has discarded them.
I am pretty confident that most if not all people arguing with me have done little to nothing to help any of these people.

An alternative would be to go out and convince all the worker to stop. Since they do not want to be in the industry anyway. Then the industry would come to a halt.

Of course the argument will be that it is driven by men, and these women have no free will.

If you feel so strongly about it all. Gather the sisterhood together and march down to Holbeck this evening and protest/speak to these ladies, tell the men the error of their ways.
It is after all a free country. And your right to freedom of speech should be exercised.

NO EXCLAMATION MARKS WERE USED IN THIS STATEMENT

Lets try to be constructive about this.

No. Let’s not ‘try to be constructive about this’ by which you mean listen to your male authority...

How about you take your uninformed simplistic justifications for institutionalised abuse of women somewhere else.

I don't particularly want to thank you!

I am saying that it is wrong to exploit, and clearly there is exploitation within the sex trade.

What you want is to believe only your point of view exists, and absolutely no one does it through choice.

I think you only accept freedom of choice if it agrees with you.

🙄

Prostitution will always exist but that does not mean a man who exploits a desperate woman gets to convince himself that he is a good man.

This thread is about the situation in Holbeck, Celinedayjardnz blog about the issues residents there are facing, and how to bring this to a wider audience.

Your posts are a massive derail. Also your 'view' is not 'alternative' it's the same bog standard misogynist sealioning that happens every time there is a thread about prostitution.

Please watch Offred's informative video.

Thankyou @Alternateview for getting loads more traffic here!!

Keep bumping the main thread on chat calling for journalists, in caps