Opposing Bill C-36: Things You Can Do

[DigitallyYours]

This information is spread out over several threads. I wanted it in one place. Please add to it.

FOR EVERYONE

1. Attend National Day of Action
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthrea...action-Criminalization-costs-sex-worker-lives

TORONTO - Saturday, June 14th at 2 PM.
At the North-West corner of Sherbourne and Gerrard for a public demonstration followed by a picnic.

2. Donate to a Sex Worker advocacy group, such as (but not limited to):

Maggie`s
http://maggiestoronto.ca/

POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa/Gatineau Work, Educate and Resist)
http://www.powerottawa.ca/

SPOC (Sex Professionals of Canada)
http://www.spoc.ca/

3. Write and send articles to your MP
Find Your Member of Parliament

Tell your MP how you feel.
How to lobby without outing yourself

If you`re not sure what to say, you can also read this thread:
Recent articles on prostitution, related laws, opinions and comments
then send an article that summarizes your concerns to your MP.

FOR SEX WORKERS

After watching the debates this week, it is obvious that the discussion is entirely about sex worker safety. I am willing to bet that most Members of Parliament only know what is spoonfed to them and most have probably never met or spoken to an actual sex worker. I am very saddened that some women are trafficked and coerced into the industry, but I know that does not represent every sex worker.

So, regardless of what area of the industry you are in, whether you are an SP, MPA or work in a strip club, please tell your stories and voice your concerns. You could do this to:

1. Your MP, who will vote on the bill.
Find Your Member of Parliament

2. Members of the Justice Committee who are responsible for writing a report to Parliament on their opinion of Bill C-36. In particular write to Francoise Boivin, who is the official opposition critic for justice and a member of the Committee:
http://www.francoiseboivin.com/en

Party	Member	District
	Conservative	Dave MacKenzie, chair	Oxford, ON
	Conservative	Kerry-Lynne Findlay	Delta—Richmond East, BC
	Conservative	Robert Goguen	Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
	Conservative	Brian Jean	Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
	Conservative	Brent Rathgeber	Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
	Conservative	Kyle Seeback	Brampton West, ON
	Conservative	Stephen Woodworth	Kitchener Centre, ON
	Liberal	Irwin Cotler, vice-chair	Mount Royal, QC
	New Democratic Party	Jack Harris, vice-chair	St. John`s East, NL
	New Democratic Party	Françoise Boivin	Gatineau, QC
	New Democratic Party	Charmaine Borg	Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
	New Democratic Party	P. Jacob	Brome—Missisquoi, QC

3. A journalist or blogger.
Read Recent articles on prostitution, related laws, opinions and comments and contact someone whose writing you support.

4. A sex worker advocacy group.
(see above)

TWITTER

Follow the discussion of Bill C-36 on Twitter, using the hashtag: #C36
Twitter #C36

USEFUL LINKS

Text of Bill C-36
Status of Bill C-36
House of Commons Debate on Bill C-36
Government Backgrounder on Bill C-36

 

[legmann]

Great post.

 

[Ace88]

You forgot "vote Conservatives out next year".

 

[CUPID]

I would suggest that Sex-Workers, agencies and spas also get in contact with the places that they advertise and ask what they are doing about C-36. If we also get businesses involved; like Now, Backpage, Eros, P411 and others, they can speak up and help challenge this bill.
I have contacted a number of places that I advertise, most have ignored me. I am currently trying to speak with Gina of P411 who is offering support and suggestions as much as she can. I am disappointed that others haven't responded; this effects their venues and business. I would suggest that all of us contact these places and add pressure for them to help fight C-36, the more people and businesses we have, the more we will be heard.

 

[AlannaJohnson]

PLS. Write to Your MPs and to Members of the Justice Committee!

My sweets, the Conservatives are throwing quite the curve-ball at us with their proposed Bill C36. As you may already know, if adopted in its current form, this bill will criminalize the purchase of sexual services (that's so broadly defined that one has to wonder if massage parlours and strip clubs will also be included!); it will also criminalize escort agencies, and the advertising of sexual services by a third party (such as an agency advertising on behalf of those they represent.) We all hope that the Conservatives will know better than to push through this legislation in its current form, though they do seem pretty set on pushing it through way before the December deadline set out by the Supreme Court for them to come up with a legislative response to the Bedford decision (a legislative response which btw is optional, but of course, they don't see it that way.) Time is of the essence my sweets! The second reading of Bill C36 is continuing in the House of Commons THIS MONDAY, JUN 16TH. You still have time to write to your MP expressing your disapproval of this bill. I'm sure they all get emails on their phones. If the Conservatives only knew how revolted people were about this idiotic bill, and how many votes they will lose as a result, they would think twice about trying to push their moralistic agenda on all of us. Re: writing to your MP. I should let you know that it was a local companion who emailed a very concerned and well-articulated letter to all MPs. Lo' and behold, the Liberal Justice Critic, the MP for Charlottetown, read her letter out-loud almost word-for-word during the debate. We Still Can influence this debate. Let's do it my sweets! Our civil liberties depend on it!

Beyond addressing our own MPs or even mass-emailing all, or a number of them, I do believe we should especially make our views known to members of the Justice Committee (see the original post above.) That doesn't have to happen by Monday, but the sooner the better. Thank you btw to DigitallyYours above for the excellent post!!

I have posted a number of updates and relevant articles on my Twitter feed @AlannaJohnsonSP and will continue to do so. If you're not sure quite what to write to your MPs, feel free to just send them the links to any of the articles or blog posts opposing this bill (again, I've posted a bunch of them on my Twitter feed), and to copy & paste some of the people's disapproving comments found in the Comments sections of said articles. That should tell the Conservatives where the people are at. It may also be good to remind them that the recent results of the Ontario election are no accident

I urge you all to send emails to your MPs and emails/letters to members of the Justice Committee. They need to know just how displeased we all are with this bill.

Thank you all in advance! And thanks to everyone who's already written letters and tried to mobilize others!

~~~Much love to you all, along with peace, justice, and prosperity! ~~~

 

[DigitallyYours]

A few more thoughts:

1. Please feel free to plagiarize this thread and spread the word to other boards/forums you visit.

2. SPs, encourage people to write to their MPs and the Justice Committee in your advertisements. Agencies and SPs, please consider adding a Bill C-36 awareness area to your websites encouraging people to oppose the bill.

3. MPAs and exotic dancers, you may be asking yourself why/what you should write to your MP or the Justice Committee. Here's the gist of what you could say: "Dear Member of Parliament: I am a licensed, law-abiding, and tax paying exotic dancer/body rub attendant who works in a licensed and legal establishment. I am not, in any way, trafficked, pimped or coerced to do this work. I am concerned that the vague way 'sexual services' is defined in Bill C-36 will negatively impact my work. Neither my boss nor my customers are criminals nor do they deserve to be considered as such. Please re-word your bill so that we are not caught in your proposed law."

 

[rjeremey]

You forgot "vote Conservatives out next year".

Yes, I couldn't agree more. They are taking all the fun away. They want us to be their Human Resource...Minions!

Rob Ford is in Rehab, Hudak is going back to Walmart...two down, one to go. In 2015, vote strategic, get Harper and his cronies out of Ottawa!