When Winston told me he was on the bad dates list I could not believe it till I went and took a look myself. Having met Winston a few times in person, reading his posts and exchanging e-mails with him etc… I found this very hard to believe that he was a bad date. Added to that is the fact that I am sure one source of information alleging that he is a bad date is IMO not to be considered serious and/or reliable. As far as I know though (I have not looked today) his name is still there. Too bad because it kind of taints my trust in other listings there.
Having said… while I do have other differences of opinion with SPOC on the whole topic of street workers and other things I still do support their efforts to decrim. I have attended a rally/march with them and other events that they have put on. And indeed I also arranged for them to get some comp advertising for the same. In addition to their bad date list and efforts to decrim they offer other services to sex workers that they may not other wise find out about if not for SPOC.
I am more then well aware of the differences of opinion that SPOC and Dave have ongoing. Seems also that there are some bad feelings between them as well. I find that kind of sad in a way and bit perplexing also. I say that because I in fact agree with a lot of things that Dave says. Seems that how he goes about saying it though or somewhere along the line he must have done something that SPOC members took as offensive and therefore now everything he says is up for attack. Also I can see somewhat what another poster here says that Dave’s opinions etc are self-serving. I might reword that a bit though and say that sometimes his efforts are seemingly self-serving. However having said that… who on here who wants decrim etc and states their opinions is not self-serving? I am. I work in the adult industry so of course I would like to see the laws changed to make SW more acceptable and mainstream etc. For sure my business would increase. Also however anything I do say about the sex industry is my real opinion and how I really feel. In other words I would have the same opinion if I were working in the industry or not. I would not be here otherwise. There are some others who provide services such as advertising etc to SWs who are completely biased and judgmental towards SWs. They are very happy to take their money for ads etc… though. These people make me sick to my stomach. I don’t think Dave falls in that category. Sure what he says seems self-serving but like me he also believes what he is espousing.
My opinions on street workers for example are very similar to Dave’s. I won’t go so far as to say that ALL street workers are drug addicts. I will state that I know for sure that most of them are. How do I know? Because I been there down in the trenches with them. I have been in treatment for addiction with them. I am still friends with some of them. If you go to the streets in GTA you are more likely to get a crack addict then anything else. That or ripped off by all the workers who are not drug addicts but have over-controlling pimps who instruct them to rip you off as much as possible. How do I know? I use to be a driver for some of these girls. Their whole mission in life is to get as much money from you as possible and do as little as possible for it. Nothing at all like SWs who advertise in the paper or on-line. Their attitude is a STREET ATTITUDE. Just like there are dancers who will ‘miscount’ the number of dances in VIP for example, there are street workers who will promise you the moon but once they get your money they give you little as possible, take the money and run. And like it or not the facts are the facts. It’s not my opinion… it’s a FACT. And almost all of these girls have abusive pimps that take by far a majority if not ALL the money they make. I personally cannot or will not condone or support this type of activity.
I could go on and on… but then I will be more long winded then Dave LOL.
I will say this much more though. I believe that one of the most important things (also mentioned by Dave in his posts over the years) is public education on the sex work industry to dispel all the misconceptions and ignorance about sex workers in general. To that end I have been invited and will be going to give a talk on that same subject at a venue here in GTA sometime soon.
Having said… while I do have other differences of opinion with SPOC on the whole topic of street workers and other things I still do support their efforts to decrim. I have attended a rally/march with them and other events that they have put on. And indeed I also arranged for them to get some comp advertising for the same. In addition to their bad date list and efforts to decrim they offer other services to sex workers that they may not other wise find out about if not for SPOC.
I am more then well aware of the differences of opinion that SPOC and Dave have ongoing. Seems also that there are some bad feelings between them as well. I find that kind of sad in a way and bit perplexing also. I say that because I in fact agree with a lot of things that Dave says. Seems that how he goes about saying it though or somewhere along the line he must have done something that SPOC members took as offensive and therefore now everything he says is up for attack. Also I can see somewhat what another poster here says that Dave’s opinions etc are self-serving. I might reword that a bit though and say that sometimes his efforts are seemingly self-serving. However having said that… who on here who wants decrim etc and states their opinions is not self-serving? I am. I work in the adult industry so of course I would like to see the laws changed to make SW more acceptable and mainstream etc. For sure my business would increase. Also however anything I do say about the sex industry is my real opinion and how I really feel. In other words I would have the same opinion if I were working in the industry or not. I would not be here otherwise. There are some others who provide services such as advertising etc to SWs who are completely biased and judgmental towards SWs. They are very happy to take their money for ads etc… though. These people make me sick to my stomach. I don’t think Dave falls in that category. Sure what he says seems self-serving but like me he also believes what he is espousing.
My opinions on street workers for example are very similar to Dave’s. I won’t go so far as to say that ALL street workers are drug addicts. I will state that I know for sure that most of them are. How do I know? Because I been there down in the trenches with them. I have been in treatment for addiction with them. I am still friends with some of them. If you go to the streets in GTA you are more likely to get a crack addict then anything else. That or ripped off by all the workers who are not drug addicts but have over-controlling pimps who instruct them to rip you off as much as possible. How do I know? I use to be a driver for some of these girls. Their whole mission in life is to get as much money from you as possible and do as little as possible for it. Nothing at all like SWs who advertise in the paper or on-line. Their attitude is a STREET ATTITUDE. Just like there are dancers who will ‘miscount’ the number of dances in VIP for example, there are street workers who will promise you the moon but once they get your money they give you little as possible, take the money and run. And like it or not the facts are the facts. It’s not my opinion… it’s a FACT. And almost all of these girls have abusive pimps that take by far a majority if not ALL the money they make. I personally cannot or will not condone or support this type of activity.
I could go on and on… but then I will be more long winded then Dave LOL.
I will say this much more though. I believe that one of the most important things (also mentioned by Dave in his posts over the years) is public education on the sex work industry to dispel all the misconceptions and ignorance about sex workers in general. To that end I have been invited and will be going to give a talk on that same subject at a venue here in GTA sometime soon.
