Wake up Escorts

[Vs_81]

One thing we learned from history and yet we keep on forgetting is no matter where the moral compass of a society lies economic rules always prevail. In peace or war, rains or draughts, flooding or earthquakes if there is one thing that survives it's always the economic rules. Stephan Harper, an economist by training, howcome forgets that supply and demand are the basic principle of any market. If demand goes down prices will go down eventually. You reduce number of Johns by criminalizing them you will have escorts competing for the business. This will hurt genuine escorts cause they have to reduce their rates to survive in a market with less demand. May be Stephen Harper knows that but it's in his political interest to change the law in a way that get him more conservative votes, it will hurt the escorts, who cares. So what began with the intentions of helping escorts and their working environment will eventually end up hurting them. So for all the girls who consider themselves legitimate escorts should start speaking against Nordic model otherwise they would end up in a worse situation then now. It's not even good for street workers cause once we have Nordic model escorts will have to work in darker back alleys cause johns would be scared seeing them where police can spot them. It's just an advise, I am not connected to any group and have no political inclination whatsoever.
Goodluck Escorts!

 

[jonskis]

I would agree that supply and demand is the basic principle for any market. However, the SCC essentially ruled in Bedford et. al. that certain federal laws were unconstitutional because they infringe on the constitutional right of sex workers to safety, among other things. And while that is an overly-simplified summary of that case, as I understand it the logic used by the SCC could also be equally applied to the so-called Nordic Model IE the Nordic Model still would not make the working conditions of sex workers safe because, as you said, it creates less demand, making more likely the bad Johns the ones to seek out the services of sex workers, which as you noted would make them less safe, just as the current laws do now. Of course, the so-called Nordic Model or whatever version of it the Harper Government seems intent on using, could and should be challenged in a court of law. But what about in the meantime? That is where your message is important; and that not only should sex workers "wake up" so should everyone!

 

[Vs_81]

I would agree that supply and demand is the basic principle for any market. However, the SCC essentially ruled in Bedford et. al. that certain federal laws were unconstitutional because they infringe on the constitutional right of sex workers to safety, among other things. And while that is an overly-simplified summary of that case, as I understand it the logic used by the SCC could also be equally applied to the so-called Nordic Model IE the Nordic Model still would not make the working conditions of sex workers safe because, as you said, it creates less demand, making more likely the bad Johns the ones to seek out the services of sex workers, which as you noted would make them less safe, just as the current laws do now. Of course, the so-called Nordic Model or whatever version of it the Harper Government seems intent on using, could and should be challenged in a court of law. But what about in the meantime? That is where your message is important; and that not only should sex workers "wake up" so should everyone!

Yes we know that the new set of laws (Nordic model) would be challenged and even the current government knows that it would be stricken down by the court but you know politics is the game of getting popularity no matter who suffers, so a conservative government will use this opportunity to gain more popularity in their conservative base (like they used the fair election legislation for their benefit). Even if it gets stricken down and few 100 escorts get killed or live a miserable life in the mean time, they may get another conservative majority for "moralizing the society" and trying to "wipeout prostitution". Which they know from the get go that it's just an opportunity to win election given to them by SC. The new law prevails or stricken down, they don't care, escorts get killed in the dark back roads they don't care, escorts who didn't get killed by another "Robert Picton" live a impoverish life they don't care. So unless escorts speak against the incoming laws their future look really bleak.

 

[Ace88]

I think the apathy of the hobbyists comes from the fact that the New Zealand model will never really happen here, and so the Nordic model will win by default. If you ask me its already a done deal. It's over.

 

[Vs_81]

Ever heard about "bait cars - joyride to jail", think why LE never did something like "bait escort - joyride to loss of everything"? They never did it because currently in an incall escort is breaking the law too so they cannot hire a bait escort and charge only John. But with the Nordic model when escorting at an incall location would be legal and being John would be criminal then it will be the perfect condition to create "bait escorts", police can even hire girls who can publish ads, you go there and your whole livelihood is gone. So it would definitely be too risky to be a client and push a good percentage of guys out of hobby. Even if 20 % of guys quit there would be further downward pressure on the escorting rates. Make it difficult for escorts to compete. Because of the fears of "bait escorts" setup by police fresh girls would have even tougher time to get the clients so they will reduce rates further to attract clients, all the odds are bad for escorts here. Obviously it's bad for clients too but they will find other avenues to fulfil their needs, strip bars, massage parlours or sugarbabies being some of the options.

 

[Ace88]

Yep. She'll just say "can I see the money first", and once you hand it over, boom, you paid for sex and you're being read your rights. And strip clubs are strictly no contact, and panties stay on under the Nordic model, so don't think the SCs are gonna be what they are today.

 

[alex52]

Its the oldest profession in the world it will survive everything.

 

[Jugo]

police can even hire girls who can publish ads, you go there and your whole livelihood is gone. So it would definitely be too risky to be a client and push a good percentage of guys out of hobby.

Maybe we should pool some funds and pay volunteers to go ahead of us and see if a girl is legit, lol!

 

[TheRiddlerMan]

Never is a long time lol. No I believe it will happen eventually but not for the next 5 to 10 years. When the Nordic model is struck down by SCC the only remaining and viable option no matter what party will be in power will be the NZ model. So lets get it right this time instead of causing a decade of injustice and harm and suffering because we will eventually end up with the right model whether your 25% support of religious fanatics idiots like it or not.

You keep missing the point of the Nordic model. It's based around the idea that all sex workers, from the $20 streetwalker to the most elite courtesans, are victims, and "hobbyists" are the victimizers. The intent is not to reduce risk and make the industry safer, it's to get get women out of it completely. It's an abolitionist model, and it doesn't distinguish between good or bad clients. As soon as you pay a woman for sex, you're part of the problem. It does an end run around the SC ruling, because challengers will have to prove that going after the johns in order to get women out of an inherently abusive profession is the equivalent of making that profession less safe. It may for some, but not for others. It will be tied in with the fight against sex trafficking and underage prostitution, social evils without any grey areas.

One other thing - people may or may not believe that prostitutes are victims and that prostitution should be illegal, but hobbyists are universally despised. In the public eye, we're either pathetic losers who can't laid without paying for it or scumballs cheating on SOs. That would be the real reason for hobbyist apathy. How many will sign their real name to a petition and proudly state they pay women for sex, or march in the streets for the right to do so? We all know that some of the people out there right now writing up this new law probably have appointments with their favorite provider after work, but it'll be left to the sex worker groups to actually fight it.

 

[Ace88]

Yes I'm pretty sure that applies to Norway and Finland too. In Iceland, strip clubs themselves have been banned.
Jugo I don't think anyone will volunteer for your plan lol, but TERB will become much more important in the near future, because hobbyists will have to screen and vet providers as rigorously as they do (no more TOFTS lol), in order to avoid blackmailers and detectives.
Agree 100% with TheRiddlerMan, its an abolitionist model, and johns are universally despised.

 

[Vs_81]

Escorts who are doing it by their choice should speak up because all I am hearing in the news is "more than hundreds of girls are forced to prostitution in Ottawa" or "more than half of the girls in Ottawa on BP and other boards are not doing it by their choice". This is a big lie cause I know lots of these girls and all of them are doing it because they want to do it. Definitely there is a political game going on and usually the first casualties of a political game are the most vulnerable ones, unfortunately, it's escorts in this case. Please speak up otherwise you will become a casualty of a political game. You would loose and rich and powerful will gain. Post it here, talk to media, convey your side of story, once they are successful in building people minds that "most of the prostitution is forced" you would be left with nothing but accept the consequences.

 

[Catherine St.Claire]

Most of us have spoken up! As an loosely organized group nationally we have filled in the surveys, contributed to interviews and contacted our MP's both in writing and calls. There is only so much that can be done and this new bill stems from the lack of organized lobbying for the last two years that there just wasn't the funds for. In this country, the laws are written to accommodate the those that are connected. In order to be connected one needs to be able to pay the people that can get the doors open and that kind of $ isn't in the sex worker advocacy groups coffers (perhaps hobbyists can donate for the next SCC to help with this?). The abolitionists have church and right wing connections/financing at their disposal. We don't. And honestly, for the number of members on boards; the public survey participation was dismal. This law will be challenged and over turned; we simply need to wait it out and realize the sky isn't falling and sex workers will continue on as we always have...

cat