Trafficking and Prostitution Services

I saw a petition today signed by a lot of non-survivors of trafficking again trying to speak for us without including us.  I then noticed the petition was created by CATW.  So I went to their site to see the false claim they were the "first to fight international sex trafficking". What a bunch of hooey!  Below is a letter I wrote to them about this.  Their site claims they were founded in 1988 by the way - yet I started our work in 1987.  I didn't see or hear them around that's for sure.  Considering I was appearing on 20/20, Nightline, Geraldo, Donahue, etc. - you'd think they would have heard of me and come to say something to me during this time.  Yet none of the victims we were talking to knew anything about them either .  https://www.change.org/organizations/coalition_against_trafficking_in_women_international_catw Hello: Please allow me to introduce myself because you clearly don't seem to have the slightest awareness of who

After reading this article - http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trafficking-630795-county-human.html I wrote this letter to the writer: In reading over your other articles - I have to admit I’m confused.  I’m not seeing a clear distinction between prostitution and sex trafficking which are two different issues.  You also are blending in the cases of minors in with adults - which again from a legal standpoint are very different.  For example, any sex, whether commercial or not, with anyone under 18 years of age in California is considered statutory rape.   That said - trafficking and prostitution are two different things.  Yet I’m seeing you report signs of “trafficking” which are in fact signs of “prostitution”.  They're different.  It’s important for this reason - when we started the movement to have sex trafficking recognized it was because our legal system wasn’t set up to address the issue.  You touch upon it lightly when you point out that Oreo was “recrui

You know how shows like "Jackass" and "Ridiculousness" and many others show things that are very dangerous along with the warning "don't attempt this at home - these are trained professionals"? For some reason, I keep reading of how very loving, caring, great people see a video about sex trafficking at their church and next thing you know - you read about them deciding to "open up a safe house" like they think this is the same as any thing else. The main reason we stood up starting in 1987 and demanding that the system "change" is because EXISTING systems did not work.  Do you honestly think trafficking victims didn't do things like attempt to run away to a homeless shelter or a domestic violence shelter before?  The problem is that they aren't set up for what happens next. When a very well known youth program opened up a shelter in NY - every Friday and Saturday night they would get swamped with prostitutes who manage

I just saw Joe Manchin's objection about MTV's "BuckWild" where he asks MTV is they want to put money ahead of the welfare of our children when he asks them why they're airing that show. The answer Mr. Manchin is yes. Yes they put money ahead of the welfare of our children. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/wp/2012/12/07/joe-manchin-objects-to-mtvs-buckwild-reality-show/ In 2003, I was discussing with the producers of MTV doing a series of public service announcements about the only hotline in the country where anyone, male, female, or transgender, who simply wants help to leave the sex industry, whether they are trafficked or not, can call to find help to either escape and/or leave the streets where the hotline is answered by another survivor. The hotline also refers adults into the 12 step program of Sex Workers Anonymous, and those under 18 years old to Children of the Night. We were also negotiating a deal to have a film crew come out

On Friday night - I got a call on the hotline at 1:00 a.m.  Now I sleep with the phone by me in case there's an emergency so it will wake me up.  The woman had told me the day before she didn't want to hear from me about where she could find legit work that wouldn't hassle her because she doesn't have a state ID card.  She had called me to tell me the Cupcake Girls did nothing for her when she had asked for help when she saw them giving make overs to strippers in the strip clubs.  She was furious at them for being a "sham". I had also talked to her about other documents we could get to get DMV to give her an ID if she still couldn't get her birth certificate.  After raving at me for two hours about how pissed she was that all Cupcake Girls did was raise money but not help her - she told me she wasn't ready to leave sex work yet.  Okay fine.  I referred her to SWOP, Desiree Alliance and Red Umbrella and wished her luck. So why she was calling me at

When Samoly Mam was going through her rise to fame as a "survivor" instead of people learning about what the issue is really about, about how sex trafficking really works (not some sob story designed to get your check book out), nor learning about who we really are - people started comparing people like me, a real survivor, running a real group that worked for us, to her and her fake fund raising & fame machine. That Newsweek cover COULD have been either myself, or another REAL survivor or someone who runs a REAL GROUP.  Which would have happened if not for her.  So that cover went to her instead of us - that's my problem. Why wouldn't Newsweek go for her story over a story like mine?  She's attractive number one.  However, by the time we get to a victim - they're screwed up, damaged, sick, disabled, messed up.  Do you have any idea what the stress of living with that kind of stress and danger 24/7 does to you?  Just to cope - you have to build all k

Now we're on my territory again.   http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/escaping-polygamy   Why?  Because my father was a sex addict.  He was living in Los Angeles at the time and decided he was very attracted to the whole Mormon polygamist lifestyles.  Anyone who remembers me on talk shows telling my story remembers me talking about how he would leave pornography around the house, and how he started sexually molesting me starting about eight years of age when my mom was having back surgery. He knew I was getting old enough to "tell" and to escape prosecution he decided to move to Idaho and join the Mormon's who had a polygamist cult there. The reason why he wanted to move us there was because they owned the police there, social services, CPS, and he knew he'd be "safe" there. He told my mom that if she could cope with multiple wives - she could join him.  She said if I'd accept the new women - then she'd do it.  Only my mom says that I kept thr