Sex laws, trafficking, prostitution

While my job hunt isn't going well, the subject line isn't my list of recent applications.

This article by Joan Smith got me thinking about the subject, and the beauty of blogging is that if you think something you can put it in cyberspace where all of three or so people may read it.

First, the silly bit:
"on 21 May a "practitioners' meeting" was held in "one of London's most unique five-star hotels", attended by police, health workers, and other "stakeholders", as the Home Office described them, but no actual hookers."

Wanna bet? Ha ha, hilarious!

Serious bit:
A friend of mine used to do this work. so I feel a bit more justified in sticking my pennies in.
Some of the proposals that come out of the above artice include:
"driving the industry further underground would only endanger us and [the assembled representatives from the industry] expressed hope this event would be part of a continuing process of involvement."

There are plenty of other articles and organisations out there with opinions on trafficing, prostitution etc..
Here are some:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/blog/ourkingdom-theme/catherine-stephens/2008/11/20/new-laws-will-make-sex-workers-more-vulnerable
http://www.politics.co.uk/analysis/equality/comment-prostitution-law-$1251571.htm
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=The+International+Union+of+Sex+Workers%3A&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a.
Although i'm not sure the International Union of Sex Workers do themselves too many favours with their logo:



But me. I'm more in the 'bring them in from the cold' camp, though i certainly don't think Smith's rant covers my views of the thing. Why? Because i listened to someone who used to do it, which is the point. Lots of people with no experience of the industry (haha!) seem to give their opinions without listening to the people who do the work.