London City Council: controversies relevant to the 2014 election

Added Feb 15, 2014: Background information and Letter to the Editor re article and comments on vandalism in London depicting male genitals and a swastika.

Added Jan 22, 2014: An additional controversy over a workshop to encourage female candidates to run as councillors. Due to the Comments’ section having been deleted from the web page online, see article and comments as saved on my website: ‘Outgoing Ward 5 Coun. Joni Baechler will be joined by other former and current female politicians in running a workshop to encourage London women to run in the upcoming municipal election,’ by Carl Hnatyshyn, Jan 21, 2014). It’s disillusioning when comments on such a controversial issue are excluded from the London Free Press online, where readers might get a chance to see what others in the community think about it.

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Following are a selection of articles, including comments’ sections if available - even though incomplete - providing a sample of the issues affecting Londoners. Now that an election is drawing closer for the election on Oct 27, 2014, of London's Mayor, Ward Councillors and School Board Trustees, how some of the scandals and other problems within London, Ontario, have been handled might be of interest.

Key words are included with each of the articles and Letters to the Editor listed in the reference list below. For some of those articles and Letters, an additional link is provided, to my website, which will include a more complete list of comments than the comments in the official version.

For the most part, the articles and Letters sections I have selected are ones I contributed comments to, in a local London newspaper, which offers a place for discussion of relevant issues, or at least it did, for me, even though a good number of my comments were being deleted by moderators.  If my perspectives weren’t welcome, that is unfortunate, but that doesn’t seem to me to be a good enough reason for them to be deleted in such quantities as they were, and eventually, in my not being able to have submissions approved. In a city such as London – a university city - where a diversity of viewpoints should be expected, I am disappointed that mine were not considered acceptable in that rather biased environment. I am not the only person to run into the problem of overzealous moderation, of having comments removed for no reason, though not everyone who complains about it had good reason to; rather, they might be using that tactic to suggest that they have no personal advantage in that forum.

I have gathered the articles from the London Free Press (LFP) online, from which I am now banned from expressing online where other residents and outsiders are offered the freedom to do so, in a forum that, except for me, could be considered informative and vibrant. One purpose is to provide interested readers a variety of viewpoints on these issues, including my own. Another is to have my views reinserted into the sections from where they have been removed, as much as possible, and to have them available to readers, who might otherwise only be getting to read the ‘acceptable’ views on some of these issues.

Since my research interests include gender and sexuality and class divisions, I tend to focus on these when the subjects appear in the news, not just to advertise my blog, as I am so often accused of, but to attempt to get other views across, and not simply the traditional views, or the increasingly sexualized views that so many people have in today’s world.

Prostitution is now a national issue, with the impact of legalizing brothels holding the possibility of a changed London. It might be a subject some don’t want to discuss, but fortunately, it has been, to some extent, mentioned within the pages of the LFP. Keeping in mind that tactics to silence me and distort what I say are not uncommon, I include pieces on the subject of prostitution as well as related pieces on things sexual (see on my website, Letters to the Editor, Dec 24, 2013, Dec 23, 2013; and Letters to Editor, Dec 30, 2013, Dec 29, 2013). See also on a CBC news video what a former sex worker in London, Ontario, has to say about the changes in the law: ‘Former Sex Worker Opposes Legal Brothels' (video, by Wei Chen, June 14, 2013.

The issue of an image of Katy Perry on the side of a London bus by London City Transit (LCT) is one that was controversial but quickly dealt with and cast aside. It brings to mind another incident some time ago, in which London MP Irene Mathyssen objected to what she perceived to be an incident of sexism during a parliamentary session and ended up apologizing for mentioning it. I wrote about this on my blog, the only piece mentioned on this page that is not from the LFP. See ‘Public displays of private matters - Irene Mathyssen and James Moore’, by Sue McPherson, Dec 7, 2007).

More on Kate Perry, Sandy White, and the N-word is on pages 19-21 in Comments section on my website in ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election,’ by Patrick Maloney, Jan 10, 2014 .

The class divide includes issues of wealth and poverty, as well as the idea of class based on education and/or occupation. Both of these types of divisions come into play in some of the articles and comments. For discussions, see my saved versions of comments on ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election,’ by Patrick Maloney, Jan 10, 2014; and ‘Dysfunctional, erratic, even “a bit of a disaster”,' by Chip Martin, Jan 3, 2014.

Term limits for councillors was a topic of discussion in one Letters to the Editor section, comments I had made being deleted for no apparent reason. The series of 3 comments is as follows, including a response that remains in the LFP version and my comments which was deleted.

********** S McP to J A (comment deleted)
If a previous councillor were encouraged to become a mentor to newcomers to local politics, it wouldn't be a matter of simply tossing them out, as you put it. The experience they gain in politics can be applied to other occupations, if they chose to, or after one or two terms out of office they might well go into it again.
We have already covered this in the other article's comments section, but here goes again. Just as many of the unemployed become exasperated at the request for 'experienced candidates only' restriction, so it must be in politics when people want to try but there is no encouragement. If there were permitted, no doubt it would be soon enough that they also came to be seen as "proven" and the "best." That's why all who can, who have something to offer, should have the chance, instead of the same ones over and over again counting on voters' loyalty to their name, or complacency when it comes to spending time on this important democratic process.

P E to S McP
“If a previous councillor were encouraged to become a mentor to newcomers to local politics”
You might want to rethink that idea, and before you do, just consider one name, Orser.

*********  S McP to P E (comment deleted)
I said "if".

End of selection of 3 comments, one of which is in Letters to Editor, Jan 7, 2014 (Jan 6, 2014).

It seemed like a good idea – not a unique one, by any means, but not deserving of the putdown by the other commenter. For anyone considering the idea of mentoring, whether formally, through a program, or informally, the idea is to match up mentor and protégé, and not even to think that everyone was capable of being a good mentor or would want to be. And yet, it was my comments that got left out of the LFP version.

Regarding Nazi symbols in London, what was most important, it seems, was whether the person creating them was wealthy or not, in other words, the economic class of the perpetrator, which would enable one to be privately open about their interests, the other, doing so publically, in public. See ‘Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas,’ by Dale Carruthers, Nov 16, 2013; also see ‘Martin Weiche kept Hitler's memory alive by styling his London estate after the Fuehrer’s Bavarian retreat,’ by Jane Sims, Jan 10, 2014.

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added Feb 15, 2014

The article about vandalism focused mainly on the Nazi symbol – the swastika – though there had been another image drawn on the window – male genitals, mentioned briefly in the article but not at all in the comments. Eventually, I noticed the reference to the other offending image, and was in the middle of writing a comment about it to post online when Comments were close, just 24 hours after the article had been posted. Instead, I submitted it as a Letter to the Editor, mentioning the omission of the other image from the title, and deleted from the window before the police arrived, and ignored in the discussion in the writeup. I received a notice saying the LFP had received my submission, but it was not published in the Letters to the Editor section. This is the Letter.

Letter: Re 'Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas' , Nov 16 by Dale Carruthers.

"If the swastika offended the owner because it was so close to Remembrance Day, why didn't the depiction of male genitals offend him as much, seeing as it is so close to the Dec 6 commemoration of violence against women.

Even though we know that male genitals have a good side to them, they do also symbolize the harm that is done to women through rape. And many more women suffer rape and sexual violence, surely, than Jews did what happened to them at the hand of Nazis. So why is it this symbol of Nazi oppression and death continues to haunt the world. Why will they (Jewish people, mainly) never let what happened slip farther down in their consciousness! Why is this always a reason to bring it up again, and again!
Rhetorical questions.

The kids will learn about the Nazis in school, though each generation will use the swastika symbol to shock. And they will continue to use the symbol of the penis to shock, although it seems that in today's world most people don't object to that " (Sue McPherson). End of Letter to Editor.

As with the Kate Perry images on the side of the city’s buses, some images are deemed acceptable to show and to discuss, and some not.


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Another question for council is why money has been granted for a study into how to help sex workers when two local women – a physician and a police officer - are already working on the front lines, doing what they can (In Person: Dr. Anne Bodkin works with Sgt. Lorna Bruce to help those in dangerous, unhealthy street-level trade, by Randy Richmond, Sept 29, 2013; Intention to get women off the streets, by Randy Richmond, Jan 13, 2014. Obviously, the two are connected – the practical side of it and the research. But since the two women had already started working with sex workers, why was no mention made in the more recent article of how they view their efforts over the last three months. In contradiction to the thoughts of Megan Walker, I would think that focusing on ending prostitution isn’t really a reasonable possibility. Read also, Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2013, Dec 29, 2013).

Language itself is a subject worthy of note here, as it is often used in such forums in ways that are deceitful and controlling. Specific examples can be viewed in Comments’ sections, for instance, about the use of the words ‘academic’ and ‘profession, and variations of them.

The use of the term ‘academic’ became an issue in the comments section of ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election, by Patrick Maloney,’ Jan10, 2014). On pages 24-25 in my copy of the article and comments, now saved onto my website ( http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_LondonCityMattBrownForMayor.doc ), I have restored the comments that I made during the discussion of the word ‘academic.’ The word was being used incorrectly, although resistance was great to accepting my viewpoint on that.

Worse are intentional uses of language in ways that distort another’s words.
See this, in my comment, “What will there be to indicate to boys and girls that sex is special, that it isn't something you go around having just for fun, with this person or that, or to get the job you want” (on my website: Comments, LFP Letters to Editor, Dec 24, 2013 (Dec 23, 2013). My url

The response, by P E, begins with a quote from that sentence: "that it isn't something you go around having just for fun," distorting what I said. Worse, my comment isn’t on the LFP website article and Comments’ section. Only P E’s response, taking part of the sentence out of context, leaving a completely inaccurate perception of the original sentence. It’s not hard to do that, and people who do aren’t demonstrating any sense of comprehension for what was said, only trickery, or duplicity in their responses.

Another example of useless internet interaction was during a discussion on poppies – in colours red and white (Letters to the editor Nov 8, 2013, Nov 7, 2013). Sometimes it seems as though a commenter may just be waiting until the other person makes a mistake, when he can then pounce on the offending party with everything he’s got. It’s another example of taking a phrase out of context, without considering anything else the commenter has said, but using the mistake as an opportunity to present basic knowledge on the issue, while belittling the other commenter for his or her apparent lack of  knowledge.

It is frustrating dealing with people who have an agenda that seems to be based more on winning, rather than discussion for the purpose of greater understanding or thinking of solutions. It’s even more frustrating to try to have a discussion when the intentions of others may not be that, but in fact may be to suppress information or certain commenters.

It leaves the moderators in a difficult position, as they cannot read every comment for its meaning, or if they do, cannot be expected to get it right every time. So they end up taking sides, against commenters themselves, sometimes, or against the world views of the commenters, and not simply against individual comments.

Other notable incidents in London’s recent history include the city hall being lit up in purple (Now a whole month of demonization of men over violence, by Herman Goodden, Nov 15, 2013), and an announcement of a partial list of recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals (And the winners are . . .  , Oct 30, 2013).

This has not been a complete summary of scandals and problems London has faced over the year, but a selection based on my own interests, including that of flaws in the comments system that leaves it biased and susceptible to corruption by certain individuals whose agenda may not be the good of the city of London.

If readers discover errors in citing sources, for instance, kindly let me know, and I would prefer that you do not attempt to use one or even two mistakes as evidence that my writing and ways of thinking do not have merit. If the mistakes of any commenter go on and on, and the games go on and on, then it might be time to consider what their purpose is, on the discussion forums of the London Free Press.


List of Articles and Letters to the Editor

Outgoing Ward 5 Coun. Joni Baechler will be joined by other former and current female politicians in running a workshop to encourage London women to run in the upcoming municipal election.
By Carl Hnatyshyn, Special to QMI Agency
London Free Peress
Jan 21, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/21/outgoing-ward-5-coun-joni-baechler-will-be-joined-by-other-former-and-current-female-politicians-in-running-a-workshop-to-encourage-london-women-to-run-in-the-upcoming-municipal-election
View article plus comments on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_OutgoingWard5CounJoniBaechlerWomenElection.doc

Taxpayers paid almost $100,000 for lawyers to represent city councillors in the Billy T's probe

[questionable activities of mayor and councillors]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 16, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/16/billy-ts-legal-tab-nearly-100g

Letters to the editor: Jan. 14, 2014
[fresh faces on council, submission and dominance, moderation of comments]
London Free Press
Jan 13, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/13/letters-to-the-editor-jan-14 
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan14_LFPLetters.doc

Intention to get women off the streets
[prostitution, city-funded study]
By Randy Richmond
The London Free Press
Jan 13, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/13/intention-to-get-women-off-the-streets

Martin Weiche kept Hitler's memory alive by styling his London estate after the Fuehrer’s Bavarian retreat
[gender, Nazi symbol, class]
By Jane Sims
The London Free Press
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/10/martin-weiche-kept-hitlers-memory-alive-by-styling-his-london-estate-after-the-fuehrers-bavarian-retreat

Macartney: "There are likely no perfect answers, and arguments from both sides are worthy of more discussion.”
[term limits for city council, municipal election]
By Gerry Macartney, Special to QMI Agency
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/09/macartney-there-are-likely-no-perfect-answers-and-arguments-from-both-sides-are-worthy-of-more-discussion

London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election
[municipal election, choosing a candidate, Kate Perry, Sandy White and the N-word; class divide]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/10/london-city-councillor-matt-brown-running-for-mayor-in-2014-municipal-election
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_LondonCityMattBrownForMayor.doc

No economic ‘downturn’ for London Mayor Joe Fontana
[budget, police and fire depts]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 9, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/09/no-economic-downturn-for-mayor

Letters to the editor: Jan. 7, 2014
[city council, mentorship]
Free Press readers
Jan 6, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/06/letters-to-the-editor-jan-7-2#comment-1189967168 

Dysfunctional, erratic, even 'a bit of a disaster': Critics see blood in the water for incumbents mounting London mayoral or city council runs this year
[council, criminal charges, group of eight, class divide, performing arts centre, gender, masculinity]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Jan 3, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/03/dysfunctional-erratic-even-a-bit-of-a-disaster-critics-see-blood-in-the-water-for-incumbents-mounting-london-mayoral-or-city-council-runs-this-year
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_DysfunctionalErraticABitOfADisasterLondon.doc

Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2013  
[mailboxes, prostitution, sex ]
Free Press Readers
Dec 29, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/29/letters-to-the-editor-dec-30
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Dec_LFPLettersDec30.doc

Letters to the Editor: Dec. 24, 2013
[prostitution, sex]
Free Press Readers
Dec 23, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/23/letters-to-the-editor-dec-24
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Dec_LFPLettersDec_24.doc

Letter to the Editor
[vandalism, swastika symbol, masculinity symbol]
By Sue McPherson
to London Free Press
Nov 17, 2013 12:05 pm
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Nov_MyLetterEditor_Nov17_Vandalism.doc

Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas
[Nazi symbols, class, masculinity]
By Dale Carruthers
The London Free Press
Nov 16, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/16/vandal-defaces-downtown-london-business-with-swastika

Now a whole month of demonization of men over violence
[feminism, city hall lit purple]
By Herman Goodden, Special to QMI Agency
LFP
Nov 15, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/15/goodden-now-a-whole-month-of-demonization-of-men-over-violence

Letters to the editor Nov 8, 2013
[poppies,  Remembrance Day]
London Free Press
Nov 7, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/07/letters-to-the-editor-nov-8 

And the winners are . . .
[Queen’s diamond jubilee medals, city council, partial list]
London Free Press
Oct 30, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/10/30/and-the-winners-are

London council gives pay freeze cold shoulder
[pay increase for city council and mayor?]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Oct 21, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/10/21/london-council-gives-pay-freeze-cold-shoulder

In Person: Dr. Anne Bodkin works with Sgt. Lorna Bruce to help those in dangerous, unhealthy street-level trade
[health, housing, prostitution]
By Randy Richmond
The London Free Press
Sept 29, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/09/29/in-person-dr-anne-bodkin-works-with-sgt-lorna-bruce-to-help-those-in-dangerous-unhealthy-street-level-trade

Former Sex Worker Opposes Legal Brothels (video)
[prostitution]
By Wei Chen, CBC
June 14, 2013
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Ontario/Ontario+Morning/ID/2391336443/

Trashing kate Perry seems odd
[gender; sexism; Katy Perry, Sandy White and the N-word]
By Dan Brown
The London Free Press
Mar 8, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/03/08/brown-trashing-katy-perry-seems-odd 

Sandy White demanding apology from fellow London councillor Harold Usher
[Katy Perry, Sandy White and the N-word]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Mar 7, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/03/07/sandy-white-demanding-apology-from-fellow-london-councillor-harold-usher

Public displays of private matters - Irene Mathyssen and James Moore
[politics, sexism, gender]
By Sue McPherson
Sue’s Views on the News
Dec 7, 2007
http://suemcpherson.blogspot.ca/2007/12/public-and-private-work-and-sex.html

The decriminalization of prostitution: two women talking

Susan Davis, a Vancouver, BC, activist working for the rights of prostitutes, and me, Sue McPherson, from London, Ontario, not so keen on having prostitution activities decriminalized, had a discussion recently on the pages of rabble.ca (see excerpt below), in response to the March 2 article by Joyce Arthur (see link to article and comments in list of references).

Sue McPherson on March 2, 2012 - 4:38pm.
What is a 'prostitution abolitionist' and who describes themselves thus?
Prostitution is not going to end. The selling of sex is never going to stop. But let's not equate working as a cashier with selling time to men during which they insert their penis into women's bodies. Let's not ever make the laws such that some women who cannot get other kinds of work will be encouraged, legally, or perseuaded, or forced into prostitution.
This topic - and the efforts of women to decriminalize it, cannot be rationalized. The world is a not a rational place but is filled with contradictions, especially where sex is concerned. Unfortunately, or should that be fortunately, prostitution has to stay exactly where it is. If anyone wants to introduce more health benefits, fine. But don't make this act of male penetration (and whatever else) into what might be an unwilling participant, legal.


Sue McPherson on March 2, 2012 - 5:01pm.
Do you know that anyone who contributes towards easier access of sex for men will problaby do better in this world?
You say, "the abolitionist myth that 'prostituted women' are all passive victims of violent predators and pimps leads to an almost-hilarious contradiction when it confronts the realities of sex workers' lives.
I don't know what that is either - "abolitionist myth." I do know that women who have little or nothing are more likely to be the ones who get men coming on to them as though it is their right, as though all women have to contribute something "worthwhile" to the world, and as they see it, sex is it if they have no other means of support, or no one in their lives. Know why women seek out the best possible marriage partner they can - it's because all women must have a man in their lives, if not one, then share many with other women. What a choice! Circumstances play a great part in how one's life will turn out. But sex is always part of it. So, "almost hilarious contractions" is it? Not for everyone.


susan davis on March 2, 2012 - 9:27pm.
thankyou joyce for continuing to fight the mis information campaigns of the abolitionists. the complete disgregard abolitionists have for the facts is the biggest contributing factor to the on going degradation of the safety of sex workers in canada.
people listen, people believe them, policy is written based on these mis representations...
we have to move forward based on the facts and reality of working in the sex industry. i for one need no rescue and have not experienced any violence in years. yes it happens, no one is saying it doesn't. but how is criminalizing people in the sex industry going to help that? it's not. only with sound planning and implementation of industry wide standards will we see improvement in the working conditions of sex workers.


Sue McPherson on March 2, 2012 - 9:57pm.
I doubt very much that policy is written based solely on what you call "misrepresentations," Susan. Unless we know your circumstances, how can we come to understand why you haven't experienced violence while on the job. If you have women siding with you, as protection, perhaps that's what it takes. You're asking the wrong Q when you say, "how is criminalizing people in the sex industry going to help that?" There really isn't an alternative solution to this problem, without putting all female children potentially at risk. I'm sure most people don't want to see prostitutes arrested, but there just isn't another way for police to keep the peace. Prostitution simply cannot be legitimized in the way that you want, without it leading to all sorts of problems within society for other women, especially women who live in poverty.
The problem is, you are only thinking of yourselves, not other women and young girl children learning about the world.


susan davis on March 3, 2012 - 11:10am.
perhaps if you read the reports we wrote on the experiences of 100's of sex workers and didn't subscribe to the idea that sex workers are either victims or greedy gold diggers you could see past your morality based arguements.
i live in total poverty, why is it that it's always the assumption that we are making boat loads of money and that we're so self centered that we are blind to the fate of our sisters in the sex industry?
i have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to the fight for equality, equal access to support services and police protection and improved safety and stability for sex working people in this country.
i have worked for 25 years in an industry with no labour standards or even protection of law. i have been in prison, worked on the street, survived 4 overdoses and numerous assaults and attempts on my life.
who are you? you clearly have not bothered to tkae the time to listen to sex workers from all over canada and to hear that we DO have altneratives, there is a better way to protect us. give us our equality and decriminalize us now.
the only path is to implement occupational health and safety programs and to work towards unweaving the tangled web of mainstream systems biases, not one of which does not affect our lives, and to give sex working people the same rights as every other canadian citizen enjoy.
i am not some lone profiteering exploitative self centered prostitute with only an eye for cash and other people's husbands. i resent the implcation as well. you don't know me.
www.wccsip.ca
www.bccec.wordpress.com
www.tradesecretsguide.blogspot.com read this occupational health and safety training and tell me if you think it will encourage people to enter the sex industry? information about abusive pimps and what happens when you are the victim of an assault and the way the police may treat you is hardly normalizing or encouraging anyone. or how about the extensive lists of health risks? sounds glamourous.


Sue McPherson on March 3, 2012 - 2:33pm.
Is it a question of morality when a person says they would rather their daughter did not become a prostitute? I consider myself fairly open-minded but I still wouldn't want that occupation for my daughter. But if she went into it, it wouldn't make any difference to our relationship, I'm sure. People have different beliefs and ways of perceiving the world and of acting in it, and it can become a problem when different interests collide, as they do over the decriminalization of prostitution. People might like to say "live and let live" as their way of dealing with difference, which is fine unless someone's toes get stepped on. You can do what you like, as long as it doesn't affect me or mine, or society (just because I am interested in how society goes). But what you are asking for - decriminalization, and the right to negoitate legally, does affect me, or could. and it would affect society, as I mentioned in one of my other posts.
You can't talk about sex work as though it is the same as being a cashier, or a firefighter, or a gardener. It - sex - is an act of intimacy, or at least is often considered to be by many people. If not an act of emotional intimacy, then at least it is an act of physical intimacy. Where does one person's individual personal sense of privacy start? Some people don't like to be touched on the arm. But I think there's more who would object to having to let a stranger engage in sexual intercourse with them. I don't see it as being about morality when a person wants the right not to have to argue that they don't want their privacy interfered with on this level. It's bad enough when landlord or maintenance man decides to enter your home without asking first. But one can let that slide. So if prostitution loses its 'criminal" edge, I should think it would make many men more willing to see how far they can take it - and not with the rich and powerful or women with husbands. It will be with the most vulnerable in society. Just because it's your choice doesn't mean that all women want to subjected to the behaviours that will crop up if it is decriminalized.
This is my blog: /http://suemcpherson.blogspot.com . I have written quite a bit about sexual politics and other forms of social inequality, not so much on prostitution per se.


susan davis on March 4, 2012 - 12:57pm.
sue, your privelged upbringing and higher education, your international migrations and lack of experience with poverty, being racialized or marginalized doesn't allow you to understnad the choices made by people who do face those experiences.
it is easy to say sex work is bad, abolish prostitution for the betterment of society because you will not be affected. you comment that you would not want your daughter or grand daughter to engage in sex work. the point is that you will not be there when your child makes a decision about sex work...would you not rather they could make that decision in safety? or would you be willing to see your child go missing? go to prison?be found murdered?fed to the pigs? be cast out of society because of your ideals?
how would that help them? it wouldn't. my parents and the other parents of sex workers feel the same way you do. no one imagines their child becoming a sex worker or dumpster diver or drug dealer, toiletter scrubber, or grave digger...
but it happens, its a fact. continuing to complicate the situation by basing policy on biased and discriminatory ideals rather than fact will cost people, women their lives. are you prepared to own your ideals even if it means the murder of women, and children ...or their incarcaration and humiliation?
there are laws to protect people from assault, slavery, abuse, extortion, debt servitude and labour laws to guarantee safe working conditions. there is the international charter of human rights guarnteeing us equal access to justice and safety.
or is it your belief that only those deemed "good" or "moral" are human and deserving of rights? sex workers were only classifed as human beings in vancouver in 1973. is this the approach you prefer?
we need rights and decriminalization in order to take control of our collective destinies and safety and what we don't need is people trying to impose their tired old ethics at the expense of our lives and safety.it's been 100 years of prohibition, it's over. the social experiment failed miserably, people are dead.
can we please move on and try something new?


Sue McPherson on March 4, 2012 - 2:25pm.
I'm not so secure financially that I don't have to worry about things like that in my own life. I'm living on the edge, so to speak, not from month to month, but wondering how long I can last. All my resources went towards my education (at midlife), leaving me with nothing when there was no career to follow. I hadn't realized that the right relationships, with men and/or women, and conforming (not writing about what I do), were all essential to being accepted and rewarded for all my hard work. Susan, it seems you haven't read anything of mine or you might have realized that. Here's my life story, for additional info: http://samcpherson.homestead.com/StoryofMyLife.html  .
So, yes, I do understand the experience of being marginalized and in poverty. And one thing I noticed, in case I didn't make that clear, was the first thing that happens is that men start to close in, figuring it's only a matter of time until you submit sexually, in order to survive.
That's an odd remark about motherhood that you make. Perhaps becoming a prostitute was a one-time decision for you, but I spent much of my time when married making sure my children had every opportunity available, to pursue their interests and learn new ones. It worked for my daughter, who followed our family's interest in swimming to her life's work. My ideals helped that happen. I know life isn't always that straightforward, but my ideals certainly didn't do her harm. As far as my views about sex are concerned, that's up to her what she does.
It's you , Susan, who is putting on this subject the condemnation of religion and saying that is my moral compass too, which it isn't. There can be a kind of 'morality,' if you insist on using that term, that doesn't include the notions of sin or God. I've already said to you that our world is not as rational a place as you would like to think it is. this isn't only about you having your rights. It's also about the rights of others to live in peace, without having to put up with men who start to think even more strongly about their apparent right to have sex with any woman they like. And there are men like that.
If you can address some of these concerns it might do your cause more good than simply demanding the decriminalization of prostitution and the right to negotiate freely with your customers. I don't want to be subjected to men who think that, because the law has changed, that they have the right to offer money to any woman who is vulnerable and isolated, for sex. You have to say how you are going to control men who take this as a new freedom in their lives. I don't want to see young women sent to the local brothel by the job agency because there is no other work avaiable for her.
I haven't actually noticed that laws protect me from illegal and harmful behaviours I have been subjected to. But I have seen women siding with men who do them, and men not wanting to cause offence towards the source of their joy. This is as much about sex as it is about prostitution, the work. I know feminists are fond of saying men and women are equal or should be, and some will work with you towards getting what you want, but their lives aren't going to be affected. Furthermore, when it comes to sexual desires and physical needs, they're not the same at all. I would want to know that world won't be a worse place for the vulnerable if decriminalization were to take place.


susan davis on March 4, 2012 - 2:40pm.
have you read anything we've written ...or the sex worker rights forum here? we have written plenty and people are listening. you seem to be a bit behind the times if you think sex workers aren't speking out.
about your daughter you say "it is up to her what she does" but what if that included sex work? no one is saying people should be forced to do sex work as an alternative to social assistance or that the government should force women into sex work. that is not decriminalization.
as it stands no one can be "forced to work" at any profession, even by the government. why would sex work be any different? why would the government force people into sex work when it does not force people into any other profession? your fears there are unfounded.
however, beauty bias does come into play when now for people trying to access finacial support and are told to become escorts or exotic dancers because they are pretty. some people are denied finacial support because they are a sex worker, whether they want to exit or not.
so how does continuing to criminalize us help with that? it doesn't. it means that anything people do to us is accepteable, we are criminals and get what we deserve.
decriminalization has NOT produced the effect you are describing in any of the countries where it has taken place. in fact the opposite. you are basing your position on moral panic, mis information and a lack of knowledge of the facts. the "vulnerable" are the ones criminalized. the workers on the street bare the brunt of police enforcement actions and as brothels and show lounges are closed due to criminalization, more and more workers are forced onto the street. more and more workers die also. we can see that in the mortality rate of vancouver sex workers escalating over a number decades as a result of uniformed actions taken against our industry. please read the history of sex work thread in the sex worker rights forum.
take a little time to educate yourself on the facts, your position has no backbone in reality. do you care about sex worker safety or not?


Sue McPherson on March 4, 2012 - 4:48pm.
Hey, lady, we all do sex work (or have done). It's what women were born to do! Didn't you know that? Some people are just more open about what they get in return - money, careers, a home with hubby! Most women wouldn't say that about themselves, as it is a norm in society. We are simply raised to be that way. Some are quite knowing and use their feminine wiles in practical ways to get what they want.
It's not the govt who does the persuading, when it comes to what kind of work a person will do. The clerks at the job centre, or the personnel office at the place of work gets to choose who will get accepted and who will not. So anything done to poor people is acceptable - as you seem to already know - unless they are actually doing sex work, then they have worth.
No, I have not seen any facts on how decrimilaization has affected other countries. I don't know how easy it would be to get hold of. I just know what men are like now, and it doesn't take too much effort to see how decriminalizing the negotiation of sex will lead to all sorts of social 'misunderstandings'. Having already been a victim of similar kinds of misunderstandings, where intentions or behaviour were misunderstood, and in situations where such behaviour was regulated against, I can only surmise that it will get worse, if there is no fear of reprisal among men for their bad behaviour.
I have always heard about prostitutes struggles for healthcare, etc, but that also is something many other women and men are not getting in this society. Yes, I'm sure your work is dangerous to your safety. Men can be like that. You may experience more of that, because of your job, but many women have also experienced violence, at the hands of stronger men or men who control them.
I don't see that the ones doing work that is criminalized are the more vulnerable. It's because it is sex work, and men who find themselves in need of sex, or wanting to punish someone for what some other woman has done to them will seek out the most vulnerable - the one isolated, or lacking money, homeless, or without a man in her life.


susan davis on March 4, 2012 - 7:24pm.
the men who purchase sex are not "bad men" nor are all men prone to violence....this seems like you are unwilling to step outside of your comfort zone and actually look up the facts.
why can't men be vulnerable? why do we as a society assume all men are only out for themselves and self gratification? a man whose penis has been amputated to prevent the spread of cancer is vulnerable and in need of care. he is not a "bad" person nor is his lonliess "bad behaviour". he is suffering. why does he not deserve to be comforted and if a sex worker chooses to do so, why should she not comfort him? how is this "bad"?
can you imagine if suddenly being a nurse was illegal? how easy would it be for nurses to work if they were deemed criminals? or how about milk? what if milk was sudeenly illegal and milk producers had to operate in dark isolated areas risking their lives to sell their wares?
i mean criminalizing alcohol didn't "harm" anyone did it? or criminalizing drugs? or abortion? how can you be so blind to the impacts of being deemed criminal and the impact of being the victim of police violence during raids?
you have created a seperate set of rules for sex workers. that is discrimination and is illegal under the international charter of human rights.
please at least have the respect enough if not for us but yourself to actually read up on this a bit and discover perhaps where you may have yourself discriminated against sex workers and ways in which you could better embrace government of canada policies governing research and understand which "facts ' you are being mislead with.
those rules are in place for a reason... to inform canadians about the ethics and reliability of the research findings they are considering. try to understnad from our perspective, being a criminal is a huge barrier as is a criminal record. how is arresting women helping them?
these laws are completely ineffective, its time to protect people not punish them and to try something new.


Sue McPherson on March 4, 2012 - 9:56pm.
But we were talking about the men who made your life less secure - the ones who commit acts of violence? I know from doing research on sexual harassment that not all men who do this are nasty men either - many are husbands and fathers and otherwise good, hardworking, intelligent men.
Oh right - nurses. This entire issue has nothing to sex, is that what you're saying. However, speaking of nurses, read Dutch man sees it his right to have nurses serve his sexual needs: http://suemcpherson.blogspot.com/2010/03/dutch-man-sees-it-his-right-to-have.html  ... . I hope you see my point of view.
I do realize that prostitutes are hard done by. So are people in the lower classes picked on more than they deserve. After all, it isn't ALL sex workers who get arrested, is it. eg Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the prostitutes he was involved with. He was so important he didn't even have to admit they were. But sex work is still not the same as being a cashier, much as you would like the Human Rights Commission to say it is. It's pointless for me to simply repeat what I've already said, but that's about it - selling sexual intercourse is not the same as any other job.
No discrimination doesn't apply in the case of prostitution because it's about sex. It's a sensitive topic and we simply cannot have an act of sex for money made legal because of the implications this would have for society. Don't worry about the criminal record. Everyone knows it's unfair and if it's used against you it's because they don't like the colour of your hair or your views on football. Perhaps some lawkeepers want to punish you - just as some of your clients do. But working within the law, if it were changed, won't keep you much safer. The men who would have abused you will have to find other ways of dealing with their frustrations; instead, going after other vulnerable and isolated women. Decriminalizing prostitution isn't going to make the abusive men go away completely. It might make you into an ordinary citizen, just like everyone else, but that won't keep you safe.
Susan, what I can do, with your permission, is publish this discussion we've had on my blog, including a link to the original article on rabble.ca by Joyce Arthur. It's another outlet for people to read your views, and mine.


susan davis on March 5, 2012 - 10:26am.
won't make it "much safer"....based on what research or other countries expeireinces? it will make it safer and the sex workers used by dominque strauss-kahn are not immune. in the US, i watched on "sex slaves in detriot" last night, they arrest women to "rescue" girls. i also commincate with US workers through the social justice work i do...they arrested 100 women in 1 episode, showed their faced, filmed them naked, broadcast it on television....total humiliation, in my opinion it's violence when police to these kinds of degrading things. they were all indoor workers in highend hotels. the sting was police in the hotel baiting the workers. in the end the had "leads" on 3 pimps and 5 "girls" no arrests in that area but had comprimised the safety, confidentiality and dignity of over 100 women.... arresting them all in the name of "rescue".
just becuase you don't hear about sex workers being charged doesn't mean it doesn't happen. thst show was on back to back to back last night....how many women were comprimised throughout the 3 episodes...?
and sure, if you would like to repost this to your blog, i am good with that.

(continued at http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/how-prostitution-abolitionists-substitute-ideologies-facts  )


Any changes to prostitution laws not coming soon
By Sam Pazzano
Toronto Sun
June 19, 2011
Ottawa Sun
http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/06/19/any-changes-to-prostitution-lawsnot-coming-soon

How prostitution abolitionists substitute ideologies for facts
By Joyce Arthur
rabble.ca
March 2, 2012
http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/03/how-prostitution-abolitionists-substitute-ideologies-facts

The mistaken logic of 'asymmetrical criminalization' -- aka the Nordic model of prostitution
By Joyce Arthur
rabble.ca
February 3, 2012
http://rabble.ca/columnists/2012/02/crazy-logic-asymmetrical-criminalization-aka-nordic-model-prostitution

Ontario Appeal Court decriminalizes brothels (article added Sept 2012)
CTVNews.ca Staff
Mar 26, 2012
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120326/appeal-court-decision-canada-sex-trade-laws-120326/

Prostitution ‘not a constitutionally-protected right,’ Crown argues in landmark case
By Kirk Makin
Globe and Mail
June 13, 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prostitution-not-a-constitutionally-protected-right-crown-argues-in-landmark-case/article2058348/

Who does decriminalization leave out?
By Meghan Murphy
The F Word, and Feminist Current
Jan 30, 2012
http://www.feminisms.org/4346/who-does-decriminalization-leave-out/
http://feministcurrent.com/4346/who-does-decriminalization-leave-out/

Prostitutes take their desires to the Supreme Court

(revised Jan 25, 2012)

Laws limiting prostitution protect most vulnerable

Prostitution has been decriminalized, although laws surrounding it involve illegal activity. That's what some prostitutes want to have changed. They want to challenge the laws that ban keeping a bawdy house, communicating for the purpose of prostitution, and living off the avails of prostitution and procurement. If they accomplish their aim of making these legal, then what's to stop poor people (young women) from being further exploited in society. Sure, some women may be in this career by choice, or as a temporary measure to pay off debts, but we have to think about how it will affect those with fewer choices in life who have virtually no alternative if they want to survive. Don't make this easy for those who see the prostitution as a legitimate, objective exchange of money for what should be seen as an intimate act. For the sake of our next generation, there needs to be a distinction between legitimate forms of employment and this.

Above is the letter I submitted to the editor of the London Free Press today, in response to 'Sex workers turn to Supreme Court' (see reference list).  Letter posted to the LFP website Jan 23, published in The London Free Press on Jan. 25, 2012.
 

The news story came out in different forms at more or less the same time. My comments to the CBC report, submitted hours apart, were not published. No comments were published on the page following the article itself which contained selected comments, though the story itself was changed after a day or so to what you see there now, explaining that "roughly 76 per cent of 1770 respondents said 'Yes, activities like keeping a bawdy house and communicating for prostitution should be legal'."    (CBC, Community Reaction).

While the CTV news site did not publish my comment (CTV, Sex-trade workers), 45 others were, before Comments were closed.

The Toronto Sun was more liberal, publishing mine in with 37 other comments (See Toronto Sun, Sex Workers, comments section).

This is a serious matter, and if the issues do not get the attention they deserve, then society will suffer - or should we say the poor in society will suffer.

Community reaction to sex-trade workers' Supreme Court appearance
By Community Team
CBC News
January 20, 2012
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/01/community-reaction-to-sex-trade-workers-arguments-to-the-supreme-court.html

Laws limiting prostitution protect most vulnerable
By Susan A McPherson
LFP letters
London Free Press
Jan 23, 2012 (Jan 25 in the LFP hard copy).
http://www.lfpress.com/comment/letters/home.html?p=48457&x=letters&l_publish_date=&s_publish_date=&s_keywords=&s_topic=&s_letter_type=Letter

Sex workers turn to Supreme Court
By Kris Sims, Parliamentary Bureau
London Free Press
January 19, 2012
http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2012/01/19/19268456.html

Sex-trade workers take case to Canada's top court
By CTV News.ca Staff
CTV News
Jan. 19 2012
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120119/sex-trade-workers-court-20119/

Sex workers turn to Supreme Court
By Kris Sims ,Parliamentary Bureau
Toronto Sun
January 19, 2012
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/19/sex-workers-turn-to-supreme-court#disqus_thread