SweetRachel

**Rachel Divine** · 13-10-12, 18:18

Me and Amber only that you can recall from E-I.
I have met a super lady there as well, she is a poster here, former sex worker, I will name only if she wants to...(after I ask her)...
Also, was a girl that I met some time ago, she is also a former worker, doesnt post here though.

I slept 2 hours last night, I am very tired. Dont know what to say really..

Been talking to Ruhama, their goal is to "protect" escorts and dont care about clients, their words, not mine.

Sween affords to have such law due their money.

Ireland is a different story. When I asked a Guardi representative on number of human trafficking convictions he said there are but he did not bring the info with him.

Netherlands and Sweden , 2 different laws on prostitution, with good and bad things, trafficking is still there and always be, cant be stopped ...

I asked Ruhama about Magdalene Laundries , she put a face that I could say I hit a nerve there and in that moment Sarah Benson came to chat with me for a minute...

I spoke to more people, exchange views, agree and disagree ... I was very nervous when it come to talk/ask a question , too many things I wanted to say, little time to make those points.

As my presence and Amber, who did the impossible to get there (thank you , you are a sweetheart) was appreciate by many and the fact we could voice our opinion was important.

I gave Mr Alan the letter and he seemed to be grateful...

More to follow, this will not end on that conference,in fact me and Amber were invited to other events....

One last thing, the majority to not agree with "end of prostitution" and even if criminalizing the client as law will be up, no resources from Guardi to enforce it, will be a waste of time... As I said before, the law will change and not for everyone agreement, but not as Sweedish model...

**Rachel Divine** · 13-10-12, 18:23

Some dont leave the past in the past... Move on ffs and stop trolling on my thread...

**Sexy Samantha British** · 13-10-12, 18:32

Rachel, do they intend to push this new law through then?

**angelluz** · 13-10-12, 18:32

Well done sweet!!

**UKHeather** · 13-10-12, 18:34

Mr Shatter also has a letter from me which I will happily replicate here if anyone would like to see it.
On another note The ECP are talking at Trinity College Dublin on Thurs 18th. They are a wonderful escort support organisation and have timed this to coincide with the consultations.

**Rachel Divine** · 13-10-12, 18:36

Originally Posted by SamanthaAngelManchester

Rachel, do they intend to push this new law through then?

Tbh were more people speaking in our favor than speaking against. The public was more on our fav than against...

My opinion...Hope Amber will voice hers here as well.

**mellors** · 13-10-12, 18:47

Originally Posted by UKHeather

Mr Shatter also has a letter from me which I will happily replicate here if anyone would like to see it.
On another note The ECP are talking at Trinity College Dublin on Thurs 18th. They are a wonderful escort support organisation and have timed this to coincide with the consultations.

Stick it up here girl ! (as us Cork lads like to say)

**69patrick69** · 13-10-12, 18:55

Well done to all the ladies who contributed.

**UKHeather** · 13-10-12, 19:02

Originally Posted by mellors

Stick it up here girl ! (as us Cork lads like to say)

I had some guidelines from the ECP and references to pull information from. I simply hadn't the time to include everything I would have liked to include, so I stuck with what I feel is most important and. I hope he takes time to read it and gives it consideration. But hey, doing nothing gets us nowhere.

Dear Mr Shatter

My name is Heather and I am a sex worker with seven years experience working in Ireland. I will be attending the consultation today and since I may not have an opportunity to speak to you I would appreciate if you'd give some attention to my thoughts on sex work and the situation in Ireland

It is an old fashioned notion that sex work is immoral, dirty and coersive. Providing sex for money has always been loaded with stigma and still is. Sex workers' stories are human stories. Many workers are mothers doing what they have to do to support their families. We work hard and care about our children yet we are denied basic human rights, namely protection from violence and the opportunity to earn a living however we choose.
Religious groups such as Ruhama portray the image that ALL sex workers need to be 'rescued'. This is not the case. What we do need is acceptance and the freedom work within realistic legislative boundaries. Police officers routinely carry out 'raids' which result in sex workers being forced to leave their premises and resulting in these women being left without access to the income they need to survive or to suport their families.

Many sex workers will work alone in an apartment or hotel in order to comply with the law. It is frightening to work alone. It leaves us vulnerable to violence and robbery. Sharing an apartment with a sex worker friend offers us a degree of safety and protection, something which all workers have a basic right to enjoy... yet doing so renders the worker open to prosection for operating a brothel. Changing legislation to allow more than one worker in premises would of course open opportunities for criminals to operate brothels with countless women working there. The ideal change in legislation for independent sex workers would be if legislation allowed a maximum of two sex workers in a property.

It would be foolish to believe that all sex workers are involved by choice. One of the core challenges in fighting for sex workers' rights is making the disctintion between sex work as a chosen profession and sex trafficking, the forced migration of human beings for sexual exploitation or human labour. Anti-trafficking laws are an essential. But the confusion between consensual sex work and trafficking remains a barrier to identifying people who have been forced to sell sex. It also hinders efforts to respond to sex workers' concerns about working conditions. Putting an end to trafficking is what every right minded person would wish to see, but it must not infringe upon the rights of those for whom sex work is a choice.

Freedom to work and to freely choose ones occupation.
Freedom to associate and unionise.
Freedom to be protected by the law.
Freedom from abuse and violence.
Freedom from stigma and discrimination.

Policies are needed which will effectively safeguard trafficking victims without exposing sex workers to harm. If policies are to be developed which are fair and just then you must collaberate with with sex workers and sex worker groups in order to afford us the safety and dignity that we deserve.

Kind regards

Heather

**Rachel Divine** · 13-10-12, 19:13

More or less I pointed all that out on my letter, yet you put everything way better than I did.
Hope Mr Alan will understand my English

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