Referendum on the purchasing of sex.....

[simon2280]

Of the actual turnout, I would say it would probably return one of, if not the highest majorities ever seen in a referendum in this country, that majority being overwhelming in favour of making it illegal.

While we are mostly of the Opinion that such a Referendum would produce a result that it should be illegal to avail of or Openly offer Intimate Sexual Services, We have to find a way to "call" for an Open Debate at some "Stage". Legal Recognition and Regulation is one Suggestion that has been openly Suggested by Escorts, With little Support from Alleged or actual Male or Female Clients. As of now it generally looks like we are being prepared for the introduction of a Swedish Type Framework
So we have to be prepared for days in court for some of us. Now is a chance to protest by Supporting those in Court by being physically in the courtroom with them. Lets start Here, Irrespective if the Person is Single, Married, Guy, Lesbian, Gay, Woman.
Yes! Women Buy Intimate Services offered by Escorts Something That has been Hidden Successfully in this Debate and Proposed Male Only Legislation, So Much For Human Gender Equality

[nonpareil]

well done on voting for christmas, you really are a special bunch of dim dumb fucks

Who are you calling turkeys?

I myself am a goose.

[JMastodon]

I'm pretty sure that survey was commissioned by Ruhama/TORL so I wouldn't trust it. It might come from joe.ie or whatever but I read somewhere that TORL were behind it. The figures for people against sex buyers would still be pretty high among the public but not as high as the results of that survey I'd say.

[JMastodon]

The government of Ireland will hold referendums on 22 May 2015 on two proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The amendments, which were among those recommended by the Constitutional Convention, would reduce the age of candidacy for the President of Ireland from 35 to 21, and permit same-sex marriage.

Imagine they included a third referendum worded: "Should it be illegal for a man/woman to purchase sex... Yes/No.

How do you think that referendum would fair?

The same thought did occur to me but I just know it would end in a disaster for us. It's easy for the abolitionists to garner support - all they've to do is muddy the waters by making the public think it's about eliminating sex trafficking. Conflating sex trafficking with consensual sex work is one of their biggest lies.

[Davidontour]

The government of Ireland will hold referendums on 22 May 2015 on two proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The amendments, which were among those recommended by the Constitutional Convention, would reduce the age of candidacy for the President of Ireland from 35 to 21, and permit same-sex marriage.

Imagine they included a third referendum worded: "Should it be illegal for a man/woman to purchase sex... Yes/No.

How do you think that referendum would fair?

I think this question can be compared to the proposed future UK referendum on EU membership -- everyone has an opinion but very few actually know the facts.

And the problem with sex work is there are so many facts and so many lies, so many vested interests and so many different experiences.

Unless they're directly involved as a buyer or seller, or know someone who is, the public can only go by what they're told in the media. And three years ago I was as ignorant as anyone. I thought in terms of pimps, drugs and desperate women, straight out of TV cop shows and crap films. That changed completely on my very first visit to a SW and many bookings later, that impression hasn't changed.

But that is the side the public never see. Instead they get horror stories, harrowing images, ridiculous statistics and downright lies. Yes sex work has it's bad side and a good analogy is the aviation industry. If flying was a minority experience and the public only heard about plane crashes and people who had a pathological fear of flying, they'd form a very negative opinion. Both sides need to be heard and most importantly, sex workers themselves need to be heard, fear of the truth being the main reason they're generally excluded from any law making process.

In the case of a referendum, the question asked would need to be a fair one.

''Since most sex workers are there by choice and as there are already laws in place against trafficking, rape and violence, do you feel that consenting adults should be allowed to have sex if money is involved?'' is a potential referendum question that TORL and Ruhama would shit several bricks over.

Even more bricks would be shat if the actual facts on local SW were put on a leaflet and dropped through everyone's letterbox. A recent incident indicates that Ruhama are well aware that the reality of SW here bears no resemblance to their propaganda campaign. If the truth became widely available, their funding would disappear and they'd have to admit they'd been filling the public a pile of crap instead of compensating the Magdalene victims.

Give the public the true facts and a referendum on SW would be well worth having. Just don't hold your breath.

[JAMESCORK]

Best post ever....

[Parker]

The government of Ireland will hold referendums on 22 May 2015 on two proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The amendments, which were among those recommended by the Constitutional Convention, would reduce the age of candidacy for the President of Ireland from 35 to 21, and permit same-sex marriage.

Imagine they included a third referendum worded: "Should it be illegal for a man/woman to purchase sex... Yes/No.



How do you think that referendum would fair?

seriously.....you for real? This is Ireland ffs

[JAMESCORK]

Worst post ever...

[mexicanpete]

I think this question can be compared to the proposed future UK referendum on EU membership -- everyone has an opinion but very few actually know the facts.

And the problem with sex work is there are so many facts and so many lies, so many vested interests and so many different experiences.

Unless they're directly involved as a buyer or seller, or know someone who is, the public can only go by what they're told in the media. And three years ago I was as ignorant as anyone. I thought in terms of pimps, drugs and desperate women, straight out of TV cop shows and crap films. That changed completely on my very first visit to a SW and many bookings later, that impression hasn't changed.

But that is the side the public never see. Instead they get horror stories, harrowing images, ridiculous statistics and downright lies. Yes sex work has it's bad side and a good analogy is the aviation industry. If flying was a minority experience and the public only heard about plane crashes and people who had a pathological fear of flying, they'd form a very negative opinion. Both sides need to be heard and most importantly, sex workers themselves need to be heard, fear of the truth being the main reason they're generally excluded from any law making process.

In the case of a referendum, the question asked would need to be a fair one.

''Since most sex workers are there by choice and as there are already laws in place against trafficking, rape and violence, do you feel that consenting adults should be allowed to have sex if money is involved?'' is a potential referendum question that TORL and Ruhama would shit several bricks over.

Even more bricks would be shat if the actual facts on local SW were put on a leaflet and dropped through everyone's letterbox. A recent incident indicates that Ruhama are well aware that the reality of SW here bears no resemblance to their propaganda campaign. If the truth became widely available, their funding would disappear and they'd have to admit they'd been filling the public a pile of crap instead of compensating the Magdalene victims.

Give the public the true facts and a referendum on SW would be well worth having. Just don't hold your breath.

I agree with you, everyone here probably agrees with you but it seems that 97% of the population do not agree and that is what counts. That is where the politicians see the votes. This battle has been lost.

It seems to me that an anti-trafficking law is inevitable. The question is can we influence politicians to focus on the anti-trafficking and not go for an anti-male, anti-prostitution law.

[Davidontour]

I agree with you, everyone here probably agrees with you but it seems that 97% of the population do not agree and that is what counts. That is where the politicians see the votes. This battle has been lost.

It seems to me that an anti-trafficking law is inevitable. The question is can we influence politicians to focus on the anti-trafficking and not go for an anti-male, anti-prostitution law.

The point here is that this IS and was always intended to be an anti-prostitution law.

TORL & Ruhama are well aware that coercive trafficking is not the reality for most sex workers. Any politician with half a brain knows this as well. If it were otherwise, this legislation wouldn't have been recently rejected by Westminster, the Scottish Assembly (three times), Denmark, Finland & New Zealand to name a few.

Sweden introduced this legislation in 1999 under a feminist agenda. Canada recently did so on a moralist/religionist prohibition platform, proven beyond doubt when a Canadian senator let is slip that ''we don't want to make life safer for sex workers, we want to stamp out prostitution.''

What is happening globally now is similar to a century ago in the US when a false panic was spread regarding white women being forced to be sex slaves. In the event, zero evidence was produced or found for this, but it did facilitate several draconian laws, including the Mann Act, the effects of which are still in force today.

The key is in the current definition of trafficking and the huge disparity between TORL's figures and the actual number of victims and arrests illustrates this perfectly. The NGO figures refer to economic migrants, not coerced victims. But it's much easier to sell a trafficking scare to the public and the politicians than a morality argument and no-one in Ireland ever went bust under-estimating the gullibility of our legislators, north and south.

Client criminalisation is a done deal here and has been since the day it was first mentioned. Sexual matters are something the Irish get hysterical avbout while on the next island, they have an altogether more grown up approach.

The sole option for those in the sex industry here is to adapt to the new dispensation and hope that the safety and welfare of sex workers takes precedent over the greed and misplaced morality of the Magdalenes and their naive supporters. At least Sarah Benson's 100k salary (plus expenses) will be safe.