4870 Joy Smith MP, Kildonan – St. Paul
It’s appalling that 25 Toronto Councillors have jointly sent a letter to
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, asking her to refer Bill C-36 to the
Ontario Court of Appeal. Even more shocking, these Councillors are
requesting that the Premier actually direct police officers to not
uphold the law that was just passed by the federal government.
The letter from the Councillors cites the concern that Bill C-36 will be
‘dangerous for sex workers’ and ‘will recreate harms that previously
existed under the old laws.’
Their evidence of this – well they talk
about experts, but provide no actual documentation. Rather, the
Councillors have bought into the fear mongering by pro-legalization
lobbyists – the same ones that stand to make significant financial gains
off vulnerable and exploited women if prostitution is legalized. Sadly
it appears the Premier has taken the bait as she mulls over her options.
The media has also jumped on the bandwagon over the weekend with
multiple outlets covering the coming into force of Bill C-36 and the
impending doom it will have.
Many articles highlighted the ‘over 60
organizations’ calling for the repeal – but only ever named three
organizations. The articles reiterated the call for repeal or
non-enforcement without actually providing any consideration to the
impact of legalized prostitution.
As countries like Germany and the
Netherlands have discovered, legalizing prostitution leads to increased
violence against women, increased child prostitution, and increased
human trafficking. This is not the future we want to create for our
youth.
At least one media organization is more forthright about their
motivations. For NOW Magazine, it’s all about the profits. In a
statement posted on December 7, 2014, NOW Magazine Editor Alice Klein
defends their position of continuing to run advertising for sexual
services in the name of ‘feisty journalism.’ Klein admits that NOW
Magazine benefits from this type of advertising and “has made a
principled choice to stand against discrimination and further
marginalization of sex workers.”
But nothing about their decision is
principled. NOW Magazine enjoys the financial gain it receives from
advertising marginalized and vulnerable women and there is term for that
– it’s called exploitation. Alas, could we expect anything different
from a paper that defends men who buy women as an ‘oppressed sexual
minority.’
The editor of Feminist Current, Meghan Murphy, is absolutely correct
when she points out the hypocrisy of NOW Magazine’s self-defense of
standing up for rights, writing “Profiting from ads that objectify and
sell women has nothing to do with human rights.” Anyone who has opened
up a NOW Magazine, cannot miss the pages of advertising, most of which
is for sexual services through body rub parlours or ‘independent sex
workers.’
Except when you speak to survivors and law enforcement, you
will quickly discover that many massage parlours – licensed and
unlicensed – are fronts for sex trafficking operations and organized
crime.
The most glaring absence from both the Councillors’ letter to the
Premier and media reports – the voices of survivors of prostitution.
During the review of Bill C-36 this past summer by the Standing
Committee on Justice and Human Rights, many survivors testified about
the violence inherent in prostitution.
Some entered by choice, some were
coerced, but all were unanimous in their call for the government to
target the demand for sexual services and pimps. I would encourage the
Premier and all Councillors to meet with survivors of prostitution and
hear their concerns.
Law enforcement agencies, communities, and women's groups have welcomed
our approach in Bill C-36 because they know first-hand that activities
around prostitution are harmful to women and for society. They are not
harmful because they are illegal; they are illegal because they are
harmful.
We must continue to criminalize the activities of pimps and
johns. The legalization of their activities is unacceptable to Canadians
as are elected officials who call for police to be ordered to ignore
laws. It’s time for Toronto Councillors to stand up for the marginalized
and vulnerable.
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