sexual abuse

I love your comments and I follow all the links I get. We might argue, but most often we share anger, indignation, ideas and solidarity (yes, I’m lucky that you take the time to leave a word of appreciation!)

This time, I -was lucky enough that Suzzan Blac read my text, commented, and left me an open door to her work.

I followed the link and it was mind-blowing. Her story is sadly way too common. Her resilience is not.

“Suzzan Blac’s early years were the stuff of the darkest nightmares: abject poverty and spirit-crushing abuse. Adolescence brought a harrowing coercion into the horrific world of the sex trade where she was held prisoner. She escaped, but spiraled into depression. Eventual marriage to a loving man and two beautiful children gave her a sense of normalcy for the first time in her life. But the long buried memories kept her an emotional hostage. To free herself and heal, she started painting. Out came 42 pieces, so raw they shocked even the artist. She hid them for a decade. When finally she revealed them, fame followed. Her work is exhibited around the world.”

Her art breaches intellectual defenses and hypocrisy. Her art overwhelms the heart. You can’t search “logical” counter arguments while looking at it. This is visceral, you absorb her message, and suddenly the story of her life is yours too. The trigger warning comes here, as many will recognize themselves in the things she paints, those things people don’t like to talk about. It’s distressing.

Continue reading →

German version available on: http://www.abolition2014.blogspot.de/

Warm thanks to @IngeReed -German version- and @PhoenixUtters for fixing, reading, translating, and editing! !

According to an internal leaked document from Amnesty International, the organization fights hard to defend people involved in prostitution. Namely, clients and pimps.

This document is not an harmless draft escaped from an intern’s drawer. This is an internal policy document to define the global strategy of the organization on the prostitution issue. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter wrote an open letter to Amnesty, because such a policy in destroying YEARS of progress in the fight against sexual exploitation. Amnesty Sweden and Amnesty Australia have publicly dissociated themselves from their headquarters.

This document states that criminalizing a prostitute’s client is an attack against both privacy and individuals free choice. This document also states that the access to prostituted women is a fundamental human right.

NO LESS.

Amnesty is a prestigious organization known for its fight for the rights of political prisoners, against forced marriages, against summary executions, etc. And it is now campaigning for men’s rights to access the bodies of those more vulnerable than themselves. This is both shocking and hard to understand. In a time where the debate around prostitution is raging, it is of extreme importance to analyze Amnesty’s text, and understand the significance of this stance- especially when it is defended by an organization which inspires people.

So how, when and why did Amnesty turned it’s back on the victims and began to fight for the pimps?

In 12 points, we will see that:

1. Amnesty deliberately mixes up the conflicting interests of prostituted women and buyers;

2. Amnesty minimizes the extent of human trafficking for sexual exploitation;

3. Amnesty the emotional and physical costs of prostitution and present it as an autonomous life choice;

4. Amnesty defends full decriminalization, while legalizing countries have turned to disasters;

5. Amnesty defines prostitution as female empowerment for those living with less than 2,50$ a day;

6 and 7: Amnesty definition of sex work. When food and shelter become remuneration;

8. Amnesty defends porn, in the name of ART and freedom of expression;

9. Amnesty defends pimping as support function;

10. Amnesty considers access to prostitutes as a New Mens’ Right;

11. Amnesty quotes International Treaties but lie about their content;