- Joined
- Jun 7, 2016
- Messages
- 107
i recently attended a lecture at the UofS on sex work and human trafficking in Canada, and particularly, Saskatchewan.
it was open to the public, and was called "neglecting to protect" with Lorna Dornstauder from the RCMP and Don Miekle from Egadz, as well as a lady representing the aboriginal community.
the RCMP lady was mainly focusing on human trafficking, people being brought into the country and forced to work, she talked about BP, and pulled up some girls add from the local BP, and was pointing out signs that this person may be a trafficked person, and honestly, maybe? who knows?
she spoke about how they book appts to meet women who advertise on BP and show up and ask them questions ect.
i admit i was a bit pissed off hen she mentioned meeting "well put together, professional women who refuse to admit they are being pimped" and bemoaned how she just couldn't help those women, and how it was so sad blah blah
and of course they talked about the women who work the streets, and they totally ignored the fact that in Canada, specifically Saskatchewan, women working the streets are usually doing it for ONE reason, drugs.
the "pimps" are more likely drug dealers, and the reason these women are out there is because they have a problem.
(and if people dont like me saying so, well, im sorry, but lets be realistic here.)
she had a long list of problems, zero solutions, except to crack down harder, on all of us.
by the time Done Miekle from Egadz went up to talk i bristling with righteous indignation, and my sister who had came to the lecture with me, was also pretty pissed off, and shes not even in the industry.
anyways, Don, is one of the founders of Egadz youth outreach in Saskatoon, and ironically, i used to be an Egadz kid, Don in fact, used to show up on my behalf in court and get me hauled out whenever i got in trouble in my misguided yet adventurous youth
the problem of minors on the streets, working, is not a new one and the techniques to combat it haven't changed much, again, addiction is glossed over, as more of a symptom of the problem of sex work, than the actual disease driving these kids to the streets.
i bit my lip and held my tongue, because ....hes not the best at public speaking and i respect the man, but good god
when he was done, anoher lady came up and spoke about how indigenous people are more likely to be trafficked in the sex trade, because they are poor and residential school, ect.
of course the addiction and drinking, is just as glossed over and unmentioned, aide to say that sex work drives them to addiction.
okay.
well.
as an escort who has done everything in my power to be as legitimate as i possibly can, who has tried not to be the stereotype, as much as i possibly can, the whole thing was rather insulting.
our industry is blanketed with a one track view, we are victims.
i don't know about the other ladies on here, but like seriously, im pimped by; saskpower, saskenergy, SGI, my car payments, house insurance, an oh lord i do believe my children and even my DOG are living off the avails!! **gasp!!* and the government wants $$ too, for income tax, because i actually report my income (how else can you buy a house or a car ect without proof of income? just how i do it)
but according the Lorna from the RCMP, and people like Don, people like me just don't exist.
i did actually talk to Lorna after the lecture.
and i introduced myself with a smile, as Melody Merlot, at this point im curious if she knows who i am.
she was absolutely shocked , talk about freakin weird! she knew exactly who i was.
apparently, they had been trying to get me to come into Saskatoon for an appt, because they thought maybe i was being trafficked, and pinning me down otherwise is very hard.
i didn't actually even believe her, i thought she was just messing with my head, but nope, she had a copy of my ad from BP printed out and in her briefcase, because during thanksgiving long weekend, they were doing a blitz here.
(i swear to god i am not even making this shit up) needless to say, that was ...my heart was going a million miles a minute, and i was like, yep, thats me alright.
i told her i was absolutely not being pimped and that i was actually really offended by her blatant refusal to admit women like me exist, and that as someone who has tried really hard to be professional, and someone who actually runs my business, as a business, i feel incredibly discriminated against by our government, and people like her, who can meet a professional well put together woman like myself, and not believe us when we say,"hey, this is my business, this is what i do!"
i mean its great that they were worried about me and wanting to heck on me, but what about my ads or website says "trafficked woman being pimped against her will"?
anyways long rant, vent, whatever, its frustrating, how they look at us, with such a narrow lens.
i really wish there was some way to distinguish between "legal professional sex work" and "trafficked women and minors" in the eyes of the law and society
anyways im sorry if i said anything offensive, if i did, sorry didnt mean to
anyways, this has been bothering me ever since and just wanted to let it out
xo mel
it was open to the public, and was called "neglecting to protect" with Lorna Dornstauder from the RCMP and Don Miekle from Egadz, as well as a lady representing the aboriginal community.
the RCMP lady was mainly focusing on human trafficking, people being brought into the country and forced to work, she talked about BP, and pulled up some girls add from the local BP, and was pointing out signs that this person may be a trafficked person, and honestly, maybe? who knows?
she spoke about how they book appts to meet women who advertise on BP and show up and ask them questions ect.
i admit i was a bit pissed off hen she mentioned meeting "well put together, professional women who refuse to admit they are being pimped" and bemoaned how she just couldn't help those women, and how it was so sad blah blah
and of course they talked about the women who work the streets, and they totally ignored the fact that in Canada, specifically Saskatchewan, women working the streets are usually doing it for ONE reason, drugs.
the "pimps" are more likely drug dealers, and the reason these women are out there is because they have a problem.
(and if people dont like me saying so, well, im sorry, but lets be realistic here.)
she had a long list of problems, zero solutions, except to crack down harder, on all of us.
by the time Done Miekle from Egadz went up to talk i bristling with righteous indignation, and my sister who had came to the lecture with me, was also pretty pissed off, and shes not even in the industry.
anyways, Don, is one of the founders of Egadz youth outreach in Saskatoon, and ironically, i used to be an Egadz kid, Don in fact, used to show up on my behalf in court and get me hauled out whenever i got in trouble in my misguided yet adventurous youth
the problem of minors on the streets, working, is not a new one and the techniques to combat it haven't changed much, again, addiction is glossed over, as more of a symptom of the problem of sex work, than the actual disease driving these kids to the streets.
i bit my lip and held my tongue, because ....hes not the best at public speaking and i respect the man, but good god
when he was done, anoher lady came up and spoke about how indigenous people are more likely to be trafficked in the sex trade, because they are poor and residential school, ect.
of course the addiction and drinking, is just as glossed over and unmentioned, aide to say that sex work drives them to addiction.
okay.
well.
as an escort who has done everything in my power to be as legitimate as i possibly can, who has tried not to be the stereotype, as much as i possibly can, the whole thing was rather insulting.
our industry is blanketed with a one track view, we are victims.
i don't know about the other ladies on here, but like seriously, im pimped by; saskpower, saskenergy, SGI, my car payments, house insurance, an oh lord i do believe my children and even my DOG are living off the avails!! **gasp!!* and the government wants $$ too, for income tax, because i actually report my income (how else can you buy a house or a car ect without proof of income? just how i do it)
but according the Lorna from the RCMP, and people like Don, people like me just don't exist.
i did actually talk to Lorna after the lecture.
and i introduced myself with a smile, as Melody Merlot, at this point im curious if she knows who i am.
she was absolutely shocked , talk about freakin weird! she knew exactly who i was.
apparently, they had been trying to get me to come into Saskatoon for an appt, because they thought maybe i was being trafficked, and pinning me down otherwise is very hard.
i didn't actually even believe her, i thought she was just messing with my head, but nope, she had a copy of my ad from BP printed out and in her briefcase, because during thanksgiving long weekend, they were doing a blitz here.
(i swear to god i am not even making this shit up) needless to say, that was ...my heart was going a million miles a minute, and i was like, yep, thats me alright.
i told her i was absolutely not being pimped and that i was actually really offended by her blatant refusal to admit women like me exist, and that as someone who has tried really hard to be professional, and someone who actually runs my business, as a business, i feel incredibly discriminated against by our government, and people like her, who can meet a professional well put together woman like myself, and not believe us when we say,"hey, this is my business, this is what i do!"
i mean its great that they were worried about me and wanting to heck on me, but what about my ads or website says "trafficked woman being pimped against her will"?
anyways long rant, vent, whatever, its frustrating, how they look at us, with such a narrow lens.
i really wish there was some way to distinguish between "legal professional sex work" and "trafficked women and minors" in the eyes of the law and society
anyways im sorry if i said anything offensive, if i did, sorry didnt mean to
anyways, this has been bothering me ever since and just wanted to let it out
xo mel
