Thankyou so much for posting that Dylan.
Both the video and article are excellent on the issues of sex work, the ineffectiveness of harsh laws and the approach of lawmakers in those circumstances, and the necessary separation of sex-workers and sex-trafficking. They will prove very useful to me particularly in challenging the proposed WA laws. Ms Jacobbsen is very articulate.
It was also quite an insight into how the laws came about and were developed. I had researched the Swedish model and was quite surprised that something like that came out of Sweden, which is generally a very consultative and forward-thinking country. It seems that they see this as something progressive - as she discusses, the concept of radical feminism. I believe she is spot on. I have always felt that feminism approaches the issue of female sex-workers from entirely the wrong perspective: rather than see the women involved as victims and attempt to stamp it out, it is feminism that should embrace sex work as an empowerment of women. Feminism (with respect to sex) is about the matter of women not having control and self-determination about their sexuality. For some reason they see sex work as representative of this when in fact it is the opposite - there is no group of women more in control of their sexuality and self-determinant with respect to their sexuality than those in the sex industry. This is both a direct and an indirect product of working - directly sex workers choose what they do and don't do and who they will and won't see and under what conditions they will and won't work; indirectly it is the only profession that enables a woman to maximise her earning potential and achieve genuine financial freedom, security and independence and it leads to a better understanding of an individual's sexuality, desires and likes and dislikes. It can also assist in the development of self-esteem and self-confidence particularly with respect to interaction with men. This all permeates into a sex-worker's personal life as well. So feminism should harness the industry and work in tandem with it to assist women within the industry and learn from them.
I was also particularly interested in her comments about stereotyping dehumanising people and how this has led to negative approaches with respect to drug addicts and sex-workers. It is so true: when people are looked at in a group and concepts assigned to that group it is very easy to forget that they are human beings and essentially wipe your hands of them. It is a common tactic employed by politicians whenever they need to deal with what is essentially a human issue in an inhumane way - they convince the public to see those involved as a 'thing' rather than as people. Consider, for example, asylum seekers in Australia.
The Swedish model is often referred to by lawmakers looking to stamp out sex-work, and they approach it from the same perspective as did the Swedish lawmakers: the stereotype that sex work is undesirable and damaging to the community and participants, and they don't make any effort to consult the people involved. In referencing this and other harsh models, lawmakers also tend not to pay attention to their ineffectiveness. Indeed, I believe that this model was referred to in the development of the proposed WA laws. Harsh laws are always going to create problems. In the case of the sex industry they promote the genuinely undesirable side of the industry and will drive a lot of it underground, which actually makes it more detrimental to the community and dangerous for the participants. Those who are criminals and want to exploit the industry in a negative way will always find a way to operate; if it is out in the open then it encourages the more professional side of the industry and also means that those who work are more likely to work in a professional environment. Alternatively there will be less of those people and those who do work are subjected to worse conditions and outside the protection of the law if something goes wrong. Further, the enforcement officials lose one of their most valuable resources in stamping out the problem elements: the industry itself. As the video points out, people - whether clients or sex-workers - will not come forward if they are at risk themselves.
What should have been learnt from the Swedish model is that it is detrimental to all involved and the community.
