This post is on the BDSM Activism web board.
| Fri 28 Jan 11, 6:11 PM skyfox UK(EH), 5 yrs   |
Note: This Bill "Fell at Dissolution" and has not yet been picked back up. But CAAN is watching this bill to make sure if they do re-introduce it that we're ready. _________________________________________________ The Scottish Government has opened up a consultation regarding Trish Godman's proposal for the criminalisation of the purchase of sex. She originally proposed this back during a late stage in the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill, but after so many responses were received about it, the proposal was rejecting pending further consultation. She doesn't quit easily, though, and is back again asking for people's opinions on the criminalisation of prostitution. This proposal would, if passed, make it a crime for customers to pay for sexual services. However, one of the questions mentions banning both the purchase and the sale, asking if people would want both the buyer and the prostitute to be punished by law. Also considered are the criminalisation of activities related to prostitution (e.g. advertising) and also the discussion of what constitutes "payment" (e.g. rent, drugs, debts, food, etc.) The potential impact of this proposal upon prostitutes and other sex workers would be drastic. The "consultation" document can be found here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/Membe... The consultation itself (8 questions) can be found at the end of the document. The due date is 18th February. Names can be withheld from publication, shown only with a Freedom of Information request. Please see the document for further anonymity questions. What does this have to do with BDSM? Right now, nothing. If you do not fall under the government's definition of sex (whatever that is), then it doesn't matter if you pay for it or not. But we don't know what the future will bring. Will the distinction between prostitute and pro-domme shrink, grow, or blur? Is a slight change of definition of "sexual services" on the books? We don't know. But it sets precedence for the continued infringement on the rights of consenting adults. Please pass this on to anyone you know who would be interested. Every contribution counts. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Edited Fri 13 May 11, 3:11 PM by skyfox | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 6:29 PM tiggerGlasgow UK(EH), 6 yrs  |
Letter time to my MSP. I'll post a draft on here in the next few days for people to appropriate and use if they desire to do the same. We do not need to be taking a step backwards as a nation with regards to sexual liberation. "A life without pain has no meaning" Athrur Schopenhauer | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 6:56 PM simplepleasure UK(EH), 12 yrs |
How can the following be considered an unbiased request for peoples views?
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| 28 Jan 11, 7:34 PM skyfox UK(EH), 5 yrs |
Thanks for writing to your MSP, Tiggs. I'd like to hear a response about the actual process, myself. But really, everyone, numbers are VERY important to the Scottish government, and so even an anonymous response that says "NO!!!" is counted as completely as one by a group of PhDs and churches. I cannot emphasize enough -- EVERY RESPONSE COUNTS! And sometimes even the smallest most innocent comment can be enough to stop them in their tracks, as was shown in the lap dancing debate. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 8:49 PM Ianneil UK(N), 5 yrs |
I thought this thread was a wind up..but no tiss true. I thought the parsimonious Presbyterian puritans that infest labour had bee washed away into the dustbin of history the moment that charisma Browne left office. Apparently not, I imagine the good lady is sprouting rhetoric about protecting exploited women etc. And as with other abolitionists through the ages will be wilfully blind to the unintended yet predictable consequences of her act. Prostitution driven underground will happy time for organized crime and as for the protection of the sex worker if attacked while at work can no longer go to the police because they will be admitting to a crime. But then MSPs have a track record for living in fairy dairy land ever since they built their fairy castle, the Scottish Parliament building, the biggest building project overspend since Nero tried rebuilding Rome...... | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 8:58 PM MisstressvsSolicedog UK(NN), 17 mths |
ruddy medevil thinking strike's again,, which cause's more harm fag's beer fat saturated food's or sex,,,, hmmm best stop people doing 'IT' i have no truck with people selling a service,, i feel sad that some relationship's are being damaged ( by the purchaser ) who are not honest enough to deal with the issue's within thier relationship to be happier, single people are another matter of course, but rathr than deal with an age old issue they push it futher into the hands of criminal gang's sigh's stupid stupid stupid Please excuse crap spelling cause i,m rubbish | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 8:59 PM MisstressvsSolicedog UK(NN), 17 mths |
stupid
Please excuse crap spelling cause i,m rubbish | ||
| 28 Jan 11, 9:39 PM Tara_Red UK(B), 5 yrs £ |
Although prostitution is legal in England brothels are illegal here so you would never see adverts for them. Girls are already forced to work by themselves as are Mistresses and pro subs as technically speaking 2 girls working together in the same premises is a brothel. Though the law often turns a blind eye to Mistresses who double session it is risky and there seems to be a number of massage parlours still operating who manage to keep under the radar. I do hope they don't bring even worse laws in Scotland than we are already forced to put up with here. Pro submissive & switch with great dungeon & LOTS of toys! | ||
| 29 Jan 11, 8:59 AM rubberroy UK(TN), 6 yrs |
It's a great pity the UK can't take a leaf out of some European countries' book, like Holland, Germany, Belgium where such things are legalised, girls are given regular health checks, and by and large keeps the organised crime out of it. It may be easier here if they banned sex altogether. BTW, if they do pass this law, where will the MSPs go for a sub session after a hard day at work?? Probably south of the border! Watch out for a whole host of "premises" opening in Carlisle and Berwick! Supplier of classic motor omnibuses for weddings and all sorts of events in the south of England. | ||
| 29 Jan 11, 10:54 AM Ianneil UK(N), 5 yrs |
The more bizzar consequences of such a law did occur to me.....Berrick becomes New Amsterdam..... the grab a grannie night at the Carsile truck stop takes on a new lease of life. Conversations in Scotish homes: Morag: "Jimmie you forgot our anerversary, nae chocies n flowers." Jimmie: "Aye pet e cannie gea stuff incase sex polise say I'm paying for sex, section 6 of the the naughty nokkie act." Morag: "Well I geive this yar tight fisted bastard you are." Jimmie: "OH no pet not the porridge enema." | ||
| 16 Feb 11, 5:34 PM skyfox UK(EH), 5 yrs |
Closing date for consultation responses is Friday. The questions have been posted here, you can email your responses to trish . godman . msp @ scottish . parliament . uk. Don't worry about not being all academic or anything, remember, your responses count just as much as those from a church, housewife, prostitute, politician, anyone. Every little bit counts, even if you just write one sentence answers. You can always ask for your name to be withheld from public view. The analysis and submissions should be available to read through the Scottish Parliament website. Start here to follow the progress. Here's the list of references from CAAN-Scotland's submission: Review of the Implementation of the Human Rights Act 2006 http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/docs/full_rev... Accessed 2011-01-30 “WHO urges decriminalization of prostitution,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, August 13, 2001 For more about the New Zealand law, please see http://www.nzpc.org.nz/page.php?page_name=Law Norway Ministry of Justice and the police 8 October 2004 “Purchasing Sexual Services in Sweden and the Netherlands: Legal Regulation and Experiences. An abbreviated English version. A Report by a Working Group on the legal regulation of the purchase of sexual services.” http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/kilde/jd/rap/20... Accessed 2011-02-08 The Anna Skarhed (Swedish Chancellor of Justice) report on outcome of the Swedish law, 2010 It is also worth noting that this landmark analysis of the Swedish law is not without controversy. Gregg Buken-Knapp (see below) aptly illustrates that the report is neither for nor against the law, and examples can be taken from it which support both sides of the debate. In light of the fact that the results of a law such as this one are so muddled, it suggests that prostitution itself is a variable activity which cannot be addressed in a single law. http://nppr.se/2010/07/02/evaluating-the-swedish... WHO “Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Critical Intersections” Information Bulletin Series, Number 3 “Violence against sex workers and HIV prevention” http://www.who.int/gender/documents/sexworkers.p... Accessed 2011-02-08 Policing and Crime Bill Public Bill Committees, 29 January 2009 http://www.theyworkforyou.com/pbc/2008-09/Polici... Accessed 2011-01-29 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/9/contents Ipsos MORI “GEO Survey: Prostitution” 1 September 2008 http://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Polls/poll... Accessed 2011-02-08 Spiegal Online “Prostitution Ban Huge Success in Sweden” 11/08/2007 http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,151... Accessed 2011-02-08 Eurozine O'Connell Davidson “Men, middlemen, and migrants” 2006-07-27 http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-07-27-davi... Accessed 2011-01-27 “Indecent Proposals” The Economist Nov 1st 2007 http://www.economist.com/node/10064554 Accessed 2011-01-30 Norway Ministry of Justice and the police 8 October 2004 (as above) “Acpo calls for debate over prostitution laws” BBC News 28 Dec 2010 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12073796 Accessed 2011-02-08 “Sweden's prostitution law a success: report” 2010-07-03 The Local: Sweden's News in English http://www.thelocal.se/27580/20100703/ Accessed 2011-01-30 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime “Human Trafficking” http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/... Accessed 2011-02-08 Secret Diary of a Street Girl “Are the prohibitionists in retreat?” 24 August 2010 http://betedenuit.blogspot.com/2010/08/are-prohi... Accessed 2011-01-30 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime “Human Trafficking” http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/... Accessed 2011-02-08 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/7/section... Accessed 2011-02-08 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/19/sect... Accessed 2011-02-08 “In Scotland, 35 individuals were arrested during Pentameter 2. Of those arrested 18 people have been convicted, mainly for immigration or prostitution offences, and sentences ranging from imprisonment to financial penalties have been imposed.” Scottish Government http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/crimes... Accessed 2011-02-08 A Commentary on 'Challenging Men's Demand for Prostitution in Scotland: A Research Report Based on Interviews with 110 Men who Bought Women in Prostitution' (Jan Macleod, Melissa Farley, Lynn Anderson, Jacqueline Golding, 2008) http://www.scot-pep.org.uk/A%20commentary%20on%2... Accessed 2011-02-08 New Zealand Ministry of Justice “Report of the Prostitution Law Review Committee on the Operation of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003” “Chapter 12: Invisibility of Clients” http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-consultati... Accessed 2011-02-08 NewsWire.co.nz “Welly underbelly: world's 'best' brothels not what they seem” May 6th 2010 http://www.newswire.co.nz/2010/05/worlds-best/ Accessed 2011-02-09 O'Connell Davidson 2006 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting Warsaw, 2-13 October 2006 “The Demand Side of 'Trafficking'? Prostitution and Beyond” http://www.osce.org/odihr/20962 Accessed 2011-01-27 The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. |
