Law and Order SVU Episode on Trafficking

And my Law and Order: SVU addiction continues...Last night, I saw a great episode about DOMESTIC child trafficking!!!! They emphasized that U.S. born CHILDREN are being exploited. They showed that children are literally shackled up like slaves, starved, drugged, beaten, raped. They also showed how parents sell their kids - sometimes "unknowingly," many times intentionally.

It was painful and refreshing to see parts of my awful past on tv. Thanks to all the abolitionists out there.

Slavery still exists!!! People, it's 2011!!!! Are you as enraged as I am?!

Pass the Safe Harbor Act in Minnesota!

Hey Everyone,

All around the nation, anti-traffficking activists are working to pass the Safe Harbor Act. This ensures that children who are sexually exploited are NOT treated as criminals, but victims. Right now, our laws are contradictory! It is considered statutory rape for someone over 18 to have sex with someone 18 and under. At the same time, "prostitution", at whatever age, is criminal. So...how can we say that a girl who is "prostituting" is not actually being PROSTITUTED, i.e. victimized and RAPED!?

Minnesota is working to pass the Bill now. Please call your legislators!

"Minnesota House Bill 556 would explicitly define sexually-exploited youth as children in need of protection and services, require the Commissioner of Public Safety to develop a statewide service model for this vulnerable population, and increase penalties for those who purchase children for sex. This bill will have its first hearing in the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 9.

House Bill 556 would explicitly define sexually-exploited youth as children in need of protection and services, ensure that these youth are not categorized as juvenile delinquents, require the Commissioner of Public Safety develop a statewide model to serve sexually-exploited youth or youth at risk of sexual exploitation, defines “prostitute” as only those over 18 (2014), and increases penalties for those who purchase children for sex."

http://www.polarisproject.org/take-action/advocate/402-urge-minnesota-legislators-to-support-safe-harbor-for-sexually-exploited-youth

News on American Apparel

I have never been a fan of American Apparel's ads, but I chopped it up to being a survivor - my body being put up for sale and oogling. I thought - there has to be a way to appreciate and respect the female body - share it, show it as I might want to - and not been seen as a sexual deviant, "slut", "whore", "asking for it." Puritanism with sex and the body is not the way to go either...and yet...hear's a reason why American Apparel's ads might not be of the healthy variety:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/08/american-apparel-founder-forced-teen-staffer-sex-slave-lawsuit-claims/?cmpid=cmty_fb_Gigya_American_Apparel_Founder_Forced_Teen_Staffer_Into_Sex_Slavery,_Lawsuit_Claims

Conference Against Trafficking in Jan 2012 & Upcoming Events

Hey All,

Sorry for the long hiatus of posts. February got a little hectic and but I wanted to let you know about some upcoming presentations I'm giving! It's going to be a busy month!

March 30, 12:45-2pm @ UC Berkeley Boalt School of Law

March 31, 7-8:30pm @ Macalester College, Markhim Hall

April 6, 5-7pm @ UC Berkeley Multicultural Center

April 9, 1-3pm @ UC Davis Global Healthy Conference

April 9, 5-8pm @ Freedom House Benefit Dinner

April 13-14 @ Cal State Channel Islands

Also, check this out:

4th Annual Northwest Conference Against Trafficking and Film Festival

January 9-16, 2012 in Portland, Oregon

www.NWCAT.org