Reopening of brothels, the position of STRASS.
Reopening of brothels, the position of STRASS.
On November 24, 2009, Christine Boutin (former Minister) relaunch the debate by declaring that she is “not opposed to the reopening of brothels” but then quickly retracted under the pressure of anti prostitution lobbies including the Mouvement du Nid.
STRASS with over 250 sex workers members in France would like this important debate not being closed immediately because of professionals anti prostitution activists who are lobbying to maintain the abolitionist dogma which ensures them many subsidies and the survival of their organization.
STRASS rejects the current abolitionist system which is actually a repressive system against sex workers on the pretext of human dignity and morality.
We are opposed to the concept of a brothel as it existed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries because it was a mean of control and an interference with our freedoms. Also we denounce the hypocrisy of the current laws that forbid us to work indoors, particularly when we want to work in group for our security.
We are against the brothels because:
* We refuse to work for the benefit of a brothel keeper as we oppose all forms of exploitation and because 100% of an income from sex work must return to the worker him/herself.
* We reject that a third party imposes or influences in the choice of our clients, our prevention, our practices and our rates.
* We believe that mandatory testing for STIs often advocated with the reopening of brothels does not protect sex workers and their clients since it ignores the pre-seroconversion window period during the transmission of these diseases.
* Only the condom protects and mandatory testing is actually used to encourage sex workers to accept unprotected sex and to pursue exclusion policies against workers with HIV. The contaminations scandals in the porn industry are a glaring example of the counterproductivity of mandatory testing on health.
* We refuse to be put away from the public space to enclosed, reserved or hidden areas. We are part of this society and we want our workplaces being open spaces to any adult audience, not closed houses.
* We do not want a regulationist system which divides sex workers among the regulars who can work in brothels and others who continue to be criminalized for refusing state control. We want equal rights for all regardless of our nationality.
What we want:
* The right to work wherever we want.
* The right to associate ourselves with who we want.
* The right to work with whoever we want.
* The right to work as we want.
This includes therefore to repeal the laws on soliciting and pimping, which prevent us to organize our work and independent housing. In trying to discourage the existence of prostitution, these laws do not protect us, they put us in danger.