THE SEXUAL FREEDOM COALITION

The Sexual Freedom Coalition has been steadily campaigning for the decriminalisation of sex work and the freedom to see all pornography featuring consensual adults. We responded to the Consultation Paper on Extreme Pornography in 2006.

Suddenly, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill 2008 was rushed through the House of Commons without debate, and thankfully members of the House of Lords have realised that they need to make sensible amendments. What is extraordinary is the support in the national media for the criminalisation of men who pay for sex. Harriet Harman and Julie Bindel have managed to get their fundamentalist feminist slogans adopted as facts. This is what happened in Sweden – the fundamentalist feminists took over, and still rule.

Fortunately, the Safety First Coalition has gained the support of Mr John McDonnel MP who has drafted some amendments and has facilitated meetings in the House of Commons committee rooms.

I attended the recent meeting on 16th January 2008. Committee Room 10 was packed out with academics, support networks and sex workers, who listened to speakers from Sweden and New Zealand on the laws in their countries and and their effects on women’s health and safety. The speakers were:-

Pye Jacobsen
Organiser of sex workers’ rights in Sweden since 1994, Ms Jacobsen is a founding member of Sex Workers and Allies in Sweden (SANS) which campaigns against the criminalisation of sex workers resulting from the criminalisation of clients.

and

Catherine Healy
Minister of Justice to the New Zealand Prostitution Law Review Committee, founding member and the national co-ordinator of the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective, widely consulted for the publication of A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Sex Industry recommended by the Justice and Electoral Select Committee. In 1993 Catherine was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal for her services to women.

Pye told us of how prostitution has been driven underground in Sweden and out of reach of all the health and support projects. Crimes are not reported, and sex workers are very much more at risk. Very few prosecutions have been made. Male clients are not discussed in Sweden because it doesn't fit with the feminist ethics.

Catherine told us how well the New Zealand model is working, with decriminalisation. The only thing that is still illegal in New Zealand is that foreigners are not allowed to enter the country to engage in sex work.

The big question was asked endlessly – why on earth can anyone who supports women be in favour of laws which put women at risk by driving their industry underground ?

Everybody in the room, including representatives from the Royal College of Nursing, the British Medical Journal, the Green Party and Women Against Rape, was in favour of the New Zealand model: the total decriminalisation of Sex Work. The eight members of the House of Lords in attendance pledged that they would do their best.

At the same time, Backlash have been following the progress of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill 2008, and sending me updates. I decided to write to MPs, members of committees, and members of the House of Lords, with recommendation from the disability perspective, as Director of the Outsiders Trust.

Backlash informed me that the debate in the House of Lords on 22nd January included a remark by Lady Miller (Liberal Demoncrats) as follows:

“Before I leave this point, I refer to the specialist interest material we have received from the Outsiders Trust, which represents the interests of physically disabled people. That is the sort of issue I hope we will come back to in Committee"

Since then, I have been encouraging disabled people to write to the House of Lords with their own stories of how and why they need extreme pornography and the use of sex workers. Three very convincing letters were sent off. There is also talk of a demo of disabled people near to the House of Commons.

The Lords Select Committee will meet from 5th February so if anyone has more supporting material or know more people who would be willing to explain what is wrong with the bill, please do write. Backlash do have lobbying advisors who are willing to look over what you write and can help direct your efforts so don't hesitate to get in touch. email info@backlash-uk.org.uk
The address is:
The Lords Select Committee, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW