Photomontage by George Blair Prostitution is the practice in which men are able to purchase women to use as sex objects. Men are taught via pornography and patriarchal culture to believe that they have an inalienable right to the sexual access of women and children’s bodies. Prostitution eroticises the degradation and oppression of women. Men …
Michelle Kelly recently spoke out about her experience of being exploited for 7 years in prostitution and pornography. As expected, she received vicious backlash from sex trade lobbyists. They bullied, threatened, ‘doxxed’ and intimidated – terror tactics designed to silence her and deter other survivors from coming forward. This gaslighting and victim-blaming is re-traumatising – and it is deliberate. When women speak out about men’s violence and abuse, we are told to shut up, to distrust ourselves, to always give our abusers the benefit of the doubt lest we say something ‘unkind’ about men. But as Michelle points out, the women and children still in the sex industry have no voice. Only those who have escaped are in a position to speak out. We must continue to OBJECT to men’s violence even (or especially) when we are told to shut up.
Earlier this month, OBJECT went to New York City to promote and launch the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights! While there, we also joined an anti-pimp protest outside New York City Hall; attended events at the UN Commission on the Status of Women; listened to a panel of ‘detransitioned’ women (Pique Resilience Project); and witnessed ‘queer-erasure’ of lesbian herstory at New York Public Library. The launch of the Women’s Declaration was a fantastic success; it now has over 3300 signatories from over 70 countries! Please keep spreading the word!
An insight into the biased ‘training’ events held (at considerable profit) by the so-called Public Policy Exchange. These events offer ‘training’ to police forces and charitable organisations, claiming to educate on the issue of prostitution – but only offering a pro-prostitution perspective. We OBJECT to greedy organisations and individuals who endorse and perpetuate sexual slavery for financial gain. This is Janice Williams’ account of attending one of PPE’s events in September 2016, first published on Nordic Model Now’s website.
Critique of an article in the Manchester Evening News, praising a so-called ‘sex workers’ charity’ which offers prostituted women hot drinks – BUT calls them “sex workers” and claims that they are just doing a “tough job” like “any other worker.” We OBJECT to irresponsible media referring to the sexual exploitation of women as a “job”. The MEN article blames women for their own abuse and covers up the culpability of the men who use/abuse prostituted women. We OBJECT.
Gemma Oldman describes her experience of a pop-up brothel setting up next door. She took extensive notes and reported her concerns to the police and a human trafficking helpline. Is enough being done to help victims of sex trafficking in the UK? We don’t think so. There are no consequences for the punters, the men who buy and rape the victims. We OBJECT.
OBJECT recently held our 15th Annual General Meeting in London. On our way to the venue, we removed 64 prostitution ads from 3 phone boxes. These ads displayed women’s bodies like meat on a menu, available for men’s consumption. We OBJECT.
OBJECT Essay Prize 2018 awarded for an essay entitled “The Environmental Impact of Prostitution.”
The British Medical Association voted against the full decriminalisation of prostitution in July 2017. We agree; we must continue to argue against the commodification of women’s bodies.
The ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes) does not represent the interests of prostituted women; it operates on behalf of those who profit from the sexual slave trade. Here are our reasons not to trust the ECP.