Transitioning Times

We have been posting a lot lately about human trafficking, and as more people understand what it is, there is more media coverage.  When you learn more about human trafficking, a byproduct is that you learn more about sex work.  And whether talking about sex work, sexual abuse of children, or human trafficking, pimps come up. I am appalled that people still use this word in a positive way when bragging about their own, or another man's sexual prowess.  Pimps force, that's right, FORCE people, sometimes children, into working for them, through manipulation or fear.  Consider the words you are using: That man sleeps with so many women, he is a criminal who forces children into prostitution!  Not that sexy anymore, is it?

This article is primarily about a documentary focused on teenagers and the internet, however, it includes the following line: "In one, a girl who does not reveal her identity, talks with heartbreaking candour about how she would do anything for her BlackBerry; when a gang of boys takes it from her she recounts how she endured sexual assault in order to have it back." The phrase "endured sexual assault" was edited from "allowed herself to be sexually assaulted" and before that, "let herself be gang-raped."  So, here we have another example of victim-blaming, and insinuating that victims have a choice in what happens/happened to them. We have to always be mindful of what words we are using, because WORDS have power.  Flashback Feminist Friday