Tag: Amnesty International

We’re Sorry Amnesty International Ruined Your Ideology

According to its wiki, cognitive dissonance is the “discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas, or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.”… Continue reading We’re Sorry Amnesty International Ruined Your Ideology

Pushed To The Fringes: Underage Sex Workers

This isn't Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby, either.

A part of our community seems to always get left behind. While we argue that we need to prioritize the safety and well-being of sex workers, our discussions often fall short of protecting the workers who are most at risk: underage workers. We fear being read as encouraging the sexual exploitation of children. But the… Continue reading Pushed To The Fringes: Underage Sex Workers

Celebrity And The Spectacle Of The Trafficking Victim

The Society of the Spectacle: where a rich actress who once played a sex worker is more credible than sex workers themselves. (Photo by Flickr user Anthony Citrano)

With Amnesty International’s announcement that its membership will vote on a policy of decriminalization of prostitution this weekend and subsequent protests from celebrities, there’s been considerable verbal diarrhea spewed from the mouths of rich people on the topic of “privilege.” Sex workers like me—people who have the time and energy to advocate for human rights—have… Continue reading Celebrity And The Spectacle Of The Trafficking Victim

Activist Spotlight: Pye Jakobsson On the Amnesty International Vote and Holding Allies Accountable

Pye Jakobsson. (Photo courtesy of Pye Jakobsson.)

As the vote this weekend at the Amnesty International General Council Meeting in Dublin approaches on whether the human rights organization will adopt a draft proposal supporting the decriminalization of prostitution as policy, I spoke, via e-mail, to Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) President Pye Jakobsson on NSWP’s petition to Amnesty urging them… Continue reading Activist Spotlight: Pye Jakobsson On the Amnesty International Vote and Holding Allies Accountable

A Tale of Two Petitions: CATW’s Amnesty Open Letter Fail

Why listen to us when you could listen to Meryl Streep? (Photo by Flickr user mostribus84)

On July 22, a long list of prohibitionists, working through the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, released an open letter to Amnesty International as part of their long-running fight to stop them from officially adopting a pro-decriminalization of sex work stance. The letter urged the organization to vote against a draft proposal supporting decriminalization at… Continue reading A Tale of Two Petitions: CATW’s Amnesty Open Letter Fail