Economy
Fake hate speech on agenda in Tasmania
*Pic: Simone Watson and Sarah Bolt …
Simone Watson, Prostitution Survivor – head to head with Vikki Reynolds at Amnesty International workshop in Hobart 8 June
First published June 8
Today (Thursday) in Hobart I had a pleasant and productive meeting with Sarah Bolt, Tasmania’s Anti Discrimination Commissioner. My colleague Isla MacGregor and I raised several concerns with the Ms Bolt regarding the misuse of the rhetoric of [b]hate speech[/b] to shut down debate on men’s abuse of women in prostitution by anti sex trade campaigners.
In addition we discussed the need for a more open, honest and robust debate about sex trade laws in Tasmania and that these discussions must be conducted in a global context. Essential to any such discussion is the availability of unbiased information and the need for the Anti Discrimination Commission to conduct its own research rigorously and with impartiality.
In Hobart over the next two days Amnesty International Hobart Branch is hosting a workshop being lead by pro sex trade advocate Vikki Reynolds from BC Canada. While Ms Reynplds is also covering important issues concerning discrimination against the LGTBQI community and others, both she and Amnesty International, are intent on using ‘hate speech’ as a propaganda counter to anti sex-trade rationale supporting the Nordic model and its success in curbing the expansion of the global sex trade.
Ms Reynolds has said:
[i]”There are two things I believe we need to do. One is to belong people who are told they don’t belong on this earth by hate. And Two, we need to deliver justice to them” [/i]
https://www.amnesty.org.au/events/addressing-cultures-violence/
Vikki Reynold’s Workshop [i] ‘Addressing Injustices / The Politics of community work[/i]
outlines the themes including the notion that ‘sex workers’ are included in this group who are told they don’t belong on this earth by hate
[i]The Role of the Imperfect Ally in Social Justice Work – June 9th
“Our collective goal is not to be good allies, but to help everyone experience justice, co-creating a society in which allies would not be required” (V. Reynolds).
What is involved in the work of being an ally to communities who are targeted by a system that has not yet delivered on justice. These communities include LGBTI folk, racialized others, sex workers, injecting drug users, those who experience ableism, gender, and other forms of violence.[/i]
Today, outside the Amnesty workshop, along with another pro Nordic model ally I handed out the Amnesty Dossier, which contains documents exposing the truth on how Amnesty International colluded with brothel owners and convicted sex traffickers to force through a ‘sex work’ policy that decriminalised pimps, traffickers and sex buyers. This policy went ahead without consensus from membership and against the advice of over 600 human rights organisations globally including formerly and currently prostituted women.
The organiser of the workshop today asked me to remove my sign, demanding an end to sex trafficking and the global sex trade, from outside the venue saying that it would upset any self identified ‘sex workers’. I find her implication that self identified ‘sex workers’ do not care about trafficked women astonishing. My colleague and I were informed that we were [i]colonising[/i] the space of a public footpath even though we were not impeding any access to the venue merely raising concerns about men’s violence against women in the sex trade.
Vikki Reynolds, like Amnesty International, is intent on marginalising survivors and perpetuating the myth that pro Nordic model advocates are engaging in hate speech because we are focusing on men’s actions rather than ‘sex workers’ alleged ‘agency’.
When Amnesty International becomes embroiled in fake [i]hate speech[/i] campaigns we really need to be asking whether this once highly regarded human rights organisation has lost its way in the fight for justice for all women.
*Simone Watson is an indigenous survivor of the legal and illegal sex trade and director of Nordic Model Australia Coalition (NorMAC). She is a speaker and activist against prostitution, and a contributor to Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade (edited by Melinda Tankard Reist and Caroline Norma, Spinifex Press, 2016), and has been published in various media.
Download Amnesty Dossier …