Queen of the Weird

So if you commission a video or photo set from an online sex worker, or patronise a live video chat... You can go to prison for up to a year.

When sex workers say they want decriminalisation and not legalisation, this is why... Decriminalisation means that laws pertaining to sex work are struck from the legal code, legalisation creates new laws to govern the industry which can be just as violent as full criminalisation with a progressive veneer, which is how you get know nothing's bleating "the Nordic Model" in a conversation that they have never been a stakeholder in.

No longer threatening to arrest you for carrying out your business doesn't mean much, while restricting where you can work, routinely arresting and incarcerating your clients, allowing landlords to evict you for being a sex worker, allowing banks to refuse your business...

This isn't a model that promotes mobility between professions, the ability to save for other plans whatever they be, investment with your income, stable housing, stable business as a sex worker.

1) in a society that has fully decriminalised sex work human trafficking would remain a crime.

2) the issue for individuals who have been trafficked across borders is generally not the trafficking as this is usually a service they initiated hoping to advance their prospects.

The problem arises if the traffickers confiscate passports and other identity documents and make demands of the once clients and now hostages.

These people may be pressed into manual labour, domestic labour, and sexual labour (sex trafficking) etc... in decriminalising sex work, and not criminalising people for undocumented migration, you make it possible for people to report their situations of indenture without fear of deportation or prosecution.

It's also important to remember that a person who engages human traffickers to transport them across borders does so because there are barriers to safer modes of entry. Also a person who enters the sex industry by way of border crossing with human traffickers may have intended to support themself with sex work all along, and instead finding the tragedy that is indenture by those bad actors denying the would be sex worker the benefits of their sexual labour and their freedom.

Loverboys are a whole other can of worms. They're charismatic adults that groom teenagers into a romantic relationship. Then wait until they're 18 to coerce them into the industry by faking a financial emergency or demanding it as a prerequisite to build their life together. The teens in question are often legal citizens and come from all walks of life, not just people that have troubles at home/school.

All of this is completely legal in both cases. The problem is big enough that there are specialized exit programs for these people, but it often takes years for the victim to decide to leave or even reach out.

Grooming and romantic/sexual relationships between an adult and a minor is a crime.

Indenture is a crime, extortion is a crime...

These things would remain true with full decriminalisation of sex work.

Another question is, how much will this new licence sex workers will be required to carry cost? If the answer isn't application only and 0€, then it's a barrier to attainment and poor sex workers who can't afford to pay the application will be unfairly represented in prosecution.

I'm pleased to see the government assistance for people wanting to leave sex work, though I think putting "changing their income expectations" is a hilariously out of touch thing to include second on a government list of barriers to leaving sex work.

On the point of sex workers not approving of the law, I'd imagine not... I don't know how I would have made it between the ages of 18-21 if I didn't work in the industry. It gave me the income and time to enjoy life (which was a big deal for me) and study, and I did other work when I was ready.

It's not required for the employer to provide housing. We're in the middle of a housing crisis, so charging outrageous prices for mediocre housing is unavoidable. If the employer doubles as the employee's landlord, it must be on a separate contract, but they are allowed to take up to a quarter of the minimum wage as utility expenses. The Netherlands doesn't have universal health; but we can get penalized if we don't have health insurance. Foreign workers usually get their health insurance through their employer, so another part of their wages are also withheld for that reason. Who pays for the travel to the country and how is a lot more murky and depends on the job. The initial trip to the country and final trip back home are paid. The others can be taken out of wages. Commuting expenses are covered by the employer through a contract with an industry specific union. For some it's enough, for others it isn't. Sex workers don't have a union with enough power to negotiate for the entire industry so they don't have this contract.

(Licensing for sex work is region specific with bureaucratic caveats, but it's free unless you want own an establishment or go independent.)

This leaves migrant workers in general with very little money after bills, especially if they send some to their home countries. They often split their housing with more people than they're legally allowed, just to make ends meet. Hence it doesn't take much for an employer or third party to nudge them to sex work if that wasn't their first choice. In my previous reblog I made it sound like the industry was uniquely predatory; these industries are all in bed with each other. But the driving forces behind this are systemic to migrant labour in general.

Again, these terrible people aren't unique to the Netherlands, and what you have is an economic situation which threatens to trap people (regardless of industry) in their work and a company town system which makes taking advantage of that too easy. So it seems that first and foremost you have a systemic economic problem.

I think most people knew classmates who at 15 were dating 19-20 years olds, I knew several. These skeevy folk who prey on the nievite of young people are everywhere unfortunately, and unfortunately they do often get away with it.

Also the sale of sex services prior to the age of legal adulthood and the purchase of such services is by definition Sex Trafficking, there is no such thing as an underage sex worker. This said, being groomed to take on such a role is not the only way minors find themselves in situations of Sex Trafficking, it can be a failure of the availability/advertisement of youth homelessness initiatives, government financial support and domestic violence support.

I was kicked out of home shortly after turning 17. I was able to stay with friends for a while, but it wasn't long before I had no money, nowhere to go, and I couldn't even get government youth allowance because my father had attached me to a family trust and as far as the government was concerned the trust gave me too much money (I had never received any) to be eligible for payments. I didn't know what else to do so I went on Craigslist personals, I said I was 18, stayed in hotel rooms, was disappointed to learn that the Hilton is kinda shit, and ate fast food...

There are a lot of solutions to these issues, but most of these solutions are more services not more regulation.

Dr. Gibbitz

Dr. Amon Skagerakk Fredrickshaven

Dr. Donald Gorthian

Ronald Von Momnaldberg

Dr. Natasha Nesciantskidovich

Vicenzo de Alimamala Corningston III 

Professor Jerry Gustav Mangledink

Horace Marmingblat Wimplestein, Jr.

Dr. Chazz Fazzledopenhoffer

Vater Oorlag

Dr. Milminaman-lanilim-swinwamly

Dr. Gibbitz again (but for some reason it’s spelled “Gibbetz” in the season 2 subtitles)

Melmord Fjordslorn

Dr. Ralphus Galkinsmelter

Dr. Amomolith Chesterfield

Wilmore Unduntingiminen

Dr. Ninmiltrid Fmiltindryden

Dr. Imptnin Pmiltson

Dr. Tormindbind Mickmildididindnin

Dr. Krumpworth Chponglasia IV, Jr.

Dr. Borgermu Barret Swingdworth 

Dr. Richard Reinhold Rnawighiwowpj

Captain Slufgyflaysid

Dr. Bartholomew Grahsrihajul

Dr. Alsajahb Fifborgiltk 

Dr. Fsmilejera Irlelwoll 

We’re trying to decide which of these is a better option:

or

I've had psychotic episodes where I simply come across as depressed and a little confused. I've had them where I'm anxious and rocking and crying but I'm not loudly proclaiming my delusion.

I've had psychotic episodes where I thought my family was being stalked and I had to harm myself to appease the beings stalking us but nobody knew. My injuries were hidden and I simply stayed inside the house.

I've had voices make me feel terrible so I just cry and talk about what an awful person I am but that just looks like low self-esteem.

It can be right under your nose.