Debate on Prostitution
Dear colleagues:
Despite not having been present at the pre-conference (for strong reasons), I dare to share with you my brief political analysis in this regard. We are mature enough to assert that prostitution is a situation that we have to go through neglect or denial of / the State / s, that do not allow us access to our most basic rights as education, health and work.
To think that prostitution is a job is to be identified by recognizing that segregation and discrimination the State / s use systematically against the constructed identities outside the parameters of the binarity and normal heterosexual life. It is still the craziest idea to unionize prostitution.
When the State / s give us choices between being a secretary, stewardess or an operator, only then we will be able to say we have the choice between these options and prostitution. Since this occurs even in our region, we need serious reflections on the matter.
Excuse my disorientation, but I think that it very necessary to express this.
A fraternal hug to all,
Diana Sacayán
Dear colleagues:
It seems a backwards step to accept prostitution as a job, we as activists have taken a stand and we were always clear on this point. What we have to do is to emancipate the companions and I would make a clarification, one thing is that one partner chooses to follow her into prostitution and other is that we as a human rights NGO, that we accept it as a job im ILGA. The major alliances that we want to make with the women's and feminist movement were in this direction. I think we should be clear about what is coming after acceptance to take to prostitution as a job: the great financing.
Prostitution is one of the most aberrant forms of slavery. I support the position of Diana Sacayán. We must not forget that thousands of transvestites fellows were killed by the worst crimes and the most inhuman imaginable conditions. The gap between gays and lesbians continues to deepen with the neoliberal system. The transgender transsexual transvestite are not taken into account when filling vacancies in the major NGOs, partners can not exhibit it to direct organizations.
I make a strong appeal to radicalize our struggles and demands, only then will we be witnessing the birth of a new day that contains all T, M and I.
"Furia Travesti"
Lohana Berkins
Dear Friends:
In relation to prostitution, to me it is a practice as Lohana and Diana mentioned, given in a conditions that are not worthy, woth slavery through various dynamics that stand between pandering, I would say that it is not only exercised by unscrupulous men or couples of companions who exploit, but also by trans that exploiy other trans to tax prostitution in the streets or in houses. As well as Jivaro, thieves or cruel people on the streets steal them.
I believe that prostitution is inappropriate as the only option and I say it's the only option and that its practice in our contexts do not begin with an exercise of autonomy itself, as there are other factors or social and culturalpressure that lead trans on its practice, soemof them are: low educational level or lack of knowledge about employment choice, the exclusion of the education system by phobias or discrimination. In other cases, even having high school or college background, some trans suffer the pressures, violations, discrimination, rejection or expulsion of the working environment so that they have to prostitute themselves.
Moreover, the practice of prostitution is mediated by transitions in the body that are inequitable, where the power of patriarchy is also expressed in a violent way, where they often traded unfairly, as the economic weight of the transaction neglects the body itself, what to wear, having sex without using condom for more money, accepting sadomasochistic practices, often without being a practice that the prostitute likes.
Prostitution also occurs in unworthy conditions because the prostitute has no social health insurance, no benefits, no pension, no guarantees for labor. For me there is prostitution around drugs, alcohol, where they exist and persist, robbery, hate crimes, long hours, etc.
Moreover although, we can not equate the term prostitution and sex work as equivalents, they have quite different connotations and readings. Now, while talking about sex work, it would involve a reading from the dignity of an ancient practice that is prostitution, in my opinion in Latin America there is no sex work, this would mean that from the exercise of autonomy and free development of personality , they should have the same working conditions of any productive activity, employment or economy, just as it should be thought. It must be about the opportunity to exercise without pressure, on equal terms with the person that receives the service (customer), that sex work should be the product of a decision not pressure, result of choosing between multiple job oportunities according to qualifications, to be determined but based on autonomy, self-esteem of the body. With this I say that friends who do not agree with demonizing sex work, if sex workis a real work. Finally, I emphasize that we have prostitution in Latin America and we are far from understaning or reading sex work as work.
I agree with Lohana and Diana that it is a controversial subject to talk, such as prostitution, as something that would be legitimate. I disagree with that; we live in a Latino cultural contexts, as an ILGA organization we should not see the prositution to be legitimized. I want to say that not because I want to demonize the trans that do it, it mans we must forgetthe conditions of lack of jobs and equal oportunities at work they are in right now.
Charlotte Schneider
