Reproduced with permission of the publisher. A number of the sex trade survivors have told me horror stories about being labeled as mentally ill, liars, fraudsters, fantasists and masochists. Over the years, I have witnessed survivors being bullied, harassed, vilified, libeled and slandered by pro-prostitution activists and representatives of the sex trade.
One example comes to mind. I asked from where but she never replied. Sabrinna Valisce understands the way the pro-sex work lobby operates. After all, Valisce was involved with the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective as a volunteer for 24 years.
She campaigned to bring in the new law that decriminalized brothels and street prostitution, because she genuinely believed that it would be better for the women and afford them more freedom. Because the pro-prostitution lobby relies on misinformation, mythology and plain old PR, it is particularly galling to them when one of their own crosses over to the other side.
Valisce tells me about an event she was speaking at in Townsville at the Prostitution Narratives book launch when a senior member of Scarlet Alliance the Australian pro-prostitution lobby group , made every attempt she could to silence her. I strangely identified with her. It was instinct. Valisce then invited the Scarlet Alliance member and the other pro-prostitution women accompanying her to talk after the event.
Three others physically circled me. It was a bizarre feeling. Then they approached and it was yelling all at once, voices drowning each other out. Mau has also been bullied by the pro-lobbyists and accused of having made up her entire story about being a sex trade survivor.
