Punished for Strength: Sex Worker Activism and the Anti-Trafficking Movement
Keywords:
Sex work, Human trafficking, CanadaAbstract
Abstract
This article is a reflection on my work as a sex worker and activist amid the global concern over human trafficking. I highlight the challenges that sex workers can experience as we attempt to position ourselves within discursive frameworks that define us by our injuries. I contend that the focus on injuries risks obscuring the varied experiences of performing sexual labour, the contributions to knowledge made by sex working people, and the solidarity within sex working communities.
Résumé
Cet article est une réflexion sur mon travail comme travailleuse du sexe et militante au sein de la préoccupation internationale au sujet de la traite des personnes. Je souligne les défis que peuvent rencontrer les travailleuses du sexe lorsqu’elles tentent de se positionner au sein de cadres discursifs qui les définissent par les préjudices qu’elles subissent. Je soutiens que l’accent mis sur les préjudices risque d’obscurcir la variété des expériences du travail sexuel, les contributions aux connaissances faites par les travailleuses du sexe et la solidarité au sein des communautés du travail du sexe.
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References
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Koyama, Emi. 2011. War on Terrorism and War on Trafficking: A Sex Worker Activist Confronts the Anti-Trafficking Movement. Portland, Oregon: Confluere Publications.
Poulin, Richard. “Globalization and the Sex Trade: Trafficking and the Commodification of Women and Children.” Canadian Woman Studies. 22(3/4).
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