We’re all familiar, at least to some extent, with the sex trade. If nothing else, you may have seen the movie Pretty Woman. The level of desperation in the survival sex trade, though, is galaxies away from what you see in Pretty Woman.
The vulnerable
I used to work at a community mental health team in Vancouver’s downtown eastside—Canada’s poorest postal code. It’s a neighbourhood full of horrific trauma, addiction, and other forms of mental illness. There’s also extreme poverty and sometimes atrocious living conditions.
It is sadly all too common that women desperate to feed their addiction will turn to the sex trade. Chances are they’ve experienced sexual abuse from a young age. Why wouldn’t they view their own bodies as disposable when that’s the message they’ve been given their whole lives? While most women are working at night, some also work during the day. It’s not uncommon to see workers getting picked up by men with car seats in the backseat. Often the women are obviously dressed for work, like the woman in the picture above, but not necessarily. Almost any vulnerable woman is considered fair game for those looking to buy sex.
The predators
This area is sometimes referred to as the “low track.” This is in contrast to the “high track” that doesn’t really exist anymore (at least at street level), where women were relatively less desperate and charged higher prices. Many women from the low track have gone missing or have been found dead over the years. In the 1980s and ’90s, multiple sex trade workers became victims of serial killer Robert Pickton. While he was convicted of 6 killings, he confessed to 49 murders to an undercover officer.
The local bad date list, currently released by a local organization called WISH and based on worker self-report, shows the violence that sex trade workers are regularly subjected to. The list is published and distributed on a regular basis to locations where sex workers are likely to frequent.
Despite getting raped and beaten, the call of addiction is extremely powerful, and a $5 blowjob will buy a hit of crack cocaine.
Supporting the vulnerable
A couple of blocks from the office where I worked, there was a unique supported housing program. It was ultra-low-barrier all-women (trans-inclusive) housing for women who were highly vulnerable. Many of the residents worked in the sex trade. The residents were allowed to do dates in their rooms, but as they brought men into the building, they had to walk past the staff office and security camera
While some might argue this made the building a brothel, it was a tremendously important way of keeping the most vulnerable women safer – not only safer from their dates, but it made it easier for them to avoid being trapped under the control of a pimp.
I had a client who lived there. Like all of the women there, she had a horrific history. She had a drug-induced movement disorder, and it was immediately obvious that she was really unwell. Yet she might do 20 dates a day. Had it not been for that supported housing program, I don’t think her life span would have been very long.
While some males are forced into the street-level survival sex trade by addiction, from what I understand, the demand tends to be for younger men, so it’s less available an option for desperate men. For desperate women, it seems that, regardless of any personal factors, there will be demand within the street-level sex trade.
While there may be some people who engage in sex work by choice, the survival sex trade is not a choice. But despite the dehumanizing treatment that these women are subjected to, they’re still people who are remarkable survivors. And they deserve society’s compassion rather than judgment.
The Social Justice & Equality page has info and resources on a wide variety of social issues.
Ashley, this is excellent information and outlook! Sharing on Twitter.
Tragic. Really tragic.
Yes it is.
<3
I’m not sure what scares me more, the fear of ever being homeless or the fear of ever being forced into this kind of lifestyle just to survive. I guess the two often go together though.
True. Yeah, it’s terrifying to think of.
The whole ordeal for these poor people is just heartwrenching. If only there were places for them to get proper help, health care, and safety.
There is one spot in NJ that I know of that is like this… It literally breaks your heart knowing what they are going through.
It’s very, very sad.
This is such a tragic topic and my heart breaks for those who are being used and abused on a daily basis.
Yes it’s horrible.
Amen!
It’s so hard to fathom. I would rather commit suicide than have sex with gross men for money. And the men, picking up these women who probably have diseases then going home to their wives. What the fuck is wrong with them???
Yeah they are so disgusting.
I’d been to Vancouver 3 or 4 times for business over the last few years and was completely obvious to this side of the city. Went to visit all the wonderful spots in Van. Beautiful. Breathtaking at times. Then it wasn’t …
Yeah this particular area is quite small in terms of geographic area and most people wouldn’t end up stumbling across it.
It was a shock when I drove through there with some local Vancouverites. Toronto has its nasty underbelly.
Yeah, the poverty and despair is going to be there, no matter how much cities might try to sweep it under the rug.
Wasn’t sure if this was true, but I’d heard during the Winter Olympics that homeless were bussed away from the downtown core to “clean up” the city’s image?
I’m not sure exactly how they did it, but they did open up more shelter spaces.
That would make sense
A truly excellent post Ashley – l worked the industry for a few years by choice and whilst l didn’t encounter ‘serious problems’ it was always ever present. Excellent article.
Thanks! Yes, it’s definitely an industry that is higher risk than many.
Yes, that is true – in fact it is not an industry l would want to be involved in today voluntary or not … back in the 80’s which is several planets ago seems sedate in comparison, l think the free access to online pornography and the violence in that alone warps people’s minds towards sex and sexuality but also to people in general.
Pornography has a lot ot answer for as it has significantly cheapened people and cheapened sex to a few grades down from inhumane bestiality at times.
Sadly very true.
Yes, sadly and sadly as a word at times doesn’t cover the injustice created.
Absolutely.
Heart breaking
Yes it is.
Bh with people like you we can reach out to the world
Ashley, this is a very well written post.
Some of the information truly shocked me.
Thanks for sharing.
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Love Alexa,
http://AlexaJade.co.uk
Thanks. Yes, it’s disturbing.