by EMMILY BRISTOL
Thursday, January 11, 2007
IF YOU THINK LAS VEGAS IS THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO LET LOOSE, consider this tweak on the already-timeworn slogan: "What happens in Vegas ... is legal in New Zealand."

In 2003, New Zealand Member of Parliament Tim Barnette led a campaign in his country that resulted in the narrow and contentious passing of the Prostitution Reform Act, which decriminalized the world's oldest profession. Suddenly the small island country with a population of about 4 million was known for more than kiwis. And on Jan. 3, about 20 people crammed into a small UNLV sociology classroom to hear Barnett espouse its virtues.

"We're the only country in the world to decriminalize street work, so that can be a bit shaky," Barnett said.

But even before the prostitution law, Barnett was no stranger to the political limelight. When he was elected 10 years ago, he became the second openly gay parliament member in New Zealand's history. In fact, he said his being gay helped get the prostitution law passed because a straight man would never have been able to do it.

"It was definitely easier for me to push this through. For a straight man there would be too many questions about why they wanted to do this, what their motivations are," he said.

Barnett said he was spurred to action to help sex workers after meeting with some in a closed-door committee session, where he heard firsthand accounts of the horrors many prostitutes face from pimps, police and clients.

For Barnett, the issue for lawmakers was a practical as well as moral one -- but not the morality so commonly embraced by fundamentalist Christians. For Barnett, it's morally wrong to do nothing when it comes to the health of the citizens, particularly when it comes to the spread of HIV/AIDS. He points to United Nations-backed global policies to fight HIV/AIDS that have been adopted around the world, such as free needle-exchange programs and repealing sodomy laws.

But the last bastion of conservatism that stands in the way are laws against prostitution, which makes it impossible to distribute condoms or offer health care to sex workers.

"Even compared to other stigmas, like drug use and gay sex, prostitution is still the worst," Barnett said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Before the 2003 law, it was not illegal to work as a prostitute in New Zealand. But there were laws against anything related to it, such as soliciting and using profits from sex work. This forced many to work in the legal massage parlor industry, which was openly viewed by law enforcement, the public and lawmakers as a front for prostitution, Barnett said. This promoted coercion by pimps and unsafe work and health situations for the workers.

In addition, when his office began studying the issue, Barnett said he discovered that transgendered sex workers were disproportionately targeted by police.

"The police were really using their homophobia, their racism and their gender biases to go after certain workers," he said to a rapt audience of UNLV students, professors and sex worker rights activists.

Barnett's law has a refreshingly practical approach to the issue: The fact is prostitution has existed in every society of the world with rare exception -- Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, for instance. If politicians look at prostitution as a given, rather than a problem that can be eradicated, then they can go about the real issues of safeguarding the health of citizens and stemming organized crime on the streets.

"Prohibition doesn't work," Barnett said. "We know that from what happened with alcohol. Prohibition breeds organized crime and corruption of the police."

But Barnett's visit -- a one-day layover on his way to a summit in Moscow -- wasn't just to talk about what he's done in New Zealand. Since 2003 he's been busy traveling the world, meeting with politicians and activists to encourage others to decriminalize sex work. A major point in his talk was encouraging local activists to take up the charge in Nevada, which he pointed out is already the most liberal place on this issue in the United States.

"For our society, I think this is the last big moral issue," he said.

His words and the New Zealand law were clearly inspiring to those in attendance.

"It was wonderful. What was so great about it was to hear a politician who had really thought the issue through," said Barb Brents, an associate professor of sociology at the university. "The policy we have toward prostitution right now is not good policy."

Nevada's law is considered vague by many in the sex-worker industry -- mainly that prostitution is legal in counties under a certain population.

"While it's legal in [some] counties, it's still heavily regulated [in favor of brothels]," said Susan Lopez, assistant director of the Desiree Alliance, an organization that is involved with sex worker rights issues. Lopez invited Barnett to speak at UNLV and has invited him back to a sex worker rights conference scheduled for July.

Barnett says the reform act was written to "decriminalize," rather than "legalize," aiming at tougher penalties for coercing people into sex work, or engaging in sex work while younger than 18. In addition, the law added requirements for safer sex practices, controlling advertising, banning an older worker registration program, allowing unionizing efforts and other labor protections.

But Barnett's work isn't done. The reform law passed in his country with a very slim margin and has faced staunch criticism from conservatives.

"We knew that the enemies of the law would tell lies about it, which they have done since it passed," he said.

Built into the law is mandatory research on its effectiveness that started in 2006, with a report scheduled in 2008. It will be the first real test of the law. Barnett is hoping the research provides facts to back up what he already thinks: The law is working to make sex work safer for prostitutes and clients.

Emmily Bristol is a CityLife staff writer. She can be reached at 871-6780 ext. 344 or ebristol@lvcitylife.com.

Original link: http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2007/01/11/news/local_news/iq_11859293.txt