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Old job, new
tricks by EMMILY
BRISTOL
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
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