This presentation regarding the need to combat the demand for commercial sex was shared at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s national briefing in the U.S. Capitol building, entitled “The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda.” To learn more about the agenda, and to see more videos from the event, visit: endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/
Entities such as strip clubs, massage parlors, brothels, and pornography production companies exist around the world and are commonly referred to using innocuous terms such as “sex trade,” “sex sector,” and “commercial sex industry.” However, what these entities really constitute is a global supply chain of organized sexual exploitation. The essential and indispensable commodities in this industry are human beings whose bodies are sold for sex. Those profiting from this traffic in human beings include not only those directly involved such as strip club owners, brothel keepers, and pornographers, but also a wide range of other parties such as hotel operators, taxi drivers, guards, accountants, lawyers, doctors, travel agents, advertisers, and governments. This
Those profiting from this traffic in human beings include not only those directly involved such as strip club owners, brothel keepers, and pornographers, but also a wide range of other parties such as hotel operators, taxi drivers, guards, accountants, lawyers, doctors, travel agents, advertisers, and governments. This sexual industrial complex wholly exists to cater to and profit from one class of individual—commercial sex buyers. Therefore, any serious effort to combat commercial sexual exploitation must include vigorous efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex.
Therefore, any serious effort to combat commercial sexual exploitation must include vigorous efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex.
Lisa L. Thompson serves as the Vice President of Education and Outreach for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, where she oversees NCOSE’s strategic planning for increased public understanding of sexual exploitation related issues. To this end Lisa conducts analysis, develops research initiatives, and liaises with a wide-range of public officials, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher learning, and academics to generate collaborative action to combat the full spectrum of sexual exploitation especially as pertains to the harms of pornography, stripping, prostitution, and sexual trafficking.
