The State of the Fight to End Sexual Exploitation in 2019
The fight to end sexual exploitation is massive and multifaceted, and 2019 has been a year filled with victories and building momentum that bodes well for the movement in 2020 and beyond. These powerful moments and momentum from 2019 would not have been possible without passionate advocates and allies being willing to join together to…
Joint International Campaign Launched to #WakeUpInstagram to Sexual Exploitation on its Platform
Today three anti-sexual exploitation organizations from three different countries—the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (United States), Collective Shout (Australia), and Defend Dignity (Canada)—launched a #WakeUpInstagram campaign to call out rampant sex trafficking, child sexual abuse grooming, as well as adult fetishization of young girls on Instagram. “Earlier this year, YouTube came under public scrutiny for…
Victory! D.C. Buries Sex Trade Decriminalization Bill—For Now
In a significant development for the movement to end sexual exploitation, a bill under consideration by the Council of the District of Columbia to fully decriminalize the commercial sex trade (including acts of pimping, sex buying, and brothel keeping) “will not move forward” according to Charles Allen, chair of the DC Council Judiciary Committee, quoted…
NCOSE, Allies, and DC Citizens Stand Up to the Pressure of “Full Decrim” Efforts
It is rare to come face-to-face with proponents of sexual exploitation, but we did on October 17 when the D.C. Council held a public hearing on a proposal to decriminalize the entire commercial sex industry—including acts of pimping, brothel keeping, and sex buying. NCOSE mobilized to oppose the pending bill with an Orwellian title: The…
D.C. Poised to Open Floodgate of Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
Under the guise of improving “community safety and health,” D.C. Councilmembers David Grosso, Anita Bonds, Brianne Nadeau, and Robert White have put forward D.C. Bill 23-0318 (a.k.a. The Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019) which, if passed, will amend existing D.C. statutes to fully decriminalize prostitution in the nation’s capital. The proposed bill…
DC’s “Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019”: A Trojan Horse Empowering and Expanding the Sex Trade in the Nation’s Capital
Under the guise of improving “community safety and health,” DC Council members David Grosso, Anita Bonds, Brianne Nadeau, and Robert White have put forward the above referenced bill (23-0318) which, if passed, will amend existing DC statutes to fully decriminalize and deregulate prostitution in the nation’s capital. The proposed bill seeks to decriminalize pimps, brothel…
Opponents of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) Give Arguments to D.C. Circuit
The Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) was signed by the president on April 11, 2018, and has been an incredibly important piece of legislation aimed at stopping websites from facilitating and promoting prostitution and sex trafficking. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, along with survivors and other advocates, supported…
The Failure of Legalizing Prostitution in The Netherlands
In 2000 the Dutch lifted the ban of brothel-keeping and by doing so they legalized prostitution. The intentions were good: improve conditions for women in prostitution and combat human trafficking. Almost twenty years later, the Dutch have to admit their policy, which they deemed progressive and pragmatic, has totally failed. As the mayor of Amsterdam…
Survivors Debunk Massage Parlor Myths in ‘Defend Dignity’ Video
When someone thinks of prostitution, they may not think of the hundreds of illicit massage parlors—also known as “body rub parlours”—that exist across the world. Instead of working on the street or in a typical brothel, these sexually-oriented businesses operate like a typical massage parlor with one exception: the women there are paid for sex…
Why The “Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act” Matters and Why NCOSE Endorsed It
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation supports the bipartisan “Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act.” Right now, America runs an annual report that ranks and analyzes how well countries are combating human trafficking. Unfortunately, the criteria for this report does not take efforts to combat demand (sex buying behavior) into account, which reduces the incentive for…