Comments on: Sex Workers in New Orleans Labeled as Sex Offenders

By: susan's pet

susan's pet — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:57:02 +0000

It appears that crime with true victims is so low in New Orelans that the police and the prosecutors have to find something else to occupy their time.

I have never had use for laws against “victimless crimes” regardless of their nature. If any of the “Johns” or, rarely, “Janes” have filed legitimate complaints after they partook the plesure, maybe there would be a reason to harrass these people. But I doubt that there were complaints. Entrapments most likely.

By: doll

doll — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:01:43 +0000

Not directly related to the problem of the sex workers but on those rare occasions that I have sex in a public space I really worry about being caught by the police and prosecuted as a sex offender. It would impact my ability to work and to care for my family. This is an issue that affects all of us that enjoy sex regardless of our position in society.

By: fish

fish — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:48:50 +0000

Ok, where to begin with my two cents or more? First old laws on the books around the country are a danger to us all.
Mike not everyone knows about any type of service available in the Quarter (guess some of us are a bit sheltered). Hers it is common for power to be abused, or misused which seems to be the case here. Jay I am not sure it is Christian values, but rather the politics that is pushing this. The DA, and out going police chief are under pressure for crime stats to appear a certain way. Leslie we are far closer or beyond George Orwell than most of us ever realize.
Susan true there has been an image fostered of laissez bon temp roule’ meaning any and everything goes, truly this is not a universal sentiment. Common sense has to exercise some control. (end of tangent). And it seems they are not exercising common sense, but exercising power.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:05:57 +0000

The hypocrisy is staggering. New Orleans is rich in culture and history but let’s not pretend the city fathers actually think everyone is visiting their fair city to drink a Hurricane and enjoy some jazz.

They’ve made a lot of coin over the years not so subtly promoting an image of debauchery.

What’s really heartbreaking is that many of these teens that live on the street were victims of physical and sexual abuse and have no other place to live. Others were just basically thrown away by their “families”.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:42:37 +0000

That is too sad for words. :( On a similar note, I’ve heard of actual *couples* in that region getting into trouble for practicing these so-called “perversions” on each other. Really. A man was actually *arrested* for going down on his girlfriend. (This girlfriend was actually setting him up for something else, but when he admitted to police that he performed oral sex on her, he was actually charged. With a crime!) Most states, unfortunately, still have these archaic sex laws on the books (eg. I think it’s actually illegal for Massachusetts couples to use any position other than missionary).

But, seriously? Is this really the US, or George Orwell’s version of the US?

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:51:25 +0000

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say those taking such an approach believe that what they are doing is just.
Based, most probably on “moral” grounds that are justified by a twisted interpretation of Christian values.
How very ignorant, heartless and unChristian.

By: Freemann

Freemann — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:41:42 +0000

Sad.

Freemann

By: Lady Julia

Lady Julia — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:24:20 +0000

No, Manet, you did not misunderstand at all.

By: Manet

Manet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:20:16 +0000

That seems to be really unreasonable and cruel for those women to be put in the same group as pedophiles . :(
(or did I misunderstand something?)

By: Arafin

Arafin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:10:52 +0000

This reminds me of Vancouver recently. In order to make the city “pretty” for the upcoming Winter Olympics the city took Draconian measures to get rid of low income renters, sex workers, and the homeless. Canada is mostly below freezing in the winter so Vancouver, being much warmer cause it’s next to the Pacific, has always had a high number of these people. Several tactics were used. The low income renters in the downtown core were simply pushed out when the cheap hotels they were living in were to be torn down. Little alternative housing was offered. More homeless. Sex workers and homeless people could suddenly be arrested on the grounds that they were mentally ill. Previously a person could only be committed if two independent psychiatric doctors signed a paper. Now only one is needed and that shrink works for the cops. In most cases the person being committed is never even seen by this so called doctor. Off to the funny farm, which in this provence is not so funny, more like something out of the middle ages. Once committed a person here has almost no rights of any kind. They no longer count in the eyes of the law and thus the law can do whatever it wishes with them. This practice only slows down when the psychiatric holding bins become full to overflowing, and then, more homeless.

Human “civilization” has long practiced branding undesirables. It is my opinion that in doing so those doing the branding really brand themselves.

Arafin