Slavery Post #3: Sex is NOT for Sale

Sex Is Not For Sale

Did you notice the picture included in my last post about slavery? 45.8 million people are estimated to be slaves in the world, and 68% of them are forced into labor.

Wait, so what are the other 32% of slaves forced into? Isn’t slavery about labor?

Only sometimes.

Sometimes slavery is about sex.

Around the world, women, children, and (and sometimes men) are kidnapped, lied to, illegally hired, coerced, drugged, physically abused, cheated, or frightened into sexual slavery. Oftentimes the enslavers (or “pimps”) are making mega-profit. Oftentimes they are forcing their victims to pretend they are peddling sexual favors by their own free will. If the victims refuse or attempt to escape?

Physical abuse.

Threats to harm family.

Death.

Many of these people are forced into sex slavery in their pre-teen or teenage years. The psychological abuse and scare tactics that have been used on them over the years have so shaped their young minds that they don’t even know what freedom is anymore, let alone how to fight for it. They don’t dare disobey their captors. They don’t dare not meet their quota of “clients” – sometimes as many as 40 per night.1 They fear for their lives.

Of all forms of slavery, this is the one America is particularly guilty of. We are the source and the destination of sex slaves from around the world.  

So where are these people? The Polaris Project tells us, “Sex trafficking occurs in a range of venues including fake massage businesses, via online ads or escort services, in residential brothels, on the street or at truck stops, or at hotels and motels.”2 People mistakenly think women in the commercial sex “business” are free, but professor and researcher Dominque Roe-Sepowitz tells us that’s a delusion. In fact, "‘All those women care about is that they meet their quota and get the money to their pimp or trafficker,’ she says. Otherwise, they often face dire consequences. Ads perpetuate this myth, often worded as though they are written by the women themselves, and that they ‘can't wait’ to meet their buyers.”3

And there are plenty of buyers here in the US.

A study published in 2014 found that in one city alone (Atlanta, GA), the sex slave trade has an economic value up to $290 million.4

Think what Atlanta could do with $290,000,000 if it were not spent on sex slavery.

Think what all those women and children could do if they weren’t enslaved for sex.

The point is not to blame Atlanta. The point is that sex slavery is here. It’s everywhere.

Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center has received reports of approximately 40,000 victims in the US.5 The actual number of victims is much higher since many instances go unreported.

I could tell you heart-wrenching stories that would tie your stomach in knots. But I won’t. I’m not trying to just make you angry or sad of empathetic or shocked if you’re still helpless to end it.

What I really want to do is tell you that you – yes you – have power to fight against sex slavery. It’s different than fighting labor slavery, but there are small yet powerful things you can do. I’d just like to share them with you.

1. Pray: I believe in a powerful God. He can protect, rescue, heal, convict, and restore. Let’s ask Him to. 
2. Raise awareness: The sex trafficking industry thrives on silence and darkness. Tear down these two pillars by telling the truth about sex trafficking. Go ahead, use social media.

3. Be ready: You never know when you’ll see something suspicious – especially now that you are more aware. Enter the National Human Trafficking Hotline number in your phone so you’ll know whom to contact if something doesn’t seem quite right: 1-888-373-7888. Also, download the Smartphone app “TraffickCam.” When you stay in a hotel, take pictures of the room and submit them via this app. Many ads for exploitation of trafficked women include pictures of the victims in hotel rooms. By creating a database of hotel room photos, we help investigators locate the actual places where exploitation is happening.

4. Say no to pornography: Our culture condemns the injustice of sex trafficking while embracing porn as an expression of freedom. But a little digging shows this to be a false distinction for at least 3 reasons.6 First, pornography feeds the sex trafficking industry because it’s “a primary gateway to the purchase of humans for commercial sex.”7 Second, pornographic material is often created by exploiting trafficking victims on film or photo. Third, the making and consuming of pornography actually fit the legal definition for sex trafficking. America, enough of this double standard. You can’t condemn the sex trafficker while consuming the product he helps create. So use your own eyes, internet, movie choices, etc. as a weapon AGAINST injustice.

5. Help them heal: Organizations like International Justice Mission, Better Way Imports, and A21 have many opportunities for you to support the freedom and healing of sex trafficking victims. From funding rescue missions to writing encouraging letters…from providing after-care packages to buying products made by survivors who need a source of income…you can help them in their journey of recovery.

We are not helpless. They are not hopeless. Our voices must be heard:

Sex is not for sale because humans are not for sale.

Footnotes:

1.        Sacharay’s story: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/20/us/sex-trafficking/index.html

2.        The Polaris Project: https://polarisproject.org/sex-trafficking

3.        Dominique Roe Sepowitz interviewed by Deseret News: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620752/The-Super-Bowl-is-the-largest-human-trafficking-event-in-the-country.html

4.        Research Study of Sex Industry in Major US Cities: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/estimating-size-and-structure-underground-commercial-sex-economy-eight-major-us-cities

5.        National Human Trafficking Hotline Stats: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states

6.        Connection between Porn & Sex Trafficking: http://www.covenanteyes.com/2011/09/07/the-connections-between-pornography-and-sex-trafficking/

7.        Supply & Demand of Sex Trafficking: https://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DEMAND.pdf

8.        Image: https://www.tes.com/lessons/j2880sRPYQGZ8g/human-trafficking

The Dark Side of Chocolate ... and Everything Else

Today we have the privilege of coming along side Jennafer Ort - who I introduced last week - and journeying with her as she learned about the global human trafficking problem. There are two more posts after today's - so stay tuned!

Hey there, I’m Jennafer Ort. You’ve probably never heard of me, or – if you have – it was as “Jenna” Young during my 2 years being discipled by Amy Jo in JC’s Village. I’ve been invited to write a 3-part guest series on Amy Jo’s blog. Not because I’m a blogger – I’m not. Not because I’m working with Amy Jo – I’m not. Just because I have something important to share, and it’s too important to limit it to my own sphere of influence. With that, brace yourself. This isn’t a peachy inspirational post. It’s heavy. It’s heart-wrenching – if you let it sink in. But please do because it’s important.

It’s slavery.

If you’re anything like me, your first associations with the word “slavery” might be the Civil War, Africa, William Wilberforce, or some other historical character or time period. You might suppose slavery died with the Emancipation Proclamation of the 1860s. But what if I told you slavery still exists? Then what would you think of? Distant countries? Primitive people groups? Rare horror stories?

Yeah, me too. Until I learned I was wrong.

I first heard about modern-day slavery in my junior year of high school in 2008. At the time, all I knew was the story of a teenage girl giving up chocolate because she learned cocoa was often farmed using slave labor. I was shocked. I admired this girl for giving up chocolate. I considered following her example. And then I promptly forgot about it and moved on with my care-free life. When I heard the same statistic during my sophomore year of college, I was convicted to actually do something by giving up chocolate for a year. I had very little information at the time. And I had absolutely NO IDEA the extent of the slavery problem.

It wasn’t until December of 2015 that I became aware of the vastness of modern-day slavery. Over seven years after I’d first heard slavery still existed, I learned that an estimated 45.8 million people are enslaved across the world.

45.8 MILLION

That’s like the entire populations of Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand combined. That’s a lot of slaves.

And the sad thing is, they’re everywhere. In 2016, the Walk Free Foundation ranked 167 countries from most to least estimated slaves in that country. Sorry, but the United States was not ranked last. It was ranked #72 out of 167, with an estimated 57,700 slaves in the USA.

Granted, it could be more. In fact, compared to the estimated 18 million slaves in India, it’s easy to think we’re doing pretty well. The problem is that many of us in the United States directly support the slave industries of other countries without even knowing it. How do we do this??? Through our purchases.

Chocolate bars, steaming coffee, smart phones, rubber tires, shrimp, fruit, tennis shoes, cheap t-shirts…the list goes on and on. Many of the items we buy or consume every single day have passed through the hands of a slave. It’s not that the companies selling the items are enslaving people. But these companies don’t demand or investigate ethical standards from their suppliers, so they – and we – end up supporting the slavery cycle through our purchases.

Let’s get more personal. Right now – today – there are people around the world working in factories or farms or brothels or fishing boats to support your seemingly harmless lifestyle. To see an estimate of the number of slaves required to support your lifestyle, I challenge you to take this 11-question survey: http://slaveryfootprint.org

When I took the survey on December 24, 2015, my score was 44. Forty-four real people somewhere in the world were working in slavery so I could enjoy my privileged lifestyle as a college student. Something had to change. And it is.

When I took the same survey today, my score was 36.

36 is 36 too many. But it’s nearly a 20% decrease from my first score, so I think I’m onto something. I’d like to share that “something” with you. Please tune in later this week to hear how I’m decreasing my slavery footprint, and how you can decrease yours.

Introducing: Mrs. Jennafer Ort

Mrs. Jennafer Ort

Over the next two weeks you'll get to know Jennafer (or Jenna as we called her) Ort - who came to UW-L in the summer of 2013 to attend UW-L's Occupational Therapy program. Jenna is one of the most extroverted and playful students I've ever met - in fact - she taught me a thing or two when it comes to just how awesome play is. The first time I ever hung out with Jenna was because she'd just moved to La Crosse and was looking for a group of Christians to hang out with. The OT program starts in June - but Jenna wasn't going to let that stop her! She sent an e-mail and we met up for fro-yo and next thing I knew - we were study buddies! Jenna has a thoughtful and intentional walk with Christ - and added much to JC's during her time in grad school.

Jenna also taught all of us in JC's about the importance of not just wishing the world were this way or that - but taking personal steps to take a stand for what's right and make it better. First we noticed that Jenna didn't eat chocolate. Not because she didn't like chocolate. Au contraire! She loves it (I mean - who doesn't - right?) Rather - she was intentionally giving up one of her favorite treats because chocolate was associated with human trafficking. This was news to all of us. So as Jenna pursued integrity - we learned too. 

Jenna has since graduated from UW-L, passed the boards, started work as an occupational therapist - and recently - Married Phil Ort (Philabuster!). They now live in Kansas City - but are still sharing insights with us - and now you. So come back next week and read more on what Jenna's learned as she dove into this huge problem that affects us all - and insights she's gained on how we can in fact impact this global problem.