I don’t see a lot of post here about this so I’m writing one hastily. Basically a bill called FOSTA just passed in the House today. The bill is supposedly to punish websites that knowingly or unknowingly host content promoting sex trafficking. However they changed the language to allow the federal government to prosecute any website that hosts content promoting prostitution/sex work.
That means:
*No advertising platforms like Backpage that allowed us to work inside, stay safe, and spend more time with our children *No bad date lists or screening websites like VerifyHim *No peer platforms like Tits and Sass *No sharing information on how to screen and stay safe. That includes giving referrals. We won’t be able to ask for or give other workers referrals! *Mainstream platforms like Twitter preemptively banning sex workers
And no, this does not keep trafficking victims safe either. Backpage and other online platforms have been crucial tools in identifying trafficking victims. This bill is to fuck over sex workers and to chill free speech.
Sex workers and allies, we’re fucked as shit if this bill passes and Trump signs it (he tweeted in support of the bill and so did Ivanka). We MUST stop this bill in the Senate. To do that, we need to call our senators NOW.
– Get your senators’ numbers here: https://callyourrep.co/ And use this script from Support Ho(s)e:
“Hi, my name is ___and I live in ___(city in district). I’m calling to urge Congressperson ______to vote NO on #FOSTA, House Bill 1865 because it infringes on online free speech and community harm reduction practices.”
– If you’re lazy (like me) you can even text RESIST to 50409 and the RESIST bot will deliver your message to your senators
graphic from National Center for Transgender Equality
The Senate is voting on it on March 12!!! Please CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW!! I’m not exaggerating when I say if this bill passes, sex workers will die. Literally. Sex workers will die because we won’t be able to access bad date lists, share screening/health tips, or advertise indoors.
“#can someone do an ID on that graphic please” –@thequantumqueer
bear with me, the graphic is formatted weird so this will be too
[image ID: infographic titled “What do SESTA and FOSTA say?” published by Reform Health and Justice consisting of two columns. The left column contains excerpts from the bills with arrows pointing to the plain english descriptions of what the excerpts mean in the right column.
(H.1865, Section 3)
Excerpt: “(a) PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION”
Plain text: “Includes all prostitution, not simply trafficking situations”
Excerpt: “§ 2421A. Promotion or facilitation of prostitution and reckless disregard of sex trafficking”
Plain text: “Promotion or facilitation of prostitution includes harm reduction and anti-violence tactics including:
Sharing safety information and techniques such as how to screen for violence
Online advertising which allows people to work in safer locations and be more discerning about clients
Hosting information about individuals who have previously victimized people in the sex trade (known as Bad Date Lists)”
Excerpt: “(a) IN GENERAL – Whoever uses or operates a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce or attempts to do so with the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.”
Plain text: “This extends to anyone using the internet – service organizations, sex workers, peers and trafficking victims. Passage alone would have a chilling effect for organizations, companies and peer groups.”
Quote (not from bill): “When she told her pimp SFRedBook was gone, he shrugged. Then he told her that she would just have to work outdoors from then on.”
(H.1865, Section 5-6; S. 1693, Section 5-6)
Excerpt: “Section 1591(e) is amended – 1591(e)(4) The term ‘participation in a venture’ means knowingly assisting, supporting, or facilitating a violation of subsection (a)(1).”
Excerpt (continued): “(d) In any case in which the attorney general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of the residents of that State has been or is threatened or adversely affected by any person who violates section 1591, the attorney general of the State, as parens patriae, may bring a civil action against such person on behalf of the residents of the State in an appropriate district court of the United States to obtain appropriate relief.”
Plain text: “Instead of creating guidelines for how to support trafficking identification and investigations or support the safety of trafficking victims and sex workers, SESTA would use civil suits targeting advertisers to figure out how to obey the lawafter a crime has been committed”
Plain text (continued): “This open-ended liability would shutter existing platforms and push sex workers and trafficking victims into further isolation – where violence and exploitation are more prevalent”
Section of graphic titled “Why are online platforms essential for safety?”, not part of bills or descriptions:
“Online advertising platforms allow people to work in doors, screen potential clients for violence, and significantly reduced the violence and exploitation faced by sex workers”
“A 2017 study from West Virginia University and Baylor University found a 17% drop in female homicide rates correlated to Craigslist opening its Erotic section – because it made sex work safer”
“Passing SESTA and FOSTA means increasing violence against women.”
Rush's tumblr archive 