Montreal, December 17, 2003
Mr. Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Upon your arrival as Prime Minister of Canada, Stella and the sex workers project at Séro-Zéro, Montreal community organizations providing support and information to sex workers, along with the Coalition for the Rights of Sex Workers and the International Union of Sex Workers, would like to make you aware of the intolerable situation for sex workers due to the current law on prostitution.
These laws, and the manner in which they are applied, put sex workers’ lives in danger by legitimizing and perpetuating abuse and violence against women. Very recently, in Canada and elsewhere, these laws have allowed individuals, most recently the Green River killer in Seattle, Washington, to justify the murder of prostitutes. This killer declared, “I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing right away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.” In Canada, an enormous number of sex workers have been murdered, and we believe that it is time for this kind of violence to stop.
We would like to call your attention to the fact that while the Canadian government is spending massive amounts of money and resources in the struggle to eliminate prostitution, the criminalization that occurs as a result of these laws and their application, prevents sex workers from accessing social protection. This criminalization explains why sex workers are too often exploited, beaten, raped and killed.
Mr. Prime Minister, the organizations who have signed this letter are appealing for the decriminalization of activities related to sex work, as well as the application of real and concrete means of fighting against violence, in all contexts where sex work is practised without discrimination. The decriminalization of sex work will allow sex workers equal access to health services, social services, labour rights and protection under the law.
We also invite you to attend a vigil in memory of murdered sex workers, in solidarity with the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP-USA), for the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This vigil will take place in front of the Palais de Justice at 1 Notre-Dame East in Montreal, on December 17, 2003, at 5:00 p.m.
We sincerely hope that you will take our appeal for decriminalization into serious consideration, and we wish you the best of luck in your new mandate as Prime Minister of Canada.
Coalition pour les droits des travailleuses et travailleurs du sexe,
Montréal
International Union of Sex Workers
Projet travailleurs du sexe,
Séro-Zéro
Montréal
Stella,
Montréal
c.c. Mr. Paul Martin
Constituency Office
7731 Newman Blvd.
Lasalle, Quebec
H8N 1X9
The current laws on prostitution and the manner in which it is applied criminalize sex workers and put their lives in danger by legitimizing and perpetuating abuse and violence against sex workers. This criminalization explains why sex workers are too often exploited, beaten, raped and killed. I believe that it is time for this kind of violence to stop in our country. I support the appeal to Prime Minister Paul Martin, for the decriminalization of activities related to sex work, as well as the application of real and concrete means of fighting against violence, in all contexts where sex work is practised without discrimination.
Name Address City
Mr. Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
Upon your arrival as Prime Minister of Canada, Stella and the sex workers project at Séro-Zéro, Montreal community organizations providing support and information to sex workers, along with the Coalition for the Rights of Sex Workers and the International Union of Sex Workers, would like to make you aware of the intolerable situation for sex workers due to the current law on prostitution.
These laws, and the manner in which they are applied, put sex workers’ lives in danger by legitimizing and perpetuating abuse and violence against women. Very recently, in Canada and elsewhere, these laws have allowed individuals, most recently the Green River killer in Seattle, Washington, to justify the murder of prostitutes. This killer declared, “I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing right away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.” In Canada, an enormous number of sex workers have been murdered, and we believe that it is time for this kind of violence to stop.
We would like to call your attention to the fact that while the Canadian government is spending massive amounts of money and resources in the struggle to eliminate prostitution, the criminalization that occurs as a result of these laws and their application, prevents sex workers from accessing social protection. This criminalization explains why sex workers are too often exploited, beaten, raped and killed.
Mr. Prime Minister, the organizations who have signed this letter are appealing for the decriminalization of activities related to sex work, as well as the application of real and concrete means of fighting against violence, in all contexts where sex work is practised without discrimination. The decriminalization of sex work will allow sex workers equal access to health services, social services, labour rights and protection under the law.
We also invite you to attend a vigil in memory of murdered sex workers, in solidarity with the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP-USA), for the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This vigil will take place in front of the Palais de Justice at 1 Notre-Dame East in Montreal, on December 17, 2003, at 5:00 p.m.
We sincerely hope that you will take our appeal for decriminalization into serious consideration, and we wish you the best of luck in your new mandate as Prime Minister of Canada.
Coalition pour les droits des travailleuses et travailleurs du sexe,
Montréal
International Union of Sex Workers
Projet travailleurs du sexe,
Séro-Zéro
Montréal
Stella,
Montréal
c.c. Mr. Paul Martin
Constituency Office
7731 Newman Blvd.
Lasalle, Quebec
H8N 1X9
The current laws on prostitution and the manner in which it is applied criminalize sex workers and put their lives in danger by legitimizing and perpetuating abuse and violence against sex workers. This criminalization explains why sex workers are too often exploited, beaten, raped and killed. I believe that it is time for this kind of violence to stop in our country. I support the appeal to Prime Minister Paul Martin, for the decriminalization of activities related to sex work, as well as the application of real and concrete means of fighting against violence, in all contexts where sex work is practised without discrimination.
Name Address City