Even if you haven't seen the movie, you probably know the story: a hooker with a heart of gold meets the man of her dreams, and he takes her away from her life on the streets. Happy ending, right?
Cynthia, an Agent in Education at Stella, begs to differ. "The truth is not exactly what we see in movies," she says.
Organised by sex workers for sex workers, Stella has been an important part of the Montreal activist community for eleven years. Their director has been honoured for her work in HIV prevention and human rights. They provide information and support in English and French to women, transsexuals and transvestites in the Montreal area and beyond. Their magazine, ConSTELLAtion, gives a voice to sex workers. And they're making noise about the need for a shift in the way society views them, both socially and legally.
Sex workers can be nude dancers, masseuses, escorts, phone sex operators, and porn actresses -- all with different levels of acceptance in society.
Myth #1: Criminalising sex work will make it go away. It's called the oldest profession for a reason; as long as people are having sex, there will be a sex industry. Stella in no way condones child pornography or underage prostitution. However, they insist that the current laws don't get rid of sex work; they simply drive it underground. Decriminalisation has worked in places like New Zealand, whereas the laws in Canada "just?make the population feel safer and more moral?and it makes (sex workers) more vulnerable." For example, a sex worker going to a client's house or hotel room is fine according to the law, but if she rents a space, such as her home or an apartment she shares with other sex workers for the purpose of using it for their work, it's considered illegal, and she can be prosecuted. Cynthia points out that this is problematic, because it essentially outlaws the sex worker from being able to bring clients to a place where she feels safe, and forces her to go to an uncontrolled atmosphere where she might be more vulnerable, and where rape and abuse can often take place and go unreported.
Myth #2: All sex workers are street walkers. Sex workers can be nude dancers, masseuses, escorts, phone sex operators, and porn actresses -- all with different levels of acceptance in society. Cynthia explains that people who are stigmatised tend to distance themselves from others in the same position, for fear of making things worse. Stella aids workers at every level, and their hope is to eliminate this hierarchy, and to demand rights with one voice.
Myth #3: Sex workers are riddled with drug problems or disease, or both. Sex workers have to get a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from someone before they can infect others. In order to fight AIDS, they must be able to protect themselves. Stella runs a free medical clinic twice a month, with access to STI testing, gynecological exams and other treatments.
As for drugs, Cynthia admits that it's a problem, but "it's not a prerequisite." For those who do use drugs, Stella publishes a Dope Guide in English, French and Inuktitut, with information on the market and safe use, legal ramifications and advice for workers who want to kick their habit.
The myth that sex workers must be disturbed is a common one, she says. "Some people think we're either victims or sluts." Having been sex workers themselves, the women at Stella remind the public that they are adults capable of thinking for themselves; "reforming" them is not the happy ending that Hollywood would have us believe it is. On the other hand, Stella has often been portrayed in the media as a group of "happy hookers" with no criticism for the industry itself. "There are a lot of problems," Cynthia admits, "and that's exactly what we want to address."
For more information: www.chezstella.org; phone: (514) 285-8889.
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