Dear Friends,
On Wednesday December 5th, anti-human trafficking advocates across Canada will be swamping Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan’s office with email, letters, packages, faxes and phone calls calling on him to oppose legalized brothels. The campaign has been started by Montreal’s Committee Against Human Trafficking to show the implications of the acceptance of brothels on human trafficking.
In a recent Vancouver Sun article, “Coalition pushes for legal brothel during Olympics” (Nov 11) Sam Sullivan said "I believe we need to keep an open mind,"in regards to proposed cooperative brothels in Vancouver. While discussing the city’s need for a new approach to prostitution, Sullivan stated that he doesn't object to the idea of a co-op brothel. (see full article here)
We want to be sure that he sees a clear correlation between the normalization of prostitution and increased human trafficking!
Please join us on Wednesday Dec 5th by emailing the letter below to sam.sullivan@vancouver.ca , and the city council at mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca. You may wish to compose your own email or handwritten letter, or phone or fax city hall: Phone: 604-873-7621 Fax: 604-873-7685
Some organizations will be sending packages containing information on trafficking and its connection to prostitution, you may also want to consider this if you have the time. The mayor’s mailing address is:
Mayor Sam Sullivan, Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
Please pass this message on to as many of your contacts as possible!
Dear Mayor Sam Sullivan,
You have recently expressed an openness to the co-op brothels proposed by the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities.
This has alarmed Canadians who are concerned about the trafficking of women for sexual purposes.
There are strong links between prostitution and human trafficking. In countries where brothels have been decriminalized, the sex industry (both legal and illegal, indoor and on the street) has increased exponentially. This has in turn led to increased trafficking and child exploitation.
We agree with you that these proposed brothels will not be a help to survival prostituted women. Based on the experience of other cities, we would in fact suggest that legalized brothels will make their situation worse.
In the interest of protecting those most victimized by the global sex industry, we ask that you bar any moves towards legalizing Vancouver brothels, which would in turn further the exploitation of women in our city.
www.EmbraceDignity.org
www.CanadaCan.blogspot.com