On April 16, 2010, thousands of students from around the nation will be participating in the National Day of Silence, including myself. For twelve hours, I will be completely silent to honor those whose voices have been silenced due to their sexual orientation. The Day of Silence also signifies the need to address the issues of bullying and harassment of GLBTQ students across the country.
I have listed a brief history of the Day of Silence below that I got off the Day of Silence website. For more information, please go to www.dayofsilence.org
1996 - The Day of Silence is born. Students organized the first Day of Silence, its original name, at the University of Virginia. With over 150 students participating, those involved felt it was a great success. The Day of Silence received extensive local press coverage and a positive response from the UVA community members, motivating Maria Pulzetti to take the Day of Silence nationally.
1997 - From one, to one hundred, National Day of Silence takes off with a web page and much dedication, Pulzetti and then 19-year-old Jessie Gilliam, developed the project to be used in schools across the country. It was renamed the National Day of Silence, and that year nearly 100 colleges and universities participated. Some schools in Australia heard about the project and modeled a similar day for Australian schools.
1998 - The Day keeps growing, the Project begins Pulzetti and Gilliam realized they could not expand the National Day of Silence alone, so they organized a team of regional coordinators who could assist schools better by working with and understanding local networks. Expanding from a one-day vow of silence to include additional actions and educational events, the Day of Silence was officially inaugurated. That year, for the first time in a recognized number, students in high schools joined the organizing efforts, helping double the number of participating schools to over 200.
1999-2001 - More people, more time, a message of unity sets in through the sponsorship of Advocates for Youth, Gilliam worked part-time over the summer of 1999 to maintain and expand the Day of Silence. A first in the project's history, a team of volunteers met for a weekend in Boston to discuss strategy and develop future plans towards assisting schools. The Day of Silence continued to support high schools, colleges and universities around the country with volunteers led by then 18-year-old Chloe Palenchar, as the National Project Coordinator. Over 300 high schools participated that year.
2001 - GLSEN developed a proposal to become the official organizational sponsor of the Day of Silence and provide new funding, staff and volunteers. GLSEN developed a first-ever Leadership Team of high school students to support local high school organizers around the country and a partnership with the United States Student Association, to ensure colleges and universities receive equal support.
2002 - Making noise, making history In what has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools, the April 10th Day of Silence was organized by students in more than 1,900 schools across the country, with estimated participation of more than 100,000 students. Representative Eliot Engel introduces the first ever resolution on the Day of Silence in Congress, which received support of 29 co-signers; additionally, Governor Gray Davis of California issued an official proclamation making April 10, 2002 the National Day of Silence. Local Day of Silence® organizing efforts appear in over fifty media stories across the country, including USA Today, MSNBC, CNN, Voice of America and a live broadcast on NPR. Breaking the Silence rallies are organized with tremendous success in Albany, NY, Kalamazoo, MI, Missoula, MT, Ft. Lauderdale & Sarasota, FL, Eugene, OR, Boulder, CO and Washington DC, among other places.
2008 - The 2008 Day of Silence on April 25 was held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old eighth-grade student in Oxnard, California, was shot and killed by a 14-year-old classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students at more than 8,000 schools participated. Their efforts were supported by hundreds of community-based "Breaking the Silence" events at the end of the day. Together, concerned students created a powerful call to action in order to prevent future tragedies.
There are simple steps that all schools can take to make schools safer for all students, to end the endemic name-calling and harassment that LGBT students and their allies face every day. We need to act now so that Lawrence King and the countless others who endure anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment will not be forgotten, and so that we can create an enduring legacy of safer schools for all in their names.
Students handed out "Speaking Cards" which said:
"Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by name-calling, bullying and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?"
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What's Iceland Got to Do with Sex Trafficking and Prostitution in America? by Serena Curry
One of CAASE’s strongest platforms for advocating against sexual exploitation is addressing the demand for sex. With a multi-billion dollar sex industry flourishing in the United States, this is no simple challenge. Strip clubs, massage parlors, and brothels are all examples of places where sexual exploitation is prevalent and often unregulated. Although it seems impossible to imagine a day when strip clubs and other similar locations can be closed, one country has recently taken initiative to address the problem. Within the last few weeks, Iceland has passed a law that will result in the closing of all strip clubs. Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir’s decision reflects the fact that Iceland is considered one of the most feminist nations in the world (See “Iceland: The World’s Most Feminist Country” at guardian.co.uk). Public support for the law was strong, which further proves the strength of the women’s movement in Iceland, and the realization that selling sex is often exploitative and dangerous for women.
The feminist movement in the United States is divided between those who support sex work, and those who strongly oppose it. As an undergraduate Women and Gender Studies student at Loyola University Chicago, I am still trying to determine where I stand on that spectrum. My experience at CAASE has taught me a lot about the exploitative nature of the sex industry, and it didn’t take long for me to jump on the anti-sex work feminist bandwagon. I appreciate the argument that women have a right to express themselves sexually, and how sex work can offer them an easy and sometimes safe way to do that. In fact, sexual freedom and expression are important and relevant issues in today’s feminist movement because sex is still a very male-centered issue when it comes to pleasure. My question then, for feminists who are pro-sex work is this: whose rights are you fighting for? Women and girls in the sex trade in Chicago are overwhelmingly poor, drug-addicted, abused, young, and non-white. More often than not, they do not have the privilege of finding safe and liberating sex work. CAASE understands this reality, and appreciates the individual and their rights. The motive behind ending the demand for sex involves giving everyone in the sex trade an opportunity to claim their rights and find their agency.
I think Iceland had it right. Closing their strip clubs makes a strong statement about gender equality and women’s rights. It will likely prevent trafficking and prostitution that cause women tremendous harm. An employee of an organization in Iceland that campaigns against sexual violence put it simply: "I guess the men of Iceland will just have to get used to the idea that women are not for sale." With the help of CAASE and other anti-trafficking organizations around the country, hopefully the United States can soon get used to that idea as well.
The feminist movement in the United States is divided between those who support sex work, and those who strongly oppose it. As an undergraduate Women and Gender Studies student at Loyola University Chicago, I am still trying to determine where I stand on that spectrum. My experience at CAASE has taught me a lot about the exploitative nature of the sex industry, and it didn’t take long for me to jump on the anti-sex work feminist bandwagon. I appreciate the argument that women have a right to express themselves sexually, and how sex work can offer them an easy and sometimes safe way to do that. In fact, sexual freedom and expression are important and relevant issues in today’s feminist movement because sex is still a very male-centered issue when it comes to pleasure. My question then, for feminists who are pro-sex work is this: whose rights are you fighting for? Women and girls in the sex trade in Chicago are overwhelmingly poor, drug-addicted, abused, young, and non-white. More often than not, they do not have the privilege of finding safe and liberating sex work. CAASE understands this reality, and appreciates the individual and their rights. The motive behind ending the demand for sex involves giving everyone in the sex trade an opportunity to claim their rights and find their agency.
I think Iceland had it right. Closing their strip clubs makes a strong statement about gender equality and women’s rights. It will likely prevent trafficking and prostitution that cause women tremendous harm. An employee of an organization in Iceland that campaigns against sexual violence put it simply: "I guess the men of Iceland will just have to get used to the idea that women are not for sale." With the help of CAASE and other anti-trafficking organizations around the country, hopefully the United States can soon get used to that idea as well.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
No Love for the Local Strip Club
We often think about prostitution as only occurring on streets and in the hidden brothels of certain neighborhoods. But as many of us working on this issue have seen, the shady business of the sex trade expands to places both public and unseen in arenas expanding from seemingly normal, gated suburban communities to the local strip club. Public perception of “establishments” such as a strip club neglects the sexually exploitative practices against women working in this sector.
Debate surrounding strip clubs disregards them as a harmful environment for women, and overlooks the disparity between the women stripping and those who develop and benefit from the industry. When examined more carefully through a lens of gender relations and power, one cannot ignore the power control tactics and violent practices employed by club owners and the men attending strip clubs, the considerable involvement of organized crime and the danger associated with them, as well as the trafficking of women and girls forced to dance and prostitute at the clubs.
A survivor and victim of prostitution herself, Olivia makes public what is most times overlooked when discussing the lives of women and girls in this video blog. Listen to her segment in front of a local Chicago strip club and tell us what you think.
References:
Jeffreys, S. (2009). The Industrial Vagina: The Political Economy of the Global Sex Trade.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/08/opinion/ed-slavery8
Debate surrounding strip clubs disregards them as a harmful environment for women, and overlooks the disparity between the women stripping and those who develop and benefit from the industry. When examined more carefully through a lens of gender relations and power, one cannot ignore the power control tactics and violent practices employed by club owners and the men attending strip clubs, the considerable involvement of organized crime and the danger associated with them, as well as the trafficking of women and girls forced to dance and prostitute at the clubs.
A survivor and victim of prostitution herself, Olivia makes public what is most times overlooked when discussing the lives of women and girls in this video blog. Listen to her segment in front of a local Chicago strip club and tell us what you think.
References:
Jeffreys, S. (2009). The Industrial Vagina: The Political Economy of the Global Sex Trade.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/08/opinion/ed-slavery8
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Winter Olympics: Buying Sex is Not a Sport
There are few events in the world that have the ability to bring nations and people together quite like the Olympics. There is something special about supporting the athletes that represent your country as they compete for gold on the world stage. Whether you are favored to win or just happy to be invited to compete, there is often a sense of camaraderie and pride that accompanies any involvement in the Olympics. Over the last two weeks, people from across the world have had their eye on Canada in hopes to cheer for their country onto gold, but many others have had their eye on Canada for a very different reason.
As with many large sporting events, conventions, and festivals, the demand for paid sex increased with the arrival of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. According to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press by Joy Smith, the Citizens Summit Against Sex Slavery issued a press release noting that front-line agencies in Vancouver had witnessed an increase in underage youth being bought and sold for sex on the streets of Vancouver as the 2010 games began. Of course, these spikes in human trafficking activity are difficult to quantify because they often happen outside of law enforcement’s radar by posting adds on Craigslist and Match.com that seem legitimate, but are actually anonymously selling young women for sex.
Many organizations believe that they best way to end the demand for prostitution is to shed light on the beatings, rapes and other human rights violations that take place behind closed doors in the human sex slave industry. The Salvation Army's add campaign The Truth Isn't Sexy features stories and visual portrayals of young women who are trafficked for sex. Along with the Salvation Army, other organizations such as Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity's Buying Sex is Not a Sport, have particularly targeted Vancouver to increase awareness and help combat the potential increase in demand for paid sex.
As the Winter Games come to a close, it can be easy to forget the pride we felt as a nation while applauding the success of our men and women who embody the grace and strength of our country. The Olympics offers a great opportunity for the world to stand up against human trafficking in a very public and meaningful way. What better time to take a stance against a human rights violation that impacts hundreds of thousands of men, women and children than when the whole world is watching?
As with many large sporting events, conventions, and festivals, the demand for paid sex increased with the arrival of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. According to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press by Joy Smith, the Citizens Summit Against Sex Slavery issued a press release noting that front-line agencies in Vancouver had witnessed an increase in underage youth being bought and sold for sex on the streets of Vancouver as the 2010 games began. Of course, these spikes in human trafficking activity are difficult to quantify because they often happen outside of law enforcement’s radar by posting adds on Craigslist and Match.com that seem legitimate, but are actually anonymously selling young women for sex.
Many organizations believe that they best way to end the demand for prostitution is to shed light on the beatings, rapes and other human rights violations that take place behind closed doors in the human sex slave industry. The Salvation Army's add campaign The Truth Isn't Sexy features stories and visual portrayals of young women who are trafficked for sex. Along with the Salvation Army, other organizations such as Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity's Buying Sex is Not a Sport, have particularly targeted Vancouver to increase awareness and help combat the potential increase in demand for paid sex.
As the Winter Games come to a close, it can be easy to forget the pride we felt as a nation while applauding the success of our men and women who embody the grace and strength of our country. The Olympics offers a great opportunity for the world to stand up against human trafficking in a very public and meaningful way. What better time to take a stance against a human rights violation that impacts hundreds of thousands of men, women and children than when the whole world is watching?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
From the Streets to the Stage: CAASE Presents "The Johns" by Brittany Finkeldey
You see them while walking down the street. Or, while riding the train. Maybe you see them when you’re watching your favorite television show. Advertisements are everywhere, telling us what to wear, where to shop, or who should manage our investment portfolio. But, what if instead of informing our insecurities, they informed our conscience? CAASE is currently developing a poster campaign that would do just that— informing Chicago communities about one of the issues least discussed in our culture: sexual exploitation and human trafficking. These human rights injustices often go unnoticed because people are not informed nor are they aware of the significance of this problem. We aim to change that at CAASE by raising awareness through a variety of venues. Along with working on the eventual launch of a poster campaign, we are working on a theater production called “The Johns,” which addresses the issue of sexual exploitation from the demand side. The play is scheduled to begin its run in May of 2010 at The Viaduct Theater. The performance will be educational, informative, and powerful. Many people are working hard to make this performance a success. It is our hope that the production will impact the audience in a profound and inspiring way.
Coming from a small town in Connecticut, I lived 2 miles from the Paul and Lisa Program, which worked to help survivors of sexual exploitation. Even as I drove past the building everyday, I never knew that this was an organization that sought to help victims of human trafficking or that human trafficking was even an issue in my state. My ignorance about the human rights violations taking place in my own home town shocked me. I began volunteering with the Paul and Lisa Program and now feel an obligation to inform our communities about what they too can do to help victims of forced prostitution. I believe that it is a lack of knowledge and information that causes many people to fear this topic. Much like the Paul and Lisa Program, CAASE is passionately dedicated to working to educate communities about the monstrosities of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
I provide this article as an example of one of the many, contributing factors that prevent people from stopping sexual exploitation and human trafficking:
The invisible victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation
San Diego and Tijuana are facing a growing problem
Coming from a small town in Connecticut, I lived 2 miles from the Paul and Lisa Program, which worked to help survivors of sexual exploitation. Even as I drove past the building everyday, I never knew that this was an organization that sought to help victims of human trafficking or that human trafficking was even an issue in my state. My ignorance about the human rights violations taking place in my own home town shocked me. I began volunteering with the Paul and Lisa Program and now feel an obligation to inform our communities about what they too can do to help victims of forced prostitution. I believe that it is a lack of knowledge and information that causes many people to fear this topic. Much like the Paul and Lisa Program, CAASE is passionately dedicated to working to educate communities about the monstrosities of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
I provide this article as an example of one of the many, contributing factors that prevent people from stopping sexual exploitation and human trafficking:
The invisible victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation
San Diego and Tijuana are facing a growing problem
Did Someone Say Vagina?
Why yes, yes we did. Vagina Monologues, to be exact. Northeastern Illinois University will be hosting the event on March 9th at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the event for $10. All proceeds will go to CAASE, so please come in support and bring your colleagues, friends, and family! Fun merchandise will be sold at the event, so don’t miss out!
NEIU Feminist Collective Presents: The Vagina Monologues
Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Time: 7 – 8:30 PM
Location: NEIU Auditorium
5500 N. Saint Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
NEIU Feminist Collective Presents: The Vagina Monologues
Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Time: 7 – 8:30 PM
Location: NEIU Auditorium
5500 N. Saint Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Is the Super Bowl Fueling Child Sex Trafficking? by Gigi Garber
As reported by CNN correspondent, Emanuella Grinberg, sex-trafficking—even during the Super Bowl—could not be escaped. Volunteers took to the streets on Super Bowl weekend to help inform women in prostitution of alternatives and ways to escape from their current circumstances. During the weekend of the event, several of Miami’s hotels, restaurants, and other businesses experienced a spike in business, as well as a spike in the trafficking of underage girls forced into the sex trade. "Many social service agencies and law enforcement agencies recognize that there was an increase of victims of trafficking during last year's Super Bowl," said Regina Bernadin, Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Florida Department of Children and Families. "That correlates with research that whenever there's a convention, a concert or a large event, traffickers will bring girls to the area to serve the influx of visitors," she added. And with them comes an increase in the demand for paid sex.
The majority of the girls being trafficked were underage and from all corners of the country. While the Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year, any large scale social event becomes a playground for pimps and traffickers. In an effort to try and reach out to the victims, state and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up with social service agencies to coordinate nighttime outreaches for girls on the street. Over Super Bowl weekend, small teams of volunteers hit the streets looking for girls from Fort Lauderdale to South Beach, and all the way to Hialeah. Volunteers indicated the hard part isn't locating the girls but finding an opportunity to approach them without drawing the attention of their pimps and traffickers.
The operation was aimed at making contact with girls in prostitution by handing out a card with a hot line number for resources on how to get out of "the life”. Encounters were usually brief in order to keep pimps and traffickers unaware. The response is usually not great, but the few girls that do engage in contact are what motivates volunteers to keep up the effort. The operation is also working with hotels to be aware of sex-trafficking operations that take place on their premises and to report it. Hotels have begun contacting authorities if they suspect that any form of sex-trafficking has occurred on their property. This recent level of cooperation has led to new information on other sex-trafficking rings that otherwise may not have been obtained through police efforts alone.
It is a common misconception that the girls engage in prostitution by choice to make money, and are able to come and go as they please. The epidemic of underage sex trafficking isn't just contained to Super Bowl weekend; victims are still out there come Monday morning. Communities must work together in an effort to become more aware of sex-trafficking, especially around large social events such as Super Bowl weekend. Even if only a few girls are reached every year, it is worth our time and commitment as a community to provide a safety net to those girls suffering in a vicious and exploitative environment, which is a detriment to our youth and society as a whole.
The majority of the girls being trafficked were underage and from all corners of the country. While the Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year, any large scale social event becomes a playground for pimps and traffickers. In an effort to try and reach out to the victims, state and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up with social service agencies to coordinate nighttime outreaches for girls on the street. Over Super Bowl weekend, small teams of volunteers hit the streets looking for girls from Fort Lauderdale to South Beach, and all the way to Hialeah. Volunteers indicated the hard part isn't locating the girls but finding an opportunity to approach them without drawing the attention of their pimps and traffickers.
The operation was aimed at making contact with girls in prostitution by handing out a card with a hot line number for resources on how to get out of "the life”. Encounters were usually brief in order to keep pimps and traffickers unaware. The response is usually not great, but the few girls that do engage in contact are what motivates volunteers to keep up the effort. The operation is also working with hotels to be aware of sex-trafficking operations that take place on their premises and to report it. Hotels have begun contacting authorities if they suspect that any form of sex-trafficking has occurred on their property. This recent level of cooperation has led to new information on other sex-trafficking rings that otherwise may not have been obtained through police efforts alone.
It is a common misconception that the girls engage in prostitution by choice to make money, and are able to come and go as they please. The epidemic of underage sex trafficking isn't just contained to Super Bowl weekend; victims are still out there come Monday morning. Communities must work together in an effort to become more aware of sex-trafficking, especially around large social events such as Super Bowl weekend. Even if only a few girls are reached every year, it is worth our time and commitment as a community to provide a safety net to those girls suffering in a vicious and exploitative environment, which is a detriment to our youth and society as a whole.
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