Todays vote to re-criminalize prostitution

Today I returned to the state house to watch the vote.  There were a few represenatives who tried to delay the vote and have another hearing.  It seemed reasonable, the bill had changed 3 of 4 times while we were waiting to begin.  The secretary handed out the bill, then came back around and said this is the revisions, after a few times of replacing the bill with new print outs a few people were saying “Is this the ninth version?”

There were a crowd of people, some young women wearing stickers that said “vote no” who represented the Brown Coalition against Human Trafficking.  Steve Brown from the ACLU and Mimi Budnick from D.A.R.E., (both who are in Happy Endings?) were there.

After voting down hearing the bill, the vote went pretty much as expected.  4 people did vote against the bill, but it passed.  Rep. Gianinni was there watching the fruit of her 4 year labor finally make it to the floor.  I went over to speak to her, and she was not happy to see me.  I gave her a card, and invited her to the film, and she said “I don’t know, I am probably represented horribly”.  I don’t know how people always come to the conclusion before they even watch the film.

I have gotten emails from Johns, berating me for “trying to shut down the massage parlors”.  I don’t know why people jump to conclusions before even seeing the film.  I may sound opinionated on the topic now, but while I was making the film I was just trying to get the truth.  I don’t portrayed or represented anyone.  Everyone represents themselves.

When I did the film, I got everyone from the police, legislators, johns, women working in the massage parlors.  The person who I identified with the most was Nancy, who had been involved in the human trafficking coalition and then testified against the prostitution bill.  I felt like she was a kindred spirit, I would have been her if I didn’t have a camera in my hand.  She was one of the first people who is in the film who I let watch it.  She even reviewed the film.  Today she blogged about her experience.  I think everyone who has been involved in passing this law, either on moral grounds or “human trafficking” grounds should take a few minutes to see what a Rhode Island resident and woman has to say.  Here is an excerpt.

I never wanted to be a part of a moral crusade using law as a weapon. All I cared about was legal protection for people who are trafficked, and punishment for the traffickers.

To fight immorality, I would use other weapons– reason, persuasion and example. Laws against immorality have never been very effective, and have often been cover for worse crimes. Remember the Scarlet Letter?

Morality, like patriotism, provides a convenient cover for other agendas.

Oprah talks while I am at the State House

Today I got a call from my mom about Oprah.  I didn’t get to the call because I was in the halls of the State House, waiting to speak to some of the Representatives on the Judicial committee.  Unfortunately I missed the show, but I went to twitter to see what people were saying about what they had seen.  Most people were saying it was wrong for Oprah to promote prostitution.

That is the wall I always have to climb.  Even when I talk to my mother, she says “I don’t condon or support prostitution, so it makes it difficult to talk about.”  Well, I know a bunch of people feel that way, but I know women are the only arrested.  I can’t understand  when two people are committing a “crime”, how is it just that only the women get arrested?  Everyone know the man gets off (twice if you think about it!)

Anyway, I didn’t get to see the show because I was at the State House.  Rumor has it they will be passing the prostitution bill on the house side.  It is weird for me to walk into the state house.  Before I got involved with this film, the only time I had been to the State house was in the 8th grade for Project Insight.  What I remember about that experience was walking the hall, sitting in the seat, and placing fake votes.  At the end they let us talk to the reps and even Governor Sundlun was there.  Back in the early nineties the economy wasn’t good, so I asked the Governor if he was still going to continue to fund Project Insight.  Of course he said yes, and everyone in the room applauded.   That year then ended Project Insight.  We were the last class to get the experience.  My father said it was my fault, I probably gave the Governor the idea of where to make the cuts.

I am hoping my film isn’t what is giving people the idea to change the prostitution law.  I really hope all the represenatives come and see the film before they vote.

Tomorrow the House Judiciary will vote on weather or not to send the bill to the floor.  We will see what happens.

Guest blog by “Chris” from Happy Endings?

In response to more raids “Chris” has written this, and I am including it in my blog.  It is titled “What I know, What I don’t know.”

I know that human trafficking is wrong and any one involved in trafficking humans should be punished.

 

I don’t know why, since the mid-nineties the FBI, IRS, ICE, state and local police have spent millions of dollars and man hours investigating the Asian businesses in Rhode Island and no one has been charged or found guilty with human trafficking.

 

I know that there has never been a report of guns, drugs, or violence in any of RI’s Asian businesses.

 

I don’t know why it takes ten police men to raid Asian businesses in RI (with out the help of translators), while the raids were under the guise of “Helping the women”.

 

I know that there has never been a crime committed or charged against any of the women in the Asian businesses in RI.  I know the customers have never filed complaints with the police about being robbed, and the workers have never filed any complaints against the customers.

 

I don’t know why a private transaction between two consenting adults, where no client or provider has complained of crime, would be investigated.

 

I know that since 1982 there has been no law in Rhode Island against indoor prostitution.

 

I don’t know how hundreds of Asian women were arrested for the crime of prostitution, prosecuted for the crime, and the lawyers were allowed to profit, while pleading women guilty to breaking a law that didn’t exist.

 

I know 48 states have laws against prostitution, where both the client and service provider are breaking the law, but the service providers are arrested at a 10 to 1 ratio to the clients.

 

I don’t know why in 14 years of raiding Asian businesses in RI, not one customer has been arrested, humiliated, and ridiculed by police, yet the service providers are subjected to arrest, humiliation, and ridicule, and even have had their names printed in the paper.

 

I know that “massage” occurs in strip clubs in Rhode Island.

 

I don’t know why women in Asian businesses were singled out to be arrested for “massage with out a license”?

 

I know if you look in Craig list you will find escorts and adult ads from providers of all nationalities and ethnic groups.

 

I don’t know why only the Asian businesses have been targeted by police, media, and politicians.

 

I know statistics on human trafficking shows the majority of the victims are young Caucasian women.

 

I don’t know why Human trafficking has been linked to RI’s Asian businesses, when in 14 years of investigating no link has been proven, and the women in the Asian businesses are between 30 and 50 years old and Asian, not fitting the profile of human trafficking victims.

 

I know there is a bill pending in the RI’s legislation to re-criminalize prostitution.

 

I don’t know how this bill will help any woman who engages in sex work for a living.

 

I know there is safety in numbers, and the women working together in Asian businesses are and have not been murdered, robbed, or beaten.

 

I don’t know why the focus has been put on the Asian businesses in RI, when independent providers have been victims of “The Craig list Killer” and Jeffery Mailhot.

 

I know if we criminalize prostitution we are not helping the women or men who participate in this private exchange between consenting adults.

 

I know that legalizing prostitution would mandate health checks, regulation, and tax revenue.

 

I don’t know why we would criminalize an activity that exists in every corner of the world, driving the industry underground and making it unsafe for all those involved.

 

I know if sex work was legal, we could use the regulations to make sure all the participants were willing and of legal age, driving out human traffickers.

 

I don’t know why we would change the prostitution law to help the women, when not one woman in the Asian businesses has asked for help.

 

I know that sex work is the world’s oldest profession, and no law will eradicate its existence.

 

I don’t know why we don’t spend the same effort and money to go after the reasons women are in sex work and not the women.

 

I know that money is the ultimate pimp, and as long as it is financially beneficial, prostitution will exist.  

Not top billing..

I guess when you write a story titled “RI in Eye of the Storm in Sex Trafficking, Prostitution” you get the front page.  That article can get front page on the Sunday paper, probably the widest read paper of the week.

Today, there was another article “Suspected Warwick brothel linked to businesses in Central Falls, Providence”. That article didn’t get the front page.  It didn’t even get front page on the website.  RI officials working to to stop invasion of the Asian Longhorn Beetle made the front page.   Not that I think the title of the article was all that great.  I guess that is just the way the newspapers work.

If I was to give the article a title, I would say that what they should have picked something from this:

Meanwhile, the police have found no evidence that three Korean women questioned at the scene of the April 9 raid were victims of human trafficking, Babula said. Two of the women are U.S. residents. The third has an outstanding deportation order but was released along with the other two since she “is not a danger to anyone,” he said, and has attended hearings on her case with immigration authorities.

After all the media keeps linking Asian massage parlors to human trafficking, It would have been nice to give the fact that there is no human trafficking, more prominence in the story.  It doesn’t really matter though.  I usually read the stories on the website for the comments from the users.

The comments are great, most detesting the fact the state is wasting money.

Thisisthecity wrote “the real victim is me and you the ones who pay for this crap to go to court”ing

Lets Think About it wrote “This was a waste of tax payer money to investigate. So they give out happy endings, where’s the crime? That’s right it is legal in RI. There are many other things that could be looked into like the mini mart on Main Ave, where they sell pipes for dope and there is a guy that hangs out all day making arrangements for other to get their supply.”

Island said “Stop wasting tax dollars busting these people. Tax them!”

Mr xyx said “Hey General Assembly…. new license fees? PLUS… 7% sales tax !!!!!”

Other people pointed out the women were in the 40s and 50s, and they knew what they were doing.  The rest of them were hot on the immigration angle.  Everyone has their angle!! But one that was missing was people who believe this is human trafficking, or that the prostitution loophole needs to be closed.  I wonder how the comments represent the general public?

I really wish I could get comments like that!!!

Ticket price…part two

I never liked doing the business part of making films.  They do call it show-business, and not show fun, so I have to deal with the business aspect too.  Deciding the price point for tickets has been a huge pain.  I want the shows to sell out, and let the people of RI make their own decision on the “prostitution loophole”. That is the main  reason I have held the film release until June, right before the legislation will be making their decision.

It is costing me a pretty penny to put the show on, and there isn’t much room for profit.  I have been pressured by some people to change the price to $15 advance/$20 door, and I did change the price for a week.

Today I changed the price back to $10 advance/$15 at the door.  That is the price and it is staying there.  I have seen a few films premier at the Columbus and I paid $20, but I don’t want anyone to be turned away from the show because of the price. (This economy is a pain in the but)  I don’t think the films I saw at $20 were better than Happy Endings?, but they didn’t have a important social message, and the directors of those films were looking for the short term payoff.  I want to fill the seats with people who will go out and talk about “Rhode Island’s dirty little secret” and be able to make informed decisions on how our lawmakers should and should not deal with this issue.

Barney Miller & Asian massage parlors

I have been doing searches on massage parlors, happy endings, prostitution, and the things that are my usual tag words.  I thought that “Happy Endings” as a term was recent, or maybe just as recent as the nineties.  I find this Barney Miller clip when I searched “Massage Parlor”, and this is what I found.  It is incredible because this video is from 1976, even before I was born!  So this is not a recent phenomenon.

Human Trafficking Rally/Protest

Signs and Petition

Yesterday I went to the State House where the RI Coalition Against Human Trafficking was holding a rally to support the Anti-Trafficking legislation.  They had a great turn out.  I gave out some postcards and invited some people to my film.

There were people there holding signs “Not for Sale”, and “Stop Selling Children”.  I don’t believe in the death penalty, but if I did, I would reserve the ultimate punishment for the Human Traffickers and/or child molesters.  I can respect people’s opinions, but there is no excuse for Human Trafficking, and I have never met anyone who has even tried to defend this practice.

I am in complete support of the new proposed legislation against Human Trafficking.  However, I do not believe closing the “prostitution loophole” will stop human trafficking.  (There is a difference between prostitution and human trafficking) If you look across the country, every state has prositution laws, and every state also has prostitution.  Our neighboring state Massachusetts has laws against Prostitution and when you look at the Boston Phoenix you see two to  three times the ads for “erotic massage” and “escorts” as compared to the Providence Phoenix.

The issue made the front page of the projo again today.  “A Call to End Human Trafficking” What is interesting is while I was there yesterday, most of the people who were protesting were protesting against the “prostitution loophole”, and if you read the article you will see:

“Two separate bills that would make prostitution a crime, regardless of where it occurs, have also been introduced in the General Assembly. The coalition — which is against prosecuting the prostitutes — has taken no position on those bills.”

Moore and more news

Sometimes I get the feeling that I might be like Micheal Moore.  I don’t want to be like him, I respect him, but he is not my style.  The only reason I think I am sort of like him is when he was at the Oscars and said there was no reason to be invading Iraq.  Everyone hated him.  I sort of feel like I am in the same positition.

In The Projo today they have an article called RI in the “Eye of the Storm” in sex trafficking. You can click the link, or I can tell you it is the basic rhetoric.  There are a bunch of quotes from people who think there is a link between prostitution and human trafficking, and that closing the prostitution loophole is the solution to stopping the trafficking.

Here is where I feel like Moore, every news station, radio station, and paper has joined on with this bull shit.  I am one of the few people who knows that if you close the loophole you will just be making it more difficult for the women.  Like Moore warned us not to invade Iraq, I am warning not to change the law.

Even with out a law, the Warwick police raided a spa.  In this spa was a woman I know, because she is in the film as “Danielle”.  The police went on the radio the next day, said they were helping women, and believed this was a spa where trafficking was going on.  I know for a fact there was no trafficking in that spa.  Besides that, the police took personal cell phones, laptops, drivers licenses, and all of the woman’s cash.  How can you say you are helping the women when you take everything from them and throw them onto the street?  “We didn’t arrest anyone”  they say, but being questioned for four hours and loosing everything is close enough to an arrest.

I feel like we are treating the AMPS like Iraq, lets bomb them to help them.  It makes no sence, and we are not helping anyone with the tactics that are being used.

Craigslist Killer hits in RI

After all the debate about prostitution being legal in Rhode Island, the Craigslist Killer has struck in our state.  I think this shows that we need to keep prostitution safe, and regulate it.  If you notice, there has never been any violence, murder, or robbery in any of the Asian massage parlors.  That is because there are usually 4-6 women working together, and there is safety in numbers.  A man wouldn’t be able to rob or kill a worker there because she is protected.  If we change the law, the women will be forced to work independently, and we will probably have more news about people like the Craigslist Killer and Jeffery Mailhot who killed a bunch of women working in the streets of Woonsocket back in 2004.

Ticket Prices?

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It is difficult to decide what to charge for tickets to the show.  I want everyone who wants to see it to be able to come.  I know how bad the economy is, so I want to keep the price down.  I was going to charge $10 in advance and $15 at the door.  Every film I have seen at the Columbus I have spent $20 on the ticket because it was a premier.  Happy Endings? is going to be a premier, but I am always afraid to ask for too much money.  I know the film is great, and it is a hot topic, but I just want to get the word out.

My mom wants me to charge $20 and my brother wants me to charge $25.  I decided on $15 in advance and $20 at the door.  There are 4 shows, so I can give a portion (I am thinking 13% of ticket sales) of each show to local charities or social work groups.  I want to give to RI Food Bank because every year while I was doing the film “Heather” gave $200 worth of turkeys at Thanksgiving.  The other group is Day One, because they offered the women in the spas translation services.  I have to contact the groups and figure out the two other groups that I can give to.  It is good that I have a little time, but time is flying by quickly