just in case people don't have time to follow the links, here are the "opening the doors" recomendations and conclusions so at least you have a sense of where we are taking this...
please feel free to yell, scream,comment,add something.....
Recommendations
Vancouver Sex Industry Stakeholders have agreed on the following recommendations for submission to city staff and informing the report going to City Council;
• That a process of professional accreditation be developed in partnership with all stakeholders and that the processes should respect the expectations for the mainstream community and the privacy/confidentiality of sex industry workers taking part.
• That the professional accreditation processes be made language accessible for non English speaking workers and as low cost and low barrier as possible so all sex industry workers including street level sex workers could benefit from the knowledge gained through accreditation.
• That professional accreditation be required for all employees in a sex industry business including support staff such as managers, booking girls, drivers, waitresses and bouncers.
• That the City of Vancouver By-laws are revised to reflect the processes outlined in this report and respect the safety and inclusion of sex industry workers in a process involving all stakeholders as far as preferred licenses, rate balancing and the removal of clearly biased and illegal by laws excluding sex industry community members from mainstream society.
• More specifically, that the body rub license become the license of choice over health enhancement center. The term health enhancement center makes any prostitution occurring in the business illegal. The body rub parlour business license on the other hand seems to create a space where 2 consenting adults can legally engage in prostitution as it is more of a “rooms for rent” business. Just as in a hotel, the room rented becomes a private space and just as in a hotel what happens behind closed doors is private.
It is hoped that this business license definition will allow police to maintain their commitment to the
criminal code of Canada while allowing stability for sex industry businesses providing safe, health
places to work.
• That a Sex Industry Review Board be created to hear complaints and scrutinize license applications
• That mechanisms to ensure accountability and unbiased treatment are created such as the community policing partnership car, policy and procedure manual revisions/additions and professional development materials for mainstream systems engaging the sex industry.
• That a system of penalties tied to professional accreditation is created
• That licensing not be required of individual workers or small collectives of 2 or 3 workers sharing a
work space as has been proven successfully in New Zealand to impact the health and safety of those
workers.
• That provisions are made to accommodate migrant or foreign workers and that all materials are language accessible for that group
• That while youth engaged in the sex industry may not be accredited until they reach the legal age to engage in the sex industry, that they be given access to the program materials as way to increase their health and safety and to connect them to resources
The greater community have long had to rely on rumours and biased data to form an opinion of working conditions in the sex industry. By creating an open and sex industry inclusive system of transparency and accountability, the greater community will have a clearer picture of the make up of, conditions within and safety of the sex industry.
Through this confidential, community based process it is hoped that businesses that go beyond what is reasonable (marketing youth, trafficking persons) can be more easily identified, targeted and prosecuted by the criminal justice system without causing widespread de-stabilization of the entire industry.
The goal is not to eliminate police or other mainstream mechanisms from these processes. Rather our goal is to allow police to use resources more effectively against and easily find and prosecute those people who engage in illegal sex industry activities and to increase numbers of sex industry workers accessing mainstream supports
Conclusion
All parties were concerned about the confidentiality of sex industry licensee program participants. The BCCEC recommend being extremely careful throughout the development of procedures, to protect confidentiality if sex industry workers are to feel safe in taking part.
Lastly, the ideas and processes outlined in this report are in a very draft and incomplete form. BCCEC members want to be clear that each individual aspect of these plans must be developed and scrutinized by all stakeholders in detail if we are to reach common ground and common purpose in finding ways to increase the health and safety of ALL community members.
Our hope is that the draft materials and rational described here can be a starting point for a change in policy, to move away from punishment and towards protection and to find creative ways to work together, with in the current legal framework and with the health and safety of sex industry workers at the forefront.
