John Hayward Posted: 8 April 2009
Keywords: Lifestyle Issues, Sex & Relationships,
"I wouldn't expect her to tell the truth because it isn't a trade where the truth is always there. They're acting anonymously; I'm acting anonymously, because there is something very wrong in what we are doing. So, not telling the truth is only part of the same story."
There was a very telling interview on last night's Ten O'Clock News concerning the government's proposals for a shake up in prostitution laws. The proposed legislation includes the introduction of fines for men who use prostitutes unless they can prove that the woman is working of her own free will. However, a man who has been using prostitutes for most of his marriage, John, explained that the new law wouldn't deter him and, for the reasons quoted above, even if he asked a women if she was being controlled, he wouldn't expect to learn whether she was in fact trafficked or being controlled by a pimp.
Such a frank admission runs contrary to the "anything goes" culture that we usually hear about. When even those who pursue "alternative lifestyles" claim that they are doing "something very wrong", it is surely worth exploring why their behaviour might indeed be wrong.
Part of the answer was offered by a police inspector in another part of the same report, who commented on the proposal that would enable police to take to court first time offenders for curb-crawling: "I think it sends the right message out: These men are exploiting women that are vulnerable on the streets and they should know that what they are doing is definitely wrong. It's wrong for the women; it's wrong for the communities; and it's wrong for their families as well."
It is this impact on families and communities - what we have referred to as the damage caused by "passive sex" - that we highlight in the first of our three recent public service bulletins:
The second in the series highlights the true extent of the personal, financial and emotional costs of sex - which are far greater than whatever the going rate for a prostitute might be:
Finally, to complete the set, here's the third, which reflects on the lasting "one flesh" bonds that form in every sexual encounter:
Download the discussion questions that accompany these three videos in the Leaders' Tools section of our resources.


All videos were great but the second video was a bit quick and I did not have time to read the captions.
Freelander 8 April 2009