Encore feministes !

Sommaire

The Zeromacho network presents
Men “Just Say NO” to prostitution
(sept. 11)
French text here

 

Men "Just Say NO" to prostitution

Is prostitution a “human right”? A form of “freedom for women”?
A necessary evil to satisfy men's “uncontrollable urges”?

NO! We've had enough of that propaganda!

We the signatories of this manifesto, men of all ages, origins, professions and social status, refuse to reduce our sexuality to a financial transaction. For us, sexuality is first and foremost a human relationship, lived out within a context of equality and respect for the other person's freedom and desire.

We invite you to join us in publicly declaring

PROSTITUTION IS NOT FOR US!
DO NOT JUSTIFY IT IN OUR NAME!


NO to the human meat market that pushes the poorest and most vulnerable into renting out their mouths or their vaginas!
NO to macho culture that uses sexuality to dominate and demean!
NO to brothels, including state-licensed ones, where women are subjugated and exploited by pimps, and penned to serve men!

YES to sexual freedom!
YES to shared desire and pleasure!


The expression “The right to prostitute oneself,” is often bandied about. But who “chooses” to have unwanted sex with strangers several times a day?
Who has the freedom in prostitution? Who has the choice? Who takes his own pleasure without worrying about the other person? The man who has the power of money.
The freedom that prostituted people call for is an illusion, because it is forced on them by pimps, drug and violence.
Every year, the prostituting system destroys the lives of millions of new victims, essentially women and children, often from among the poorest of the poor.

Every man can claim his own rights without denying others' theirs, and can empower himself without dominating others.

In application of the principle of male-female equality,
we request that the competent authorities

- Stop penalizing prostituted people; develop social, educational and health programs for prevention, as well as alternatives to prostitution, in order to effectively create the right not to be a prostitute.

- Crack down on pimping by applying zero-tolerance for it in all its varied forms (on the street, in brothels, massage parlors or red-light districts, via escorts services, websites, want ads and more.)

- Create or reinforce non-sexist education in sexuality and inter-personal relationships, starting in primary school, teaching respect for others, including their freedom, choices and desires.

- Institute graduated sanctions for “prostituting clients” like in Sweden, where that policy has proven its effectiveness.

- Refuse to call those men “clients,” and recognize that they are in fact prostituters.

Paying for access to the most-private parts of the body of a person who feels no desire has nothing to do with a business contract based on freedom and equality. In those circumstances, freedom is an illusion and equality is trampled.

Together let's build a world in which no one would dream of
buying access to another person's body,
and the pleasures of sex won't be tied to money or violence!

That world is possible, and its construction is already underway.
In 1999, after a half a century of equality-based education in schools, Sweden became the first country in the world to penalize purchasing “sexual services” by prostituters - without going after the prostituted people. In 2009, Norway and Iceland followed suit. A few dozen men have been sentenced to pay fines, and the State provides aid to prostituted people to help them build a different future for themselves.

This progressive policy has proven its effectiveness:
-prostitution networks have pulled away from these destinations, which have become less profitable (official Swedish report, 2010).

- children are being taught that you don't purchase another person's body.

The situation in Germany and the Netherlands is exactly the opposite. Brothels are legal, and boys grow up knowing that women will be made available to them. How can they recognize girls as their equals in those conditions?
We believe that the Scandinavian model, an important step towards true humanity and democracy, is a living symbol of hope for a world without prostitution.

Which Europe are we going to build?
What kind of world are we going to live in?


For men only
To sign this text here.

First signers here

translation by Regan Kramer

Previous action (2004)