If sex trade workers are being funded by taxpayers' money, I would find that shocking and it should stop. If you really want to know the impact of this trade on the vast majority of women, all you would have to do is go to Norma Hotaling, who has an organization out of San Francisco. They will bring thousands of women and young girls forward to tell every one of you what has happened to them and the reality of their lives.
Again, I question this. Who are these advocates? Who is behind them? There is no union. These girls out there are controlled by pimps. They do not speak for themselves. Who is behind this so-called group that wants to promote the sex trade?
Again, I will say, there are women who want to do this--fine. The vast majority don't. Who is speaking for the vast majority? That's the problem. Who is funding this? If the government is funding this, they should stop. If these women believe that the sex trade work is a great place to be, why shouldn't they just fund themselves? Why don't the brothel owners and massage parlour owners, who are making huge amounts of money, fund them? We shouldn't be funding that.
What we should be funding are victims and people who want out, to give them an opportunity to get out. It really bothers me, if this is correct, that any money would go to these so-called sex trade workers and we would say, now we're going to listen to you because you speak for it. They speak for no one. They speak for a handful of people. All the studies show that 89% to 92% of women want out. They want out. Who are they speaking for? Are you giving them money to speak for 8% or 9%? Let them do what they want to do, but we have to give the opportunity to young women who don't want to be in this a way out. We have to create that situation for them, not make it easier for johns, not make it easier for clients, not make it easier for pimps and brothel owners. That's what we're doing. When you tolerate, you create a really bad situation, and that's what we've done over the last number of years. Money for sex workers to promote--forget it.