Well, that’s another assertion I find questionable. Every time an anti-trafficking group gets active in a particular city, they call it a “major hub for trafficking”. I’ve seen the same rhetoric about Portland and Las Vegas. And more importantly, I have yet to see an actual list of the cities that are “major trafficking hubs”.

Now as for the thing about the Superbowl, the fact that this is something that has been trotted out about every major sports event *internationally* for the last 5 years tells me this is just an old story being repeated rather than some new discovery.

Its not like this is trafficking denialism, either. GAATW, which is one of the links I provided, is an anti-trafficking group. Its just that if you’re going to target actual exploitation and forced labor, then of course evidence-based strategies are what’s called for, rather than chasing down what amounts to a rehashed urban legend.

But, anyway, good to see you’re keeping your blog well-rounded with reporting on trafficking, etc. One of your strengths is that it goes beyond “all porn all of the time”. And, BTW, I know somebody who actually works in the sex industry in the area you mentioned if you need another source for research on that topic.

BTW, I never step into sex trafficking discussions online (despite my personal and professional interests) because it brings out extremists from pro-sex-work and anti-sex-work sides – and they never have their facts straight because they are * believers* of one kind or another. To me, that’s always a red flag. (Your WSJ link highlights the inflation of estimates, but also the difficulty of getting them.) That Christians and anti-Christian pro-sex work peeps went ballistic with this is no surprise. I just think it muddies any chance of a realistic look at what’s going on.

I’m mostly miffed that the real topic of this XXX Church and NPR’s complicity in the sham got lost in everyone’s sex trafficking agendas here. Especially that some virulent commenters (unapproved) are calling the religious agenda “my” theory. Bizarre.

The problem is that both major sporting events happened in places that are hubs for trafficking – and I’m not sure any stats can be relied on. I just know what people I’ve worked with and talk to have seen for themselves. So I’m cool to disagree with you. And I appreciate the links. As always, I’m glad you’re a reader.

Gotta disagree with you on this one, Violet. There is no “there” there when it comes to connecting sports events with human trafficking.

I was very caught off guard seeing the mainstream media sensationalism of the trafficking hyperbole linked at the bottom of this post. To me, the majority of the media has been reveling in the cheap & easy thrills this story provides to the very same crowd that wants to cluck its tongue & be horrified by the supposed epidemic in porn consumption somehow sullying their otherwise decent neighbors & fellow congregants.

I simply assumed you may have not yet had the opportunity to see how misguided & agenda driven the Change.org/Trafficking911 campaign was.

I see nothing wrong with a Sex Trafficking Sunday. I actually am pretty sure we’ve had that out here, possibly even at our local mega-church, as we’ve got a couple who are all about saving child sex slaves from…Cambodia, I believe. Even got one of our movie houses to show their documentary for free admission (donations encouraged). And that’s all swell…except that many of those passionate about saving women & children from…whatever they may or may not need rescuing from, have a pretty disturbing worldview that shines through in the Change.org petition and follow up posts regarding the projected increase in trafficking of persons & child sex abuse inextricably linked to that drunken, nasty, testosterone-driven Superbowl.

I was not suggesting you are or should be a feminist, but noting that some feminists had allied with the anti-porn conservatives and that the current anti-trafficking campaigns are following a little too closely to that very mistaken alliance. I would imagine some of your readers do identify as feminists, even if you choose not to. If it were not for sex-positive feminism, I might not have identified as feminist myself.

None of this was meant as any kind of an attack, or tear-down of this blog or you, just an attempt at facilitating a balanced look at what may or may not really be going on this weekend in Dallas. I am sorry you may have felt otherwise. Or have felt that this is a thankless task…if I you weren’t one of my go-to sources for sane things to “share” about porn & sexuality generally, I really wouldn’t have bothered to say anything. If I wasn’t thankful that you’re here, why would I be reading in the first place?

And now you’ve got me curious as to what you meant by “The sex trafficking issue in this instance is not as black and white as everyone thinks.”

The sex trafficking issue in this instance is not as black and white as everyone thinks.

Also, I am not a feminist. I do not identify as a feminist, and I never have. I’ve stated that several times over the years.

http://www.straight.com/article-232537/joyce-arthur-facts-and-fictions-about-sex-trafficking-and-vancouvers-2010-olympics

http://bccec.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/gaatw_2010olympics1.pdf

http://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/mainsite/projects/documents/World_Cup_2006_CT_Draft_Report.pdf

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/the-elusive-link-between-sex-trafficking-and-sporting-events-952/

http://www.ban-ying.de/downloads/Worldcup&Trafficking.pdf

http://howtohavesexintexas.blogspot.com/2011/02/incoming-prostitute-army-not-coming.html
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2011-01-27/news/the-super-bowl-prostitute-myth-100-000-hookers-won-t-be-showing-up-in-dallas/
http://www.wfaa.com/home/Super-Bowl-prostitution-prediction-has-no-proof–114983179.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
http://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/don%E2%80%99t-buy-it/
http://www.sify.com/mobile/news/no-rise-in-prostitution-during-fifa-world-cup-2010-news-international-kkvx4medgah.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704289504575312853491596916.html
http://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/hidden-hordes-of-hookers/
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/sunday-commentary/20110128-point-person-our-qa-with-bill-bernstein-on-the-human-trafficking-problem-in-north-texas.ece