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Dear John,
If you know and care about how sex trafficking really works, the sentence below should shock and horrify you.
D.C. CIty Council is currently debating legislation that, if enacted, would decriminalize pimping, brothels, and sex buying in our city.
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In 2018, the Polaris-operated U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline learned of 70 cases of sex trafficking in D.C. This is likely a miniscule percentage of what is happening in our city, as human trafficking is notoriously underreported. We believe that decriminalizing pimping, brothel-owning, and sex buying will increase the amount of trafficking in D.C. Click here to let your city council member know what you think of this bill.
It’s important to know that this bill also decriminalizes prostitution, meaning that the direct sellers of sex - trafficked or not - would not be subject to arrest and prosecution. We strongly support decriminalizing people in prostitution, as arresting them only strengthens the hands of traffickers and makes it more difficult for survivors to rebuild their lives.
But this bill is a bridge too far and will unfortunately hurt many of the very people its supporters claim to want to help. There are better ways to protect transgender people and other individuals facing discrimination and economic dislocation in our community. Some of our most vulnerable neighbors will pay the price and suffer the worst if this bill is enacted. We shouldn’t stand by when the unintended consequences of a bill are likely to make human trafficking worse in the city we call home.
If you agree, act now.
In Solidarity,
Bradley Myles
CEO
Polaris
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