|  |  | | Gabrielle* frowned at the band-aid for a moment, trying to figure out what was wrong. Then she realized. The band-aid was "skin color." Not Gabrielle's skin color. Kylie's skin color. It was that band-aid that first made Gabrielle understand that she was "different." That the color of her skin somehow made her an outsider. And as Gabrielle frowned at the band-aid, standing out so pale against her dark knee, she couldn't help but wonder if the color of her skin was also the reason why she hadn't been given a hug and a lollipop like Kylie... *Gabrielle's story is a composite story, based on common experiences of Black survivors. It tells the story of how "Adultification" (the phenomenon of perceiving Black girls to be older than White girls) and various other racial biases can increase the chance that Black girls will be sexually exploited. The image shown is a stock image and does not depict a real survivor. Read the full story here. |
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|  |  | | By: Lina Nealon Last night, Facebook reminded me a friend’s birthday was coming up. So I hopped on Google Search for some gift ideas based on the hobbies and recent interests she posted about on Instagram. I quickly ended up on Etsy where I found a present and purchased it with the credit card on my account (Visa). I sent her an early birthday greeting through WhatsApp letting her know some love was on the way. Friend duties done, I relaxed the rest of the evening by watching a show with my two oldest daughters on Netflix. In less than an hour, I had used HALF of the targets on the 2022 Dirty Dozen List: the annual list of mainstream corporations we call out for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. (If you’re counting and things aren’t adding up from my anecdote, DDL target Meta owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and Verisign owns all .com domains that I used.) I can guess what you’re thinking: well, isn’t that a bit hypocritical of you, Lina? Shouldn’t you be boycotting these companies, not giving them your business–especially when you are naming and shaming them? Great question. (Keep reading for my answer.) |
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| | |  | | In early April 2022, news broke that two full decriminalization of prostitution bills (which among other things would decriminalize pimps, buyers, and brothel keeping) were about to be introduced in the Rhode Island state senate. This would be devastating as sex trafficking and many other crimes explode in locations where sex buying, pimping, and brothel keeping have been decriminalized. With less than a week before the bills would be up for debate, NCOSE's Policy team initiated a rapid response. We mobilized survivor leaders and local NGOs in the New England area to appear at the hearing. Several allies attended, and three survivors who were trafficked in Rhode Island testified. The arguments and experiences put forth were deeply compelling and rooted in the fight against sexual exploitation. Both bills were quickly rescinded and pulled from further debate. Read more about victories like these, which you have helped make possible, in NCOSE's 2022 Gratitude Report. |
| | |  | | Through the tsunami of the internet, media and pornography, children’s dance has morphed into a harmful hypersexualized spectacle of adult choreography, costumes and music. The effects are damaging and lifelong. Hypersexualized children’s dance can transition into trauma and continued sexual exploitation as an adult. The stakes are high for children in dance. Will their experience be healthy or harmful? DA:NCE Awareness has two powerful initiatives shining a bright, hopeful light on healthy children’s dance. The first is the $5,000 She Loves to Move Call for Choreography. Free to enter, it celebrates age-appropriate, healthy children’s dance all around the world! Download this beautiful song, choreograph a dance, and upload it before June 30, 2023. And if you experienced harmful dance as a child, your voice needs to be captured in the Share Your DA:NCE Story project. These stories change hearts. And ultimately, they protect more children in dance. Share your voice and open the eyes of our predatory culture so that no more children have to experience dance sexploitation. |
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