NotoriousRJG

Learning & talking about reproductive justice and other feminist issues #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

It's also inspiring to hear the women & girls who came forward, the women who investigated this case and defended the survivors, and the excellent reporters on this podcast - highly recommend it! #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

I've been listening to the NPR podcast "Believed", which covers the story of Larry Nassar, the man convicted for sexual abuse after abusing hundreds of girls as a former US Olympic gymnastics doctor #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Exactly as you would expect, it's horrifying, depressing, & infuriating - from hearing about Nassar's actions, to how he got away with it for so many years, to how many people at first refused to believe the survivors of his abuse #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

This creates a distorted perspective of many issues like abortion, and helps feed controversies even when the issues are no longer particularly controversial #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Stettner's chapter "The Unfinished Revolution" provides an interesting conclusion to this class, providing insight into where we are with reproductive justice in Canada and where we should be headed #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Another interesting point Stettner made was the way the media treats abortion - I find this is the same with many issues, where regardless of the popular opinion or actual fact, both sides of an issue are given equal attention & screentime #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Conversations around human trafficking tend to emphasize the issue of sex trafficking - while this is a problem, human trafficking is actually more common in other forms, which often get ignored due of the exaggeration of sex-related human trafficking #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

#Rterms It was really interesting watching the interview with Kitty and listening to her experiences & thoughts - some of the points that stood out to me:

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

She mentioned how different sex work is in the UK vs the US, especially how much of a positive difference it makes in the UK to actually be able to go to the police and expect & receive their protection #RTerms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

The way government and policymakers discuss sex work is evident that factors like religion and personal moral opinions still holds too much weight in decision-making in Canada #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

The portrayal of legal brothels in this documentary was also interesting - shows how much legalized sex work offers more safety, comfort, empowerment, and less stigmatization for sex workers #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

"viewing sex workers as victims perpetuates victimization" - an important quote in this documentary that shows how important it is to actually include sex workers in the conversation #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Even sex workers who do follow the stereotype of being "forced" into sex work because they need money or can't find other work - why should we deny women the choice to enter whatever occupation they want in order to gain economic stability? #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

Increasing community awareness, providing sensitivity training for healthcare providers, development of women or sex worker based health clinics, and further decriminalization of sex work have been shown to help destigmatize sex work and improve healthcare access #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

The study by Lazarus et al. shows just how many ways the stigmatization and criminalization of sex work often hurts sex workers more than it helps them #Rterms

[NotoriousRJG @RjgNotorious]

The stigma, criminalization, and access to services like healthcare create a self-fulfilling cycle where the issues associated with each fuel each other and hold the high risks of sex work in place rather than diminishing them #Rterms