Props to the New York Times for covering the deaths of four prostitutes in Atlantic City by finding out a little bit about each of the women, rather than just rattling off some statistics on sex work or relegating the story to a one-paragraph blurb in the police beat section.
I appreciate the editors' decision to show their pictures, tell (at least a minor part of) their life stories, and acknowledge that these were real women who were murdered. Especially because one of many reasons sex workers are such easy targets for violence is that they're often seen as nameless and faceless. As a man who was convicted of killing several prostitutes told a judge, "They were easy to pick up, without being noticed... I knew they would not be reported missing right away, and might never be reported missing." Indeed, only two of the four women found dead in Atlantic City had been reported missing.
Seems like a good time to plug HIPS (Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that provides education and support to sex workers.
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These murders were as gender-based as the school murders a couple months ago.
Women and girls are being killed. Powerful people feel entitled to tell us what we can and cannot do regarding our most basic bodily rights. HOW FAR BACK IS IT GOING TO FUCKING GO!!!!!!
I feel very sick and scared right now.
I'm SO glad you mentioned HIPS, what a great organization. I encourage everyone who reads this post to check out their website!! As long as our country won't step up and protect these women (and men), organizations like HIPS are their only line of defense and aid.
they are not only seen as nameless and faceless, but perhaps most disturbingly they are seen as deserving of any ill-treatment or abuse.