The Girls Education and Mentoring Service (GEMS) deserves some major props for the work they do day in and day out. GEMS is "the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking," according to their website. It was founded in 1999 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. So amazing.
GEMS helps girls (ages 12-21) get out of the sex industry, heal from exploitation, and find their own voices and define their own dreams. It takes tireless mentoring and mothering, often resulting in girls who were former prostitutes becoming counselors for the next generation.
Check out this trailer of their new film on prostitution (trigger warning):
I'll be reviewing it later this month or next, so look out for that. And if you don't know what nonprofit to support this holiday, GEMS is a really meaningful option!
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Courtney, thanks so much for recognizing the work of GEMS on Thank You Thursday-- we're grateful! As a fan of feministing for years, I'm thrilled and as an employee of GEMS, I'd love feministers to see the movie.
To see the film-- it's on Showtime on Demand through Jan 8th. We are encouraging folks to organize house parties to watch the film! If you don't have Showtime, you can order the movie on our website and sign up for updates for future screenings. (shameless GEMS promotion, I know)
Just a note on language-- while girls are often charged with an act of prostitution (even though the age of consent is 17 in New York), we don't think of the girls as "former prostitutes." The girls are commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked, victims to the adult men who buy and sell them every night. In fact, one of the goals for the public awareness campaign "Girls Are Not For Sale" is to change the conversation on this issue from "child or teen prostitute" to commercially sexually exploited/domestically trafficked child.
I encourage everyone who can to watch the film, visit our website, join GEMS' cause and group page on facebook, and get involved. We have a blog on our site where everyone can send in their reactions to the movie: http://www.gems-girls.org/gemsnews.html
Happy Thursday to everyone!
I'm so excited to see you posted this! I saw this documentary at the True/False Film Festival earlier this year and it was an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Thanks for posting this. I will be on the lookout for the movie.
I can't believe that these girls can be charged with prostitution despite being considered legally unable to consent to sex. Clearly the whole situation is tragic, but what a terribly gaping flaw in the legal system. Hopefully this documentary will bring some attention to this issue and start getting this girls help instead of criminalizing them.
I will be on the lookout for the movie. free online games