Vancouver's Sex Trade, 2010

By Peter Tupper
Published: August 12, 2008 in TheTyee.ca

Flip through the back pages of the Westender, the Georgia Straight or Xtra West, and you will see several solid pages of ads that offer a wide variety of sexual services in Vancouver: everything from "lingerie haircut" to sadomasochistic domination to "personal shaving services for men" from "Mr. Baldnutz."

As Vancouver readies itself for the eyes of the world for the 2010 Olympics, the city tries to recover from the stigma of association with the Pickton murders and the Downtown Eastside. Both tragedies are connected to prostitution, but while some groups want to decriminalize sex work to make it safer, others are vehemently opposed to changing the laws, saying it would increase the exploitation of vulnerable women and children.

Incorporated in February of this year, the West Coast Co-operative of Sex Industry Professionals is a project to organize sex workers both locally and nationally. Apart from plans to run a co-op brothel, the group also plans to provide a variety of other services to sex workers, such as helping them find alternate employment in exiting the sex trade and serving as an industry association, with occupational health and safety training and minimum labour standards. Read more...

Other articles covering this topic:
Vancouver sex trade group wins co-op status (Reuters UK)