Personally, speaking as a cis feminist who can't speak for trans women or indeed sex workers, I think it's gonna take an awful lot more than a great big cheer for trans women to even begin trusting cis feminists at all, let alone at these events. RTN have failed big time for trans women and sex workers too and cis feminists and radical feminists have shunned them in the past, I think personally they need to prove themselves before we're all standing shoulder to shoulder. Hell, I'm cis, white and not a sex worker - I've got a lot of privilege, and even I don't trust these events.

The following comment is by BurlesqueHoney -

Eeek, just realised only the first part of my ramblings got posted lol.
Anyhow, I agree with Laura that sadly the great majority of debates on
prostitution focus on the ‘plight’ of street workers and worst-case
scenarios completely ignoring the vast majority of ladies that work
self-employed and run a thriving business. Further legislation
appears to be entirely unnecessary as if properly enforced; existing
laws already deal with crimes such as sex trafficking or sexual
slavery. However, any rational discussion on trafficking sadly tends
to give way to hysteria, totally ignoring the fact there is a brisk
sex tourism where ladies tend to come to the UK and other Western
countries entirely voluntarily for the sole purpose to work in the sex
trade. Some have a legal status to work and reside in the UK others
don’t. These sex migrant workers tend to choose high volume work as a
response to low wages and lack of jobs in their home countries.
However, their presence appears to greatly skewer and distort studies.
I strongly disagree that these ladies are victims and being exploited
unless you want to take into context the economical situation of far
lower per capita income in their own countries.

Generally, I can ignore the preposterous drivel of Ms Bindel and her
ilk, however, I resent if she styles herself as some feminist icon and
presumes she is actually equipped to comment on our profession. Yes
it is a profession and undoubtedly among the oldest. Its social
status might have fluctuated enormously over history but some of us
are proud of the fact that in the past compared to the general
position of women, some harlots held positions of enormous influence
and enjoyed a lot more independence. As a mature woman in my forties
educated to post graduate level and speaking 4 languages, I insist on
being afforded some courtesy and respect, especially from so-called
feminists. I am well equipped to make decisions about what career to
pursue. Being voluptuous to boot it is the ultimate empowerment to
flout society’s stereotypes of successful prostitutes since I make a
decent living while contributing to the economy. I can freely set my
hours and methods of working and enjoy the ultimate luxury of a lot of
free time to pursue creative interests. So do not paint me as a
victim!

Cos this is more fun you fool! ;)

Another comment like that and I'll block your IP. People are free to criticise and disagree as much as they want, but I'd sooner an intelligent debate. This comment is very immature.

Why don't YOU write about the debate as well? I'll link it or you can even post it on this blog. I can't see how you and Douglas arguing in this thread is adding anything to ANY debate. In fact, it's a bit of a distraction.

I appreciate that you don't like Douglas, but can comments please stay focused on Laura's post?

I have to say I'm not happy with these tactics and I've seen them before - in December and January I spent a lot of time reading and researching Jacqui Smith's proposals and radical feminsts ignored the whole lot and twisted every discussion around to the IUSW. I'm not having that on this blog.

I keep on thinking they can't get any worse. I keep on leaving comments on people's blogs saying "They can't get any worse" and, yep, they keep getting worse. FFS.

Sweet. We'd be an awesome married couple.

I get your point, I'm just thinking how typical of them it is to advocate a law lumping in women with animals. They've done it many times with children, so this really is a new low for them.

I know. Call her on it though and she'll call it silencing. She's a real piece of work.