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Canada's highest court recently heard arguments in a case challenging the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). This law makes it illegal to buy sex or profit from someone else's sex work.

Sex worker rights groups like SWAN argue PCEPA hurts their safety. They say it pushes sex work underground, making it harder for workers to screen clients or work together for safety. Sex workers also argue the law unfairly targets them while ignoring the pimps and buyers who exploit them.

Opponents of sex work, like CLES, believe PCEPA protects women by targeting those who exploit them. They argue the law has shifted power away from pimps and buyers towards sex workers.

The debate hinges on whether sex work is inherently exploitative. Sex worker rights groups say it's not, and criminalizing it increases violence. They want sex work treated like other jobs, with labor rights and protections. Some unions even support this view.

Research suggests exploitation comes from the power dynamics between workers and those who control them, not sex work itself. Sex worker rights groups argue they should be included in discussions about sex work laws, not excluded.

Introduction:

In Canada, the principles of human rights and healthcare stand as pillars of societal values. These principles must extend to all legal occupations, ensuring the protection of individuals' health and well-being. However, the current legal framework surrounding sex work fails to uphold these fundamental rights, perpetuating discrimination and endangering the lives of sex workers.

The Legal Landscape:

Enacted in 2014 under the former Harper government, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA) reflects an ideological bias viewing sex work as inherently exploitative. While ostensibly exempting sex workers from prosecution for providing their own services, the act criminalizes nearly all associated activities, effectively placing sex workers in precarious legal positions.

Challenges and Consequences:

This punitive approach imposes unjustifiable risks and harms on sex workers, inhibiting their ability to work safely and access essential services. The criminalization of purchasing and communicating about sexual services restricts their capacity to screen clients and negotiate terms, thereby increasing vulnerability to violence. Moreover, the stigmatization perpetuated by law enforcement and service providers exacerbates mental and emotional health challenges among sex workers, particularly those from marginalized communities.

A Model for Reform:

New Zealand: Contrastingly, the New Zealand model, implemented in 2003, provides a comprehensive framework that prioritizes the rights and well-being of sex workers. Through decriminalization and supportive policies, New Zealand has demonstrated significant improvements in sex workers' safety and health outcomes, serving as a compelling model for reform in Canada.

Calls for Action: Despite mounting evidence and parliamentary critique, the Canadian government has been reluctant to address the harmful impacts of PCEPA. Immediate action is imperative, with a focus on reforming policies and practices to better support sex workers' health and rights. This includes comprehensive training for professionals in trauma-informed care and the meaningful inclusion of sex workers in program planning and service delivery.

Protecting Minority Rights:

The struggle for sex workers' rights intersects with broader efforts to safeguard minority rights amidst growing intolerance. By championing the rights of sex workers, Canada reaffirms its commitment to upholding the principles of equality and dignity for all its citizens.

Conclusion:

As Canada stands at a pivotal moment, the urgency to reform its approach to sex work cannot be overstated. By prioritizing the health, safety, and rights of sex workers, Canada demonstrates its unwavering commitment to human rights and social justice, setting a precedent for equitable treatment and dignity for all individuals, regardless of their occupation.

Advocates championing the rights of sex workers in Richmond are strongly opposing the move to shut down massage parlors, emphasizing the urgent need to create safer working environments rather than implementing punitive measures.

SWAN Vancouver, an organization advocating for immigrant and migrant sex workers, vehemently opposed the recent motion proposed by Richmond city Coun. Kash Heed to employ city bylaws for the closure of massage parlors. Angela Wu, SWAN Vancouver's executive director, criticized the motion, stating, "This committee is considering imposing dangerous policies on systemically marginalized people under the guise of protection."

Wu continued, highlighting the misrepresentation of sex work and trafficking: "When you conflate sex work with trafficking, you disregard someone’s choice to earn a living by working at a massage parlour, and inaccurately paint them as victims to fulfill your moral agenda."

In 2018, Coun. Alexa Loo had previously requested city staff to review the bylaws governing "body-rub establishments" in Richmond. However, this matter was not addressed in open meetings, and no changes to the bylaws were brought before the city council.

Efforts to gain information regarding this referral through a freedom-of-information request were met with refusal by the city, citing reasons such as falling under policy and legal advice, and being potentially harmful to law enforcement and intergovernmental relations or negotiations.

Heed, upon introducing the motion, asserted concerns about human trafficking allegedly facilitated by these businesses. He claimed there was a significant market and demand for sex-trade worker services in Richmond, citing online advertisements of licensed massage parlors featuring scantily clad women as evidence.

Contrary to Heed's claims, Sylvia Machat, a researcher specializing in the occupational health and safety of sex workers, refuted the perception of indoor sex work venues as hubs for exploitation or human trafficking. Machat emphasized that harms experienced in these workplaces were connected to Canada's criminalization of sex work, which limits occupational health and safety measures.

Machat advocated for a different approach, suggesting that the City of Richmond engage directly with sex workers to provide access to occupational health services, avenues to report employment standards violations, and involvement in the criminal justice system.

Mark Corrado, the city's director of bylaws and licensing, highlighted Richmond's stringent regulations concerning body-rub licenses. These regulations encompass various aspects such as clothing, age, locks, insurance bonds, lighting, and criminal record checks.

Kit Rothschild from Pace Society, a sex worker advocacy agency, stressed that legislation aimed at eradicating sex work had historically failed. Rothschild warned that attempting to eliminate body rub parlors would only drive this work further underground, jeopardizing the safety of those striving to earn a livelihood.

Rothschild underscored the need to acknowledge sex workers as integral members of the community, asserting, "Sex work isn’t a moral or ethical issue to be debated or outlawed, it’s a labour issue and should be treated as such."

A recent study looked at information from more than 900 young people in Canada. The researchers found a strong connection between engaging in sex work and a condition called muscle dysmorphia.

Sex work, which includes various activities, is often looked down upon in Canada, and people who do sex work face negative stereotypes. About 4% of Canadian young people are estimated to be involved in selling sex. Previous research has shown that those in sex work are more likely to have problems with drugs, mental health, and physical injuries. However, until now, no research has specifically explored the link between sex work and muscle dysmorphia.

The researchers suggest that people in sex work might be trying to achieve a more muscular and attractive body to fit in with societal ideals. They also point out that the way sex work is done is changing, with more use of digital and online platforms.

In conclusion, the study's findings are new and show a connection between a history of sex work and signs of muscle dysmorphia. The researchers believe more studies are necessary, especially considering the changing ways sex work is happening online.

The researchers suggest that doctors and community health workers should pay attention to these findings and consider checking for both sex work and signs of muscle dysmorphia in young people.

As a feminist, I had always rejected porn and other forms of popular culture that suggested that my value depended on how much I appealed to men. This was my stance until I reached my 40s, when I embarked on a research project on the sex industry. That was when my previous assumptions about resisting objectification were challenged and transformed.

One might assume that the sex industry is the epitome of objectification for women. And while that may hold true in many aspects - and was indeed my initial expectation - it was not what I and my co-author, Trish Ruebottom, discovered.

Our study involved interviewing women and transgender entrepreneurs who were working in various sectors within the industry, and resulted in 86 interviews over a span of seven years. The work led to multiple journal publications that are the indicators of academic success. However, the reality I learned about objectification (which I did not get to discuss in those articles) was that resisting it is not simply a matter of rejecting its manifestations and sensationalism in the media, pop culture and sex.

While I opposed the idea of the cultural objectification of women, I realized that my very conventional life as a university professor, with two children, a husband, and a dog was rife with it.

Philosopher Martha Nussbaum identifies several different forms of objectification that can be grouped into three categories: being used for the purposes of others, being denied one’s own subjectivity, and being treated and perceived as passive and agreeable. When our research prompted me to examine my own life closely, it became evident that I was an object and, even in the times that I was not necessarily being objectified, I still was not a subject.

On October 3, 2022, the Ontario Superior Court dismissed a constitutional challenge launched by the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform (CASWLR) against Canada's criminal laws on sex work.

Justice Robert Goldstein ruled that the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), brought in by the former Conservative government, is constitutional and balances prohibition of "the most exploitative aspects of the sex trade" while protecting sex workers from legal prosecution.

CASWLR argued that the laws foster stigma, invite targeted violence, and prevent sex workers from obtaining meaningful consent before engaging with clients, violating the industry workers' Charter rights.

In his decision, Goldstein found that the laws are constitutional and do not prevent sex workers from taking safety measures, engaging the services of non-exploitative third parties, or seeking police assistance without fear of being charged for selling or advertising sexual services.

CASWLR's national coordinator Jenn Clamen called the ruling "extremely dismissive of sex workers' realities and the concerns that were raised." She also noted that the ruling is "dismissive of the evidence where sex workers, particularly migrant sex workers and Black sex workers, submitted evidence to demonstrate how sex workers are being arrested under third-party laws."

Monica Forrester, an outreach coordinator at Maggie's Sex Work Action Project and a plaintiff in the case, said the ruling is "very disappointing" but she's not surprised by it. She noted that the applicants knew going into the challenge that there would be obstacles, but were also hoping that the court would look at some of the revisions in the laws currently that are affecting sex workers and the work that they do.

Forrester said, "This is not over. We're going to continue to fight for the decriminalization of sex work and to look at a push on why these laws make it unsafe for sex workers."

The CASWLR plans to appeal the ruling.

In a strategic move that echoes the evolving landscape of the adult entertainment industry, Alexzandra Kekesi, previously the Director of Marketing at Pornhub, has ascended to the position of Head of Community and Brand at the renowned adult content platform. This significant promotion marks a substantial shift in the company's direction and objectives.

Kekesi's expanded role will encompass not only overseeing the platform's creative endeavors and brand positioning, but also a pivotal commitment to combating discrimination against sex work. The announcement, delivered by the company on a Wednesday, shed light on the scope of Kekesi's responsibilities in propelling the company's vision forward.

At the forefront of this shift is Kekesi's staunch stance on sex positivity. As Asa Akira, a prominent performer within the platform, emphasized, Kekesi champions sex work with unwavering vigor. Akira expressed that Kekesi ardently advocates for all members of the community, particularly those who confront additional marginalization. Through her dedication, Kekesi ensures that their voices resonate not just audibly, but emphatically celebrated.

In June, the digital domain statistics revealed Pornhub's robust prominence, solidifying its position as the fourth most-frequented website in the United States. The platform garnered an astonishing 1.86 billion visits, according to data sourced from software firm SemRush. In this virtual hierarchy, only the titans Google, YouTube, and Facebook loomed larger.

However, the platform has not been exempt from controversy. A wave of backlash engulfed Pornhub, resulting in its prohibition in Utah, Virginia, and Mississippi. Adding to the narrative of turbulence, the platform's Instagram account faced permanent closure due to alleged violations of Meta's regulations, as reported by various press outlets.

Behind the scenes, a significant ownership transition has transpired. MindGeek, the company at the helm of Pornhub, hailing from the bustling city of Montreal, underwent a transformational acquisition. Ethical Capital Partners, a Canadian private equity entity, finalized the acquisition in March. This maneuver has indubitably introduced new dynamics to the platform's strategic trajectory.

In the ever-evolving adult entertainment landscape, Kekesi's ascension to spearhead community and branding initiatives marks a poignant chapter in Pornhub's evolution. The platform's enduring resonance in the digital realm is mirrored by its commitment to equitable representation, pushing against societal bias, and embracing the essence of sex positivity. As the industry undergoes transformation, all eyes remain riveted on the brand's trajectory under Kekesi's insightful stewardship.

Prostitution, often referred to as the “world’s oldest profession,” is a persistent phenomenon that has existed in various forms across different cultures, societies, and locations throughout history. However, the moral and legal status of prostitution varies widely among countries, and so does its prevalence. A relevant question that emerges is: which country has the highest rate of prostitution?

To address this question, one must take into account the multiple factors that influence the occurrence of prostitution. These may include socioeconomic conditions, legal frameworks, and cultural norms. Moreover, obtaining reliable data on this sensitive topic is challenging, as it often depends on estimates and research on the illicit trade. Nevertheless, based on the available information, it is possible to identify some countries with notably high rates of prostitution.

It should be noted that some countries are renowned for having large sex industries due to tourism, local demand, or economic necessity. Countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of Germany (where prostitution is legal and regulated) are frequently cited in debates about the sex industry. However, having a prominent sex industry does not necessarily imply that these countries have the “most” prostitution; it simply means that it is more visible and regulated.

Prostitution is a widespread phenomenon, with varying rates across different countries. This section provides an overview of the countries where prostitution is most common.

Germany has legalized prostitution, resulting in an increase in the number of sex workers and brothels. Thailand has a large sex tourism industry, attracting visitors from around the world. Brazil also has a high rate of sex tourism, especially during the Carnival season. China has technically outlawed prostitution, but it is still prevalent, particularly in urban areas.

Colombia has a sizable prostitution market, driven mainly by drug-related violence and poverty. India and the Philippines also face high rates of prostitution due to poverty and a lack of employment opportunities for women. Spain continues to struggle with the issue of prostitution, as it is neither fully legal nor criminalized.

Australia, Finland, Bolivia, and the Netherlands have some regulation of sex work, leading to a degree of tolerance toward the industry. France and Denmark have illegalized prostitution, but it still occurs in these countries, partly due to their appeal to tourists.

Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Canada, and Nevada (where it is legal) have considerable levels of prostitution, with authorities attempting to regulate or combat the industry. Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand have significant issues with prostitution despite efforts to curb the trade.

Some European countries, such as Lithuania, Austria, Latvia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, and Slovenia have varying degrees of regulation or penalties for prostitution. Finally, even in countries like Zimbabwe, where prostitution is illegal, it persists as an underground business.

The factors that contribute to high rates of prostitution in these countries include poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, and global demand for sex services. These factors should be taken into account when discussing prostitution in a specific country.

A parliamentary committee heard from sex work advocates about how decriminalization is the best way to prevent violence against women, girls and gender-diverse people.

The Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform and six individual applicants are challenging Canada’s sex work-specific criminal offences and are seeking to strike them down on the basis that they violate sex workers’ constitutional rights.  Se workers argue that the  Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA) harmed them, causing harassment, police profiling, surveillance and arrest. The act  criminalizes most aspects of sex work—including communicating to obtain sexual services, placing advertisements, renting work space to sex workers, working for sex workers, and managing or hiring sex workers. While these provisions are in place, sex workers will continue to be criminalized for their work. Back to 2007 Terri-Jean Bedford, Valerie Scott and Amy Lebovitch took the Canadian government to court to challenge three sex-work related criminal offenses. The courrt ordered the govenment to strike down the laws. The Conservative government did this, but introduced a new set of laws which introduced the Nordic Model. In reality sex workers are still criminalized, Even providing sex workers with vital assistance like taking down licence plate numbers and client descriptions to make sure that the client is not a known abuser is an offence. Since this law has been inplace, research has revealed that sex workers now face higher levels of violence, reduced access to sexual health services. They are unable to negotiate sexual services and screen out bad clients. The fight against PCEPA is a vital next step in defending the lives and dignity of sex workers. But it will take more than the courts to transform sex workers lives. It will take solidarity from a society that recognizes every sex worker’s life is worth fighting for.    

A coalition of sex workers and advocacy groups began presenting arguments on Monday in a landmark Superior Court hearing that they hope will lead to the full decriminalization of sex work in Canada

The coalition argues that many sex workers are:

• Forced into isolation.
• Exposed to the risk of eviction and unable to access safe indoor workplaces.
• Prevented from meaningfully communicating with clients to access information related to their health, safety, and ability to refuse or consent to sex.

When a law “does serious harm” to Canadians “by making (their) work more dangerous,” you’d think politicians would be all over each other to repeal it. Unless, of course, that law concerns sex work.

A recent report by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in Canada has found that the criminal law is causing serious harms to the people it aims to protect., yet the committee could not bring itself to recommend a repeal of the law.

This is one of a long list of committees that have investigated the laws on prostitution in Canada during the past century and come to the conclusion it is not quite time to decriminalize the occupation.

If lawmakers really want to protect sex workers, they should ask them what they need to ensure their safety, rather than assume they know what’s best for them

That rallying call rang through Barton Street East on Friday night as dozens of community members marched in a showing of support for a sex worker who was sexually assaulted and beaten last month.

“The law in Canada exacerbates and reproduces harms,” said Vermilion. “So long as the act of engaging in sex for money is illegal, sex workers will not see police as allies in moments when we need them.”

Vermilion also called on community members to advocate for the rights of sex workers in the city, especially those who are street-based.

The victim’s mother said the attack left her daughter with a broken jaw, a broken nose, three brain bleeds and many stitches. She’s also still having difficulty speaking and cannot use her arms, noted the mother, who will not be named by The Spectator due to the nature of the incident.

Twenty Nine year old Oakville man charged after allegedly trafficking three women into sex work. The police allege the man controlled the lives of the victims and profited financially.

A Nova Scotia escort is going after a client in the small claims court.

In Canada sex workers are allowed to sell sex, but they are not allowed to advertise, and clients are committing a criminal offence in the purchase.

It is hoped this case will shift the conversation about sex work in Canada. The sex worker in the case hopes that:  Where it is in the sex worker's best interest to get paid for their work, it might be that we could argue that this kind of an illegal contract is still one that should be enforced, and that is what we will be arguing.

Instead of fully decriminalizing sex work as the decision implied, Parliament instead fully criminalized sex work for the first time in Canadian history in 2014 under the ideological—and absurd—notion that sex workers are inherently exploited and that sex work can be eradicated through criminalization. On June 22, the House Justice and Human Rights Committee tabled its report following hearings on laws criminalizing sex work. The current Criminal Code provisions, known as the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), were adopted in 2014 after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down previous laws in the landmark Bedford decision. However, instead of fully decriminalizing sex work as the decision implied, Parliament instead fully criminalized sex work for the first time in Canadian history under the ideological—and absurd—notion that sex workers are inherently exploited and that sex work can be eradicated through criminalization.

The spa was one of Toronto’s 25 licensed “body rub parlours,” the city’s parlance for spas that offer non-therapeutic and erotic massages. In Toronto, body rub parlours are confined to rigid zoning restrictions—they need to be at least 100 metres from residential zones and 500 metres from schools or places of worship—so many end up in semi-industrial areas like this stretch of Dufferin, just south of Wilson Avenue.

Ashley Noell Arzaga started working at Crown Spa in February 2020 to support her five-year-old daughter.

On February 24, 2020, Arzaga was working the day shift at Crown Spa when a 17-year-old boy walked in just after noon. Armed with a machete, the 17-year-old allegedly stabbed Arzaga near the front desk, according to a former co-worker who was also injured in the rampage. When police arrived around 30 minutes later, Arzaga was pronounced dead and the alleged attacker was arrested.

Strippers at Maggie's in Toronto have succesfully unionised. Many of the strippers experienced pay docking, and working long stretches without breaks. While the union only represents Maggie's staff, it is hoped the trend will spread nationally.

As discussed in the first article in this series, Bill C-36 reverses the constitutional progress of Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford [2013] 3 S.C.R. by complicating the procedure of prostitution and endangering the lives of sex workers. In light of these limitations, the Parliament must amend this legislation using the decriminalization model of prostitution policy.

All laws restraining sex work will be removed and prostitution will be governed through specific regulations instead of the Criminal Code after decriminalization. The practices within the sex industry will be regulated by territorial authorities in local communities and brothels will be inspected to ensure that government standards are met with the aim to create safer working conditions for prostitutes.
 

WINNIPEG -- The City of Winnipeg wants to drop fees for people in the sex industry in the hopes more will get licensed, but at least one councillor says the plan won't work.

A report from city hall claims a new bylaw should lower the fee for escorts and body rub practitioners from $371 to $25 in an effort to knock down barriers to licensing.

According to the report, only 52 practitioner and escort licenses are issued right now.

The proposed bylaw would also eliminate criminal record checks for escorts and practitioners to encourage licensing, mandate CCTV camera systems in parlour reception areas and require panic buttons in rooms used by practitioners.

The report also recommends a review of zoning rules that prohibit body rub parlours and escort agencies from operating outside Downtown.

An Ontario Superior Court judge has declared unconstitutional legal provisions that ban sex workers from being able to work safely, including by being able to advertise on third-party platforms, hire security, work together and communicate with clients.

Superior Court Justice Phillip Sutherland ruled Wednesday that a set of criminal offences introduced by the federal Conservatives in 2014, related to advertising, procurement and material benefit from sex work, are immediately of no force and effect.

 

This is a partial victory, it does not address the purchase of sexual services

Framing the porn industry as one solely of exploitation is damaging to sex workers, witnesses told the House of Commons ethics committee.

On Monday, three witnesses were before the committee, which is studying the protection of privacy on porn sites. Its study was prompted following a December exposé from the New York Times, which detailed the proliferation of non-consensual pornographic videos on Pornhub and their effects on survivors of sexual assault.

Jennifer Clamen, the national coordinator of the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, told the committee that MPs and previous witnesses have conflated discussions when they’ve mix stories about people who have been exploited on porn sites with those who’ve chosen to work in the sex industry. The committee, she said, must consult meaningfully with sex workers, rather than frame the conversation around exploitation.

A London, Ont., woman who successfully challenged portions of Canada’s Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (Bill C-36) in provincial court is among the applicants to a constitutional challenge that aims to strike down several provisions within the legislation.

As an opposition MP, Justin Trudeau in 2014 voted against a new law on prostitution in Canada.

But when he became prime minister in 2015, the federal Liberal leader didn’t do anything about the legislation.

This even as sex workers say that the law passed by the Conservative government of Stephen Harper doesn’t make them any safer.

The electronic petition calls on the government to repeal Bill C-36 to “ensure all Canadians, regardless of their chosen profession, are not denied their constitutional right to security of person”.

The petition was started on January 29, 2021 by Rysa Kronebusch, a vice president with the MoveUP labour union.

As of Wednesday (February 17), the petition has gathered 5,100 signatures, assuring that it will be certified by the House of Commons’ Clerk of Petitions.

If men need to improve their intimate life, it’s clear feedback reflecting something they’ve been doing to this moment. The quality of a man’s intimate life won’t improve unless he acts to improve it. Placing the responsibility of improving it on others won’t get any man anywhere either. So no excuse – one has to work to reap rewards. Here’re 19 ways to do so. Your doctor won’t tell you them and they don’t cost anything. So try them – you’ll lose nothing and gain plenty!

1. If you are feeling miserably or depressed, 

check your eye line. Where are you looking? If you’re looking down which is where your feelings are, hold your head level and raise your eyes to the sky. Things will be looking up, so you will lose many negative emotions, and may even start to laugh! Hence it’s the cheapest and healthiest form of antidepressants and certainly worth a try. 

2. If you are annoyed, upset, triggered by a bad experience,

think ‘what can I learn from it’? It will certainly be something positive. And if you really learn it, you may not have to experience the same or similar bad event again. Instead you will restart the learning.

3. If you have a thousand things going through the head

at once, imagine the soles of your feet growing roots like a tree. Let all that stuff drain off into the earth. With a little practice you will feel relief in your head. 

4. If you believe that you can do something

or likewise if you believe that you can’t, you will be right either way. What you believe you will achieve! So choose carefully. 

5. Do you often get headaches? 

Sit quietly and ask the headache what it is trying to tell you. The message is often very simple: water, fresh air, less panic. Hence think how you can help yourself and notice what happens to the headache. Regular head massage will help you prevent more headaches.

6. Grounding – another way for men to improve intimate life

Backache in the base of the spine and buttocks is a particularly common place to feel pain when you are not grounded. Sit upright in a chair and imagine the pain descending through the chair into the ground and down into the the earth. If you can let go of it like this, it isn’t anything more serious. And regular massage is also magical in the long term!

7. Use your imagination 

for all the great things you will do this week, month, season, year. Get clear pictures, sounds, and feelings together to really focus you on success. Men do this exceptionally well in the context of sex. 

8. Work and socialise with people

who inspire you, whom you have fun with and respect for. Because life is too short not to do so.

9. Men with open minds improve intimate life by far

Minds are like parachutes – they only function when they are open. And the fear of something is far worse than the thing itself.

10. How loud is your inner critic?

You can spend so long beating yourself up after making a mistake and feeling terribly about it that you don’t have the energy to step back, learn from it, and move on. However bad the situation, there is always learning which you can draw from it.

11. If an event distresses you,

clear the energy from this memory. It really works. Clearing your energy for just 10 minutes a day will change your life. And if you don’t know how to clear the energy, ask me. 

12. Men who notice successes improve their intimate life

So notice successes instead of glossing over them. Start noticing what works, congratulate yourself, and see how you can do more. This will attract more success.

13. Successful Olympians

don’t think about the goal, only about the process they need to follow to get there. For some of the most successful ones the medal comes as almost a surprise. This may also have an impact on traditional goal setting! Even for men who don’t like setting goals. Those men will definitely be interested only in the process of getting to success.

14. Have you missed the sunshine for a long time

and not had the usual fill of energy? You may well be right, but everyone can make the most of whatever sunshine there is. Don’t damage your skin. Just remember that a solar panel keeps going all year, and we could think of ourselves as mobile solar panels. You can use your imagination to see a golden ball of energy drifting down onto the top of your head and feel it filling you up with lovely warmth.

15. Men who smile improve intimate life automatically

and is irresistible! The natural reaction to a smile results in movement of positive energy that replaces the negative pockets holding souls captive. Plus, men who live life with a smile improve their intimate life by half just by smiling itself. They’ll be a delight to be around.

16. When you are ill, 

check out what you are telling yourself. If you keep telling yourself how bad it is, it will stay that bad. Likewise, if you imagine what it will be like when you are healthy and grateful for the tiny improvements you notice, you will certainly get what you imagine.

17. If you can’t sleep,

get up, put your feet firmly on the floor, ground yourself, drink a glass of water, return to bed, and RELAX. Concentrate fully on relaxing every part of your body and mind. Just let it sink into the bed…

18. See what happens 

if you suspend judgement on something. It is just an event, therefore you don’t have to judge whether it is good or bad. It is just something that is happening.

19. Where do you draw energy from? 

Here are 4 environments for different energies: forest, sea, mountain, and desert. Which one energizes you? Is there also one that drains your energy? Which ones resonate with you? There are also subenergies, e.g. the river, the lake, the waterfall to the sea.

The forest is full of life. Trees are some of the greatest spiritual living energies on the planet. The forest is safe and encompassing. It is a shelter, food, and nutrition. The forest breathes as we breathe. It is a connected and also fragile place. Trees are very grounded deeply into the soil to offer great stability.

The sea is constant flow. Movement and stillness, yin and yang, turmoil and peace. The sea has an ambience. On the surface it looks like nothing is happening. Beneath the surface there is teeming life.

The mountains represent strength. They are very old. They have endured much of what has happened on this planet. The tops of mountains are places of great wind, vision, and inspiration. You can see from them for miles and people meditate on tops of mountains for long periods of time.

The desert is empty, yet full of life. The desert is space, it is clear. It certainly has life, but you have to search for it. You can survive because the resources are everywhere. The desert is clear air.

Place yourself in your favourite energy and give yourself the time to absorb everything that the energy delivers to you. Climb a mountain, walk in a forest, swim in a sea, or walk in a desert (at least in your mind). You will receive the advice or resources you need. They might even lead you to me!

All men can improve their intimate life

Some can do it alone, others with a little help of someone with more different perspectives. That’s how I add value to men’s lives. And that’s how I can add value to yours. And that’s how you will add value to your relationships. Would you like me to? Tell me how.

A new temporary Vancouver shelter offering street-based sex workers a safe, warm place to sleep 24 hours a day, seven days a week will soon be opening in the Downtown Eastside.

"There are so many women who have been using the WISH drop-in as a de facto shelter," explains Beyene. "Women would often sleep in the drop-in, but it means sleeping in armchairs, which I mean we can't really, really rest and we can't really get comfortable when your neck is contorted to sleep in those chairs.

“A shelter exclusively for sex workers has been a need for quite some time, but COVID has now deeply exacerbated the pre-existing crises of poverty, homelessness, and a poisoned drug supply. A temporary, emergency shelter like this is absolutely critical—now more than ever.”

Previously, sex workers were penalized for locking their doors, putting them at risk of robberies, assaults, and even death, they say.

Toronto bylaws prohibited body rub parlours and holistic centres from keeping their doors locked, so that inspectors could have full access. But the rules led to thefts, abuse, and even death, sex workers say. By locking doors, workers are now able to screen people entering their businesses.

Wendy, a sex worker in Ontario, was visiting three of her friends who were working out of an apartment when two police officers stormed the premises.

“They immediately asked to speak to the boss,” Wendy said of the encounter, details of which are intentionally vague to protect her identity.

After the women, all migrant sex workers said they didn’t have a boss, an additional five or six officers showed up—some from the Canadian Border Services Agency. The women were questioned at length before the two undocumented ones were handcuffed and led away, placed in immigration detention, and ultimately deported, Wendy told VICE News through an interpreter. Wendy’s third friend, a migrant with a work visa, wasn’t arrested, but had her work permit confiscated and never got it back, Wendy said.

All Canadian sex workers have one thing in common, however: tax. In particular, a self-employed Canadian sex worker might need to register for a GST number and start charging GST (and any applicable provincial sales tax, like HST) on services provided or goods sold to clients.

This article discusses the GST/HST obligations of self-employed Canadian sex workers carrying on business through a sole proprietorship, partnership, or a private corporation. It ends by offering tax tips to Canadian sex workers.

Canada's sex work laws are creating undue harm and contribute to human rights violations during COVID-19, sex workers and human rights advocates say, which is why they're now pushing Ottawa to stop enforcing them.

Amnesty International Canada has joined a number of rights and sex work advocates in a lobby effort asking federal Justice Minister David Lametti for a moratorium on prostitution laws.

A Toronto man is facing several charges after police say three sex trade workers were robbed at gunpoint.

According to police, Benhur Wolday, 27, contacted a sex worker through an online ad on May 29.

He met with her on several occasions, but on their final meeting, police say he pulled a gun and robbed the 18-year-old of cash.

Sex workers saw their incomes disappear overnight when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread in Canada. Now many are in desperate situations: in need of food, rent, basic necessities. Some are now homeless and without any income.

There are provisions in the Criminal Code that make workers immune from prosecution, but not from arrest.

"That means sex work is still criminalized for everybody," she said.

For those who depend on the intimate, physical contact of sex work to make a living, COVID-19 is taking a wicked toll.

“I have abstained,” local sex worker Jelena Vermilion said Wednesday. “I’m not working right now.”

The epidemic has left many of her colleagues in a cash crunch that threatens homelessness, hunger and serious health risks.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) offers $2,000 a month for up to four months for loss of income due to COVID-19. But to qualify, a person must show an income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or 12 months before the application date.

That eliminates many in her industry, said Vermilion, who works in her residence. “Many sex workers who are homeless haven’t done their taxes. They can’t do their taxes. Many sex workers are low income to begin with.”

Sex worker rights advocate Heather Jarvis said she’s “incredibly relieved” that St. John’s city council voted unanimously Monday afternoon to lift the moratorium on adult massage parlours.

“We are continuing to advocate with the provincial government for regulations for indoor sex work across our province that are evidence-based, founded on human rights, harm-reduction, safety and ongoing meaningful engagement with sex-working communities. And we’re deeply committed to that process.

Like many people, Lydia’s livelihood is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike many people, she can’t access the same labour protections because she’s a sex worker.

Lydia (a pseudonym to protect her identity) told The Telegram that other than a couple of regular clients, she is out of work.

The Telegram asked spokespeople with Employment and Social Development Canada whether any supports recently announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can apply to sex workers, such as the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit, but did not receive a response by press deadline.

I have been working in the sex trade since November 2008. Like the sex workers featured in Selling Sex, a documentary presented by The Passionate Eye, I also find my job to be lucrative, enjoyable and empowering.

Facebook blog with media news about sex work. Canadian based

A Kitchener judge has ruled that sections of Canada's prostitution law violates the constitution in a landmark case surrounding a London couple. The constitutional challenge was the first of its kind against Canada’s new prostitution laws brought in back in 2014 under the Harper government. Legal analysts say that today’s decision will likely be appealed and could end up in the Supreme Court of Canada.

A judge is expected to decide today whether some of Canada's prostitution laws violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

The case revolves around a London, Ont., couple who ran Fantasy World Escorts. 

The agency was busted in 2015 and Tiffany Harvey and Hamad Anwar were charged with procuring, advertising and profiting from the sale of sexual services of others — all illegal under Canada's 2014 prostitution laws. 

In the article Enforcing prostitution laws could have saved Marylène Lévesque, Opinion, Feb. 11 Writers Janine Benedict, Isabel Grant and Elizabeth Sheehy are getting it wrong.

Legalizing prostitution frees up sex workers and their johns to go about the oldest profession on the planet without largely ineffectual legal harassment, and frees up law enforcement to enforce valid laws.

Legalization would also negate the need for pimps, giving sex workers control over their careers.