Save Our City from Sex Trafficking
I had so many questions about sex trafficking..I’ve gone to many events to learn about the issue but left feeling ill equipped and unqualified. This was the event that presented shocking truth with action steps to bring change.
What are the barriers that hold you back from taking a step to become more educated?
I thought I wouldn’t be able to relate. I’ve never been abused, neglected, or sold on the internet. But in the words of Selah Freedom last night, “If you like getting your nails done, shopping, or romcom’s you can relate to these women. They’re just looking for healthy friendships.”
The need is great. Every year, 15,000 to 24,000 people in Chicagoland become victims of human trafficking and 35-40 perfect are underage. Most are trafficked for the purpose of sex or pornography. The average entry age for this form of slavery is 12-14, according to Chicago Tribune's article a few months ago.
After the event last week I scoured Illinois' resources and their human trafficking prevention site for information offered to the public. Staggeringly, their site doesn't even mention the internet as the current backdoor to human trafficking. The film presented by Break Free and Park Hyatt Chicago flung this door wide open as they exposed Backpage for featuring “personal escort services” and structuring the profile process to hide their true intent: trafficking children.
"I Am Jane Doe" didn't pull punches with the reality of the situation. The ending left you reeling and searching for an action step to eradicate the slavery that is still living - in our country and worldwide. What once was a space for us to socialize with friends has now made us even more accessible to traffickers who are able to remain anonymous. These predators often sit behind fictional identities on their computers, forming cyber relationships with young teenagers and steadily gaining their trust. If you're still skeptical this is indeed a threat to our community, look up Yvonne Ambrose's story. Now she works with law makers to keep the devastating loss she endures. Yvonne's met many legislators as she advocates for the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) which would put an end to the inappropriate advertising of children online. But many corporations fight this because the legislation was originally designed to protect websites from taking responsibility for users posting their separate opinions. The internet was never meant to become a place to sell children or women for sex, against their will.
"The only way to make a change is to make your voice known."
There is so much more to share, but most importantly, I want to invite you to get involved and eradicate this with me. I wrote this to bring some truth and provide the next step: A workshop in Chicago about sex, lies, and media (the methods of sexual predators and how they're using media to connect to kids.) It will be on February 25th from 12-1:30 at 418 W. Wabash Ave. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for updates. I hope to see you there!
CHEERS from C H I C A G O,
ashley brianna
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