When I streamed the 2002-2003 Joss Whedon series Firefly about ten years ago, I understood the spaceship crew that smuggled goods to maintain their independence from an inegalitarian interplanetary government, but I was uncomfortable with the presence of a sex worker among them. Inara Serra held the title of Companion: a state-licensed, guild-trained, freelancing sex worker. She leased a private shuttle on the ship Serenity and shared in the crew’s life on the outskirts of the realm. I was grateful to have my prejudice challenged and to learn to respect the basic human dignity of a woman whose chosen career path was not one I would choose for myself.
Read MoreLast spring, Dressember’s Communications Manager, Madeline MacDonald, and I had a chance to grab a cup of coffee (and lavender tea). Before long, our conversation began to touch on some typically controversial areas and questions surrounding human trafficking. There was one question in particular that we continued to grapple with:
Can one be both pro-sex while also being anti-sex trafficking?
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