I understand. I’m unsure what to do. They still do important work in other areas, but I cannot support this particular policy. It’s incredibly distressing.

Everybody involved in this conversation wants people in the sex trade to be safe, but it’s a fantasy to think full decrim will provide them with that outcome.

I have said repeatedly that Nordic model is not without drawbacks, but to say it doesn’t keep women safe is to indicate an un-nuanced view of the subject. Firstly, stats about abuse in countries like New Zealand indicate abuse is ongoing even with decrim. Secondly, the Nordic model does help women by greatly shrinking…

Yes, I and literally everyone else involved in this discussion other than yourself are making that distinction. Quite right.

Are you daft?

Right. Like, “Gender inequality pushes people into the sex trade” is a pretty heavy endorsement of your opponents ideas, Gulik.

You keep saying this. It specifically does. That is the entire reason for the controversy.

Interesting. Thanks for the link. Are you able to refute any of the other claims I made in support of my position, which is that the majority of prostitution is nonconsensual? If the statistic mentioned is wrong it deserves to be discredited, but it doesn’t seem doing so actually harms my position.

I’m confused then. How may I help?

Interesting. I’d love to know the actual statistic.

If it’s untrue I’d like to see the evidence. It is a routinely offered figure. Are you able to give me a link to what you read claiming to debunk it?

The problems in Victoria are the same in NSW, and while I appreciate that there are meaningful differences between legalization and decriminalization, those differences are separate from the issue at hand, which is that a lack of penalties for pimps and johns creates the conditions for trafficking to flourish and…

In Australia the legal prostitution market has been used as a front for trafficking. Demand outstrips supply, and so women are lured in from overseas. There are four times as many illegal brothels in the state of Victoria than there are legal brothels, and those brothels that are legal are often implicated in illegal…

I am aware of these arguments, but thank you.

Christ. Decrim in Australia has not had good results. What are your sources?

I’m sorry to hear it. Serious question: Do you have resources available to you if the situation is urgent? May I ask what city you’re in?

It depends where you look. Figures which state that there are currently roughly 20 - 30 million people in slavery are commonly accepted as being accurate. Of these about 80 percent are thought to be sexually exploited, which is about half the total population of people in the sex trade. But those are just the people…

Are you desperate for the money?

You’re talking in circles, friend. I said that Amnesty’s proposal wishes to decriminalize pimps and johns, which it does. You said that was untrue, citing a statement from Amnesty about trafficking. They are not one and the same.

I wish you luck.