Can we shut up about the ethics and morality of prostitution for a minute, and understand what anti-prostitution laws do to sex workers? Because, sex workers have been trying to tell us for ages: the criminalization of prostitution is not only brutal towards sex workers (the women whose exploitation the laws want to combat) but ineffective at ending prostitution.  So what does the sex worker movement want?  This episode 7, the final episode of season 1, discusses how counterproductive anti-prostitution laws (that masquerade as anti-trafficking laws) are and explores, at length, the decriminalization of sex work.
Warning: Adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. 
Credits:
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art illustration: Rini Alphonsa Joseph
Music:
The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Music is from YouTube audio library and includes: Minor Waltz, No. 9 Esther’s Waltz, No. 4 Paino Journey, No. 7 Alone with thoughts - Esther Abrami; Atlantis Rage-Jimena Contreras; Sinister Cathedral-Asher Fulero; The empty moons of Jupiter-Divkid; Masquerade, Espeluzante- Luna Cantina;The Beacon- Zachariah Hickman;Papov–Logos; Allegro-Emmit Fenn; Full Moon Empty House, Water Truck- Trevor Garrod; I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves by Chris Zabriskie (is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/dtv/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/);  Drone in D by Kevin MacLeod(is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1200044
Artist: http://incompetech.com/)
Sources:
Juno Mac and Molly Smith (2018) “Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights”; Melisa Gira Grant (2014) “Playing the Whore”;Amia Srinivasan (2020). “The Right to Sex”.
DMSC (1997) "Sex Workers’ Manifesto";Gail Pheterson"At long last, listen to the women”; Jo Doezema (1999) “Loose Women or Lost Women: The Re-emergence of the Myth of White Slavery in Contemporary Discourses of Trafficking in Women”;Jo Doezma “the ideology of trafficking”; Sangram Resources; Nomi Network Website; Global Network of Sex Work Projects. 

Fraser Crichton“Decriminalising sex work in New Zealand – It’s history and impact”;The New Zealand Model; Global Alliance against Traffic in women. Durbar profile ;Theatre and Sex Work. VAMP’s performance as resistance 

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On to sex worker views! Sex worker inputs to feminism feel more radical than mainstream feminism that continues to be a bit weird around sex.  The anti-prostitution camp’s ‘concerns’ around sex work continues to be the ‘sex’ (so let’s talk about it) when it should be the ‘work’ (so let’s talk about it).  What is it about women and sex that bothers the anti-prostitution movement so much that they refuse to acknowledge sex for a woman can be work?  Why is sex work, indeed, work? What is sex work really? Why is it so difficult to end prostitution despite criminalization. 

 This episode 6 summarizes sex worker views around the anti-trafficking/anti-prostitution movement.  

Warning: strong language, sexual content, other adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.  

Credits:
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art design: Rini Alphonsa Joseph

Music: The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Music is from YouTube audio library and includes: Silver Waves – TrackTribe; Renunciation, Unrequited - Asher Fulero; Skatting on the Uppers, A truly dazzling dream – National Sweetheart; The Rainy Road, Entangled Life, Cosmic, Today remains sweet, Smoke - Lish Grooves; Gran Sentimiento, Luz Solart, Espeluznante - Luna Cantina;  Pelagic, Torsion – Density & Time; Stellar Wind - Unicorn Heads; Building Blocks, Growing Up, Quiet Nights - Nate Blaze; Jeremy Black - Broken Ladder; Good gig in the clouds – Joel Cummins. 

 Sources:
Juno Mac and Molly Smith (2018). “Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights”

Melisa Gira Grant (2014). “Playing the Whore”

Amia Srinivasan (2020). “The Right to Sex” 

DMSC (1997). Sex Workers’ Manifesto

Contrapoints. “Twilight”.  

Interview. “The Whore Stigma with Margo St. James and Gail Pheterson”. Youtube Video

Gail Pheterson. “At long last, listen to the women” 

Jo Doezema (1999). “Loose Women or Lost Women: The Re-emergence of the Myth of White Slavery in Contemporary Discourses of Trafficking in Women”

Scroll. “Centre bans 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites for obscene content”

The Quint. "India Porn Ban: Govt bans 67 more websites. Here’s the full list" 

Essays from ‘Prostitution and Beyond: An Analysis of Sex work in India’ by Rohini Sahni, V.Kalyan Shankar, Hemant Apte (Eds.), Sage Publications (2008)

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How do women find themselves in the sex trade? How does the sex trade run? What is trafficking, actually? What does the law say and what does the law do? This episode 5 tracks the sex trade and laws, in India.
Warning: sexual content, adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.
Credits:
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art: Rini Alphonsa Joseph
The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Other music is from the YouTube audio library and include: Moonlight in Mexico – Jimena Contreras;  Piroutte – Asher Fulero; Subharmonic Bliss – Loopop; Vital Whales – Unicorn Heads;  Swing House – RKVC; EBB Density and Time; Sunshine on Sand – Unicorn Heads; Bageshri – Aditya Verma

Show notes:
Sanjay Leela Bhansali. "Gangubai Kathiawadi" (Film)
Joe Doezema, “Ouch!: Western Feminists' 'Wounded Attachment' to the 'Third World Prostitute'"
Essays in ‘Prostitution and Beyond: An Analysis of Sex work in India’ by Rohini Sahni, V.Kalyan Shankar, Hemant Apte (Eds.), Sage Publications (2008): Rohini Sahni and V. Kalyan Shankar. 'Markets, Histories and Grass Root Evidence: Economics of Sex Work in India'; Meena Saraswathi Seshu. 'Surfacing Voices from the Underground'; Manoj Wad and Sharayu Jadhav. 'The Legal Framework of Prostitution in India'
Juno Mac and Molly Smith (2018). “Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights”.
Indian Penal Code, 1860; The Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, 1956
Prerna Podcast. What is Human Trafficking
Case title: Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal. Criminal Appeal 135/2010; Sangram (VAMPS) statement on the 2022 Supreme Court Order.
Kavita Chowdhury, India’s SC recognises Sex Work as a profession;  FP Explainers, SC recognises prostitution as profession: What does this mean for sex workers; Krishnadas Rajagopal. SC recognises sex work as a ‘profession’;
New law to treat sex workers as victims, says Maneka Gandhi ;The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018; Ministry of External Affairs, India. Q & A: What is Human trafficking
Other resources from Sangram (VAMP)

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Why was the current UN anti- trafficking convention passed in 2000?  What is trafficking and how rampant is it? Why do the state and police aggressively pursue sex workers? What’s America got to do with it? This episode 4 tracks contemporary global anti-trafficking discourses.  Warning:  Adult themes. Listener discretion advised.
 
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art illustration: Rini Alphonsa Joseph

The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Other music is sourced from the Youtube audio library and include: Frightmare – Jimena Contreras; No Indication – TrackTribe; Nature Nurture, Bossa Sonsa, Funky Carioca  – Quincas Moreira; Blast from the Past, Broken Ladder – Jeremy Black.

Sources:
Juno Mac and Molly Smith (2018). “Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights”; Melissa Gira Grant (2014), Playing the Whore;  Amia Srinivasan (2020), The Right to Sex.
George, A., Vindhya, U., & Ray, S. (2010). Sex Trafficking and Sex Work: Definitions, Debates and Dynamics;
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols
Joe Doezema, “Ouch!: Western Feminists' 'Wounded Attachment' to the 'Third World Prostitute'”; “Loose Women or Lost Women: The Re-emergence of the Myth of White Slavery in Contemporary Discourses of Trafficking in Women”
Laura Lammasneiemi. “White Slavery’: the origins of the anti-trafficking movement”; Eric Weiner. 'The Long,Colorful History of the Mann Act';  Jessica R. Pliley , Sexual surveillance and moral quarantines: a history of anti-trafficking. 
Elizabeth Bernstein. 'The Sexual Politics of the ‘New Abolitionism’; Janie A. Chuang, “Exploitation Creep And The Unmaking Of Human Trafficking Law”;  “Human Trafficking” You’re Wrong About; Joanne Mcneil. The ‘White Slavery’ Panic;  US Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons’ website;  

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This episode 3 tracks the mainstream discourses around prostitution and the sex worker movement. 
Credits:
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee.
Audio production: Pruthu Parab.
Cover Art: Rini Alphonsa Joseph
 
Music: The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström.  Music is from YouTube audio library and includes: Don’t Fret–Quincas Moreria; Raga Legacy, Rains of Meghalaya, Old World Saga-Hanu Dixit; Crash & Burn, Shake it-Aakash Gandhi; Fingerprint-Mini Vandals; Basant, Bhairavi–Sitarkhani–Aditya Verma.

Sources: 
Sai Priya Kodidala An early 20th century tale of censorship: How Bangalore Nagarathnamma fought social norms to revive the legacy of Muddupalani.
Further Reading: Davesh Soneji, "Unfinished Gestures".

Essays by Rekha Pande, Geetanjali Gangoli, Anagha Tambe, Swati Ghosh in 'Prostitution and Beyond';
Gaurav Jain V. UOI (1997) 8 SCC 114.
 
Mohandas Namishray, “Who was revolutionary Dalit Poet Namdeo Dhasal really?"; Dilip Chitre, “Poet of the Underworld”;
Yogesh Maitreya “Namdeo Dhasal’s New Language”;
An interview with Namdeo Dhasal, “reconstructed by Dilip Chitre from an interview with Namdeo Dhasal by Marathi poets Satish Kaleskar and Pradnya Lockhande”;
Unnati Sharma, “Poet & Dalit Panther Namdeo Dhasal’s poetry embraced those discarded by society”.

DMSC, Sex Workers’ Manifesto.

SC ruling on MH dance bars latest in long history of policing women to regulate men ; Maharashtra ban on dance bars has done more harm than good SC relaxes law on maharashtra dance bars; Reading list: six articles

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How does modern day feminism look at prostitution? Why did western second – wave feminists oppose prostitution and sex workers?  How did feminism theorize prostitution?   This episode 2 tracks the US women’s liberation movement around porn and prostitution during second-wave feminism (1960s to 1990s) in the United States of America.   Second wave feminism has not only set the foundation for modern day feminist discourses around prostitution across the world but has also shaped global liberal discourses around women and sex.
Warning:  sexual content, other adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. 
Credits: Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art: Rini Alphonsa Joseph

Music: The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Music for the episode was sourced from YouTube audio library and other royalty-free music libraries and include: Colony, Helium, Limousines, Forest Find, Blue Ribbons – TrackTribe; Pelagic – Density & Time; El Billete – Edgar Moreira; Sinister – Anno domini Beats; Lazy Laura – Quincas Moreira.
Sources: 
The events of the US feminist movement around prostitution during second wave feminism has been constructed from: Amia Srinivasan (2020). "The Right to Sex"; Juno Mac and Molly Smith (2018). “Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers Rights”; Melissa Gira Grant (2014). "Playing the Whore"
More on Margo St. James:
Margo St. James, the sex workers’ ‘Joan of Arc’ dies at 83 by Sam Whiting; Carol Queen Rememering Margo St. James ( Part 1). Youtube Video; “Hard Work” – Tributes to Margo St James. Youtube Video. 
The anti-porn bill defined pornography as the graphic sexually explicit subordination of women through pictures or words that also includes women dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; enjoying pain or humiliation or rape; being tied up, cut up, mutilated, bruised, or physically hurt; in postures of sexual submission or servility or display; reduced to body parts, penetrated by objects or animals, or presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture; shown as filthy or inferior; bleeding, bruised, or hurt in a context that makes these conditions sexual.
 Feminist theories: Shelley Cavalieri. “Between Victim and Agent: A Third-Way Feminist Account of Trafficking for Sex Work” ; Karen Peterson-Iyer. “Prostitution: a feminist ethical analysis”;Jane Scoular. “The ‘subject’ of prostitution: Interpreting the discursive, symbolic and material position of sex/work in feminist theory"
Wikipedia pages:  second wave feminism; radical feminism; sexual revolution; counter-culture;Feminine Mystique;Andrea Dworkin; Margo St. James

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Why did the first global anti-trafficking laws come about? What’s India got to do with it? Episode 1 will track discourses around prostitution in colonial India that eventually leads to the United Nations’ first anti-trafficking convention passed in 1949.  
Warning: sexual content, other adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. 
Credits:
Host: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art: Rini Alphonsa Joseph
Music:  The intro music is Wake up, Max by Axel Lundström. Music for the episode (YouTube audio library and other royalty-free music libraries) include: Sinister – Anno Domini Beats; Tarana in Raag Nat Bhairav – Sandeep Das, Anisha Roy; Tabla Compositions in Teentaal – Sandeep Das; Calm Calm – TrackTribe; Kirwani Teental – Aditya Verma; Never Play – Jeremy Blake; On the Island – Godmode; FynestLyk – Noir Et Blac View; Dance of the Gypsies – Hanu Dixit
Sources:
Devdutt Patnaik, “Donation of Courtesans”;
Gayatri Chatterjee. “The veshya, the ganika and the tawaif: Representations of prostitutes and courtesans in ..” in ‘Prostitution and Beyond: An Analysis of Sex work in India’ by Rohini Sahni, et al;
Rekha Pande. “Ritualized prostitution..” in ‘Prostitution and Beyond’;
Further reading: Shreya Ila Anasuya, “India has often appropriated, seldom appreciated its courtesan culture”; Davesh Soneji, “Unfinished Gestures” (on the Devdaasi tradition);
Willian Dalrymple and Anita Anand, “Empire” (Season 1); Lata Singh.“Modern Theatre as epitome of middle class civilized culture: Scripting of stage actresses as ‘prostitutes’ and ‘fallen women” in ‘Prostitution and Beyond’; Aranyani Bhargav“Caste dynamics in classic dance: History vs Narratives” ; Further reading: Soumya Rao. “Mughal-era courtesans are the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle”.
 Ashwini Tambe. "The Elusive Ingenue: A transnational Feminist Analysis of European Prostitution in Colonial Bombay"; Mridula Ramanna. “Control and Resistance: The Working of the Contagious Diseases Act in Bombay City”;Farida Begum. “The creation of difference empire, race, and the discourse on prostitution in colonial Bengal”
Juno Mac and Molly Smith. “Revolting Prostitutes..”;Laura Lammasniemi.  “Anti-White Slavery Legislation and its Legacies in England”; Jo Doezema. “Loose Women or Lost Women:..";Joanne Mcneil. "The ‘White Slavery’ Panic"
clarification: UN was set up in 1945

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Welcome to So Skewed, a solo podcast hosted by Surabhi Chatterjee. 

In season 1, I try to dismantle the entire anti-prostitution movement; exploring the discourses that make prostitution illegal (and uncomfortable) and countering them with sex worker views.

Content Warning: strong language, sexual content, other adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.  

Credits:
Written and hosted by: Surabhi Chatterjee
Audio production: Pruthu Parab
Cover Art: Rini Alphonsa Joseph

Music:
Music for the episode include:
1.     Strange the dreamer by Savfk
2.     The Travelling Symphony by Savfk

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