I have several safety measures in place when I work, and these measures are meant to act as deterrents against potential “bad dates”. Because it is not illegal to purchase sex, 99% percent of clients are fine with these protocols. If C36 passes and the purchase of sex is criminalized, clients will no longer feel comfortable giving out personal information or being recorded on camera. If clients are no longer willing to provide personal information or to come to an incall location with a camera, I will have to change my safety protocols in order to stay in business. I will have to start taking appointments via anonymous email addresses, payphones, and untraceable VOIP services such as Google Talk, and I will likely have to move my incall location to a more discreet building that does not have security cameras. With this kind of anonymity on the clients' part, there will be no means of tracking down “bad dates” after the fact. Men will be well aware of the fact that this anonymity makes them immune to repercussions. They will know that they can commit a violent act or a robbery and that I will be no record of who they are or how to find them. If C36 passes, violent men can book dates with me because they know they have anonymity on their side. This actually puts the power in the hands of the sex buyers, rather than in the hands of the sex-trade workers. I believe this is exactly the opposite of what the government should be doing. Operating without proper safety protocols will have negative effects on my mental health. Whereas I currently feel safe and confident when I open the door to a stranger, I will feel scared, anxious and paranoid under C36. Instead of being able to use strict security protocols to PREVENT robberies, assaults, and other violent encounters, C36 will force me to take “after the fact” measures - in other words, I will have to deal with a violent situation once they have arisen, instead of just deterring them in the first place. I have already spoken to two Victoria Police Department members about the legality of keeping tasers or pepper spray close at hand while meeting new clients. As you may know, this is NOT legal, but if C36 passes, I am willing to overlook that fact just to have a sense of security while I am working. As you may also know, weapons can easily be turned against the person who is trying to use them, especially if that person is a small female. I should not have to resort to illegal and dangerous methods to protect myself. To recap: Under bill C36, men are not going to be willing to give out their personal information. I will be forced to change my security protocols in order to help clients remain anonymous. I will be sacrificing my sense of security to stay in business. Men will be immune to repercussions. I will lose the upper hand in the transaction and be susceptible to violence.
