Now that you know it’s true, what can we do together to right this wrong?

Maybe if what happened to me were properly addressed at the time it wouldn’t have happened to another woman; Ann Althouse isn’t going to talk about Jessica Valenti’s breasts anymore.

Sady, I’ve heard your line too many times from people who think abortion is too divisive and impolite to talk about, but the difference was they didn’t go on to keep talking about it while pretending impartiality for the sake of fake harmony.

SAGE’s statement, posted entirely by Kristie Miller, is real and if you wanted to you could easily email them to fact check. When you find out for sure that it’s true, then what will you do about the “legitimate problem” you have confirmed? A lawyer told me I had a right to sue $pread Magazine’s executive editor Audacia Ray for stealing my writings but legal rights are worthless for women who can’t afford justice. http://www.spreademism.com/

When it happened to me there was less concern over ethics violations than embarrassment and hopes I would just shut up lest my unsexy indignation at illegal actions be deemed ‘ugly’, and the same sweeping under the rug with shrugging shoulders is happening to another woman’s stolen words. The mainstream feminist movement doesn’t think it can afford to criticize the sex industry lobbyists they wear like painless, cost-free Bettie Page tattoos.

“Dear Colleagues & Allies of The SAGE Project,

Recently a book titled, Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys was published by Soft Skull Press. This book is being promoted as a “bestseller” in Borders, on the New York Times, Amazon, and on “sex worker” websites as a book supported by SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation, http://www.sagesf.org). On August 23rd, the New York Times published a review of the book which states that the editors, David Henry Sterry and R. J. Martin Jr., are currently affiliated with the SAGE Project. We want to share with you a letter that we have sent to the New York Times to address the fact that these two individuals are no longer affiliated with the organization. We are outraged by the way this publication has been marketed and the method through which its content was secured; the book does not honor client confidentiality, naming clients currently and formerly engaged in our programs. One individual happened to stumble upon the book in a writing group and was surprised to find stories she had written in the publication. She, like many of our SAGE clients continues to be connected with the organization and her resilience and strength do not appear in the book. No effort was made to contact her prior to publication. We are writing to you, our allies and colleagues, to let you know that SAGE’s mission and work have not changed. We stand committed to our goal to bring an end to the trauma, pain, and degradation inflicted by commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. We will update you as we move forward in addressing this issue. The SAGE Project, Inc. ——————————————————————————– Editor The New York Times Book Review Sir or Madame: We are writing to clarify statements and inferences that appeared in Toni Bentley’s review of Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys (August 23, 2009). The SAGE Project is an internationally recognized human rights organization that provides important and life-saving services for children and adults in the San Francisco area. The ultimate “project” of SAGE is to help bring about an end to commercial sexual exploitation of adults and children. Commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking are inherently harmful and have long-term negative impacts on their victims, from trauma, to physical/health implications, to socio-economic effects. SAGE does not support any system of commercial sexual exploitation. Seventy-five percent of our staff members are survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and all of our programs are survivor centered. The book’s authors, R. J. Martin and David Sterry have no current connection with the SAGE Project. Mr. Martin was SAGE’s Development Director but left to pursue other interests at the end of 2006. Mr. Sterry was a SAGE board member from 2004 to 2006. We have not given any permission to the authors of this book to connect SAGE with their publication. We are outraged by this misprint and want to emphasize the importance of making this correction in next Sunday’s Review. Very truly yours, Francine Braae Allen Wilson Co-Executive Directors”

___________________________________________________ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/books/review/Bentley-t.html?pagewanted=2&ref=review

“This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: September 6, 2009
A review on the cover of the Book Review on Aug. 23, about “Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys,” a collection of essays and other writings about the sex industry, misstated the connection of R. J. Martin Jr., one of the book’s editors, to the SAGE Project (Standing Against Global Exploitation) in San Francisco. While he was indeed once its director of development, he is no longer associated with the group, which had nothing to do with the book. The review also referred imprecisely to the SAGE Project. While it offers a wide variety of support services for the sexually abused, its ultimate goal is to bring about the end of commercial sexual exploitation.”

He links directly to an anti-prostitution website. It’s fine and good to think all prostitutes are misguided or need saving. No one will argue with your beliefs, they’re yours, but I’m assuming you have tangible proof of what you say, otherwise it’s tantamount to libel and defamation of character.

From an email signed by The SAGE Project, Inc.:

“Recently a book titled, Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys was published by Soft Skull Press. This book is being promoted as a “bestseller” in Borders, on the New York Times, Amazon, and on “sex worker” websites as a book supported by SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation, http://www.sagesf.org).

On August 23rd, the New York Times published a review of the book which states that the editors, David Henry Sterry and R. J. Martin Jr., are currently affiliated with the SAGE Project. We want to share with you a letter that we have sent to the New York Times to address the fact that these two individuals are no longer affiliated with the organization.

We are outraged by the way this publication has been marketed and the method through which its content was secured; the book does not honor client confidentiality, naming clients currently and formerly engaged in our programs. One individual happened to stumble upon the book in a writing group and was surprised to find stories she had written in the publication. She, like many of our SAGE clients continues to be connected with the organization and her resilience and strength do not appear in the book. No effort was made to contact her prior to publication.”

The New York Times letter recaps all that and clarifies for those who would dilute their abolishionist message with muddy waters, “SAGE does not support any system of commercial sexual exploitation.”