CAGED NO MORE AND TAMPA BAY ADVOCATES

When www.sexworkersanonymous.com - which is the oldest and largest group of survivors in the country AND the group who FOUNDED THE MOVEMENT to have sex trafficking recognized as real is not a part of a project like Caged No More folks - that's "your sign" there's a problem with the truth. If they were interested in the truth - we'd have been involved. Anyone who wants to help an alcoholic wouldn't think of doing so without AA. You know why? They have no financial self-interest nor are using anyone for political power, to advance their career or fame that's why. We don't apply for grants and we don't hold any fund raisers.

When we started seeing this film start to get filmed - we stood back and told ourselves that "the truth will come out" as we know it always does. It's very validating to see that this is true. Thank you for realizing that our voices as REAL survivors, and as a group whose only purpose is for the recovery of survivors and to carry their voices, is being out shouted by people with big money budgets, political power, and well let's face it - the very people who have been trafficking us in the first place. The people who traffick us have always been the "people in power". It sounds to me like you're finally wising up that those voices coming out of those offices of power such as major media, politicians, etc. are the very offices who trafficked us in the first place.

Do you know why "Caged No More" is being produced? For the same reason a lot of media since the Trafficking Act of 2000 was produced - TO MISLEAD you. Thank you for wising up. Before we stepped up in the 60's, 70', and 80's - the world didn't believe sex trafficking was even real. I know because every time I'd see someone try and talk about this - they'd be laughed at.

Do you realize that Elvis Presley tried to warn us in 1965 in "Harem Holiday"? only it was written off as a "bad movie". Bruce Lee tried to show us human and sex trafficking in 1973's "Enter the Dragon" with the scene under the compound. He even showed a WHITE woman being drugged and sex trafficked pleading for help at the hands of Asian's - and it was completely ignored. Linda Lovelace tried to tell us about her trafficking in 1980's book "Ordeal" only to have people write her off as "jealous of Marilyn Chambers" who was pimped after she escaped Chuck's grip.

When I tried to speak to mental health professionals about what I was seeing with respect to sex trafficking - they tried to lock me up for observation saying I was "hallucinating because things like that are not real". Back in the early 80's when a victim would try and run for help to a hospital, shelter or treatment center - she was refused any help. I know because it's why I put together the first safe house for adults in 1984 that got me arrested. You can read about that at www.hightechmadam.com The pimp got angry and told the police I was "running a brothel". She testified against him and the case against me was dropped -but that's why I came back with a hotline and a 12 step outpatient program after that.

It's why people we had rescued went onto every TV show, talk show, 60 Minutes, 20/20, Good Morning America, Geraldo, Sally, Oprah, telling our stories until we were believed and the Trafficking Act of 2000 was passed.

NOW we were believed. So guess what the traffickers had to do? Hide in plain sight. Which is why the media has literally blacklisted any member of SWA from appearing on any of these shows or interviews. I've got a stack of letters from reporters who have told us they have been told to their face they will be fired if they even print our name - let alone let one of us speak.

They want you thinking we're on airplanes by all this noise about "raining how to spot trafficking in airports" when the REALITY is that trafficking victims are transported on private charter planes - not commercial airlines. That's why the Samoly Mam's, the Chong Kim's, and the Wilthema Ortiz Pettigrew's get the voice of main stream media and Congress - because they're having to find a new way to silence us in plain sight. This movie "Caged No More" was that attempt. You criticize it and suddenly you're "on the side of the traffickers" or "crazy".

Well I'm used to people telling me I'm "crazy" and talking anyway. That's how we got the Trafficking Act of 2000 passed and that's how we're going to take this movement BACK to our voices!

If you need help or want to talk to another survivor - you can find it free anywhere you are at www.sexworkersanonymous.com Oh and by the way - the latest is "I'm not a sex worker" to try and convince you not to speak to us. Well I'm also a member of Narcotics Anonymous - it doesn't mean I'm a "narcotic". Anyone who tells you as a survivor they aren't going to speak to you and shun you because of how you choose to identify yourself, or where you go for recovery, or what label you want to go by - is no different than the pimps. Remember that.