The False Narrative of anti-trafficking organizations.
Christine Caine, an evangelical speaker and activist, founded A-21 with the noble cause of abolishing “slavery in the 21st century.” She often cites the overused and unsubstantiated statistic that human trafficking affects 27 million people each year and is a $150 billion criminal industry, emphasizing that “slavery still exists.” However, many people have concerns about Christine’s character.
Picture Above is the Charlatan Christine Caine: She makes a lot of money promoting a false narrative.
https://antihumantraffickingbadactors.com/a-21-and-the-big-business-of-anti-trafficking/
Caine and her husband, Nick, an evangelical pastor, started the organization A-21 a decade ago after hearing stories of women and girls being abducted, raped, and trafficked in Southeast Asia. A-21 now collaborates with law enforcement in 11 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. They partner with and help facilitate information to organizations such as The Exodus Road and Operation Underground Railroad. These NGOs operate with little regard for ethics and have questionable operating standards, known as “raid and rescue.”
Caine is an incredible storyteller. She passionately fabricates the horrors experienced by trafficking victims. A21 is a money-making machine to “exploit the exploited.” In a recent speaking engagement, Caine described the treatment of young girls as that of being treated like livestock, crammed into shipping containers, forced across borders, and subjected to repeated rape. Christine wants you to understand that she is the savior for these young girls. She points out that her organization, A21, and her “cohorts in crime,” The Exodus Road have extremely positive outcomes, explaining that because of their efforts girls are given a new chance at life. The reality is that these organizations are not involved in rescues related to trafficking situations. They sensationalize stories and use real trafficking cases as if they were involved in these rescues. This is disingenuous and unethical. A21, Operation Underground Railroad, and The Exodus Road focus on soft targets in tourist areas, using untrained volunteers to give the illusion of rescuing young girls from sex slavery. They want evangelical donors to believe this narrative, however, this just does not happen.
https://antihumantraffickingbadactors.com/desperate-dirk-and-the-exodus-roads-untrained-volunteers/
Caine receives significant support from the evangelical community, allowing her to focus on combating sex trafficking and the sex industry. She receives millions of dollars in donations, speaking honorariums, and merchandise sales from conservative Christian groups, and is closely connected to the Evangelical Machine, led by Hollywood-wannabe Evangelical Leaders. Interestingly, Caine has also garnered support from secular feminists around the world. This is surprising because traditionally, conservative and feminist women have been on opposite sides of social issues, particularly concerning women’s rights and abortion. It’s a paradox that a woman has the right to an abortion because it’s her body, but she doesn’t have the right to sell her body for sex. However, both evangelical women and anti-trafficking feminists agree on one thing: the sale of sex is a threat to a woman’s humanity. These groups have significant influence on public discussions about sex work and have shaped policy-making and legal enforcement of anti-sex-trafficking laws, despite facing strong criticism from sex worker rights activists and their supporters. Anti-trafficking NGOs have taken advantage of these laws by spreading false narratives of sex trafficking worldwide, and the exploitation of vulnerable people makes a lot of money for many involved in this issue.
https://antihumantraffickingbadactors.com/843-2/
Anti-trafficking activists do not consider sex work as legitimate work. They view it as exploitation and slavery, equating rape with sex work. They promote the false idea that no woman would willingly choose to be a sex worker. They advocate for women to leave the industry, but their awareness campaigns often conflate sexual exploitation and trafficking with prostitution. They use stories of rape and abuse to depict human trafficking and sexual exploitation as the same when they are in fact different. While human trafficking is a terrible crime, it is questionable whether untrained organizations can effectively assist law enforcement in combating criminal networks. A21, The Exodus Road, and Operation Underground Railroad may be more interested in generating profits for their organizations than tackling the root causes of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Even rehabilitation programs for sex workers, as described by Melissa Gira Grant in “Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work,” “may be presented as shelters but are actually places of control, with locked doors, monitored phones, and restrictions on guests. This is not charity; it’s control.” https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
Nice picture! Not a great view to get men to want to quit being with sex workers!!! We know Matt and Dirk love this pose!!
Critics of anti-trafficking campaigns argue that the reported numbers of trafficked people are exaggerated or completely unsupported. They question whether most forced labor actually consists of trafficked women and girls, as the campaigns suggest. Advocates for sex workers’ rights and scholars reject the idea that sex trafficking and prostitution are the same, which is a key part of many anti-trafficking efforts. For example, Donna Hughes, an activist who helped shape the Bush administration’s anti-trafficking laws, stated that “most activities seen as prostitution are actually trafficking because they involve force, fraud, coercion, or underage girls.” https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
However, there are many women aged eighteen and above throughout the world who choose to work in the sex industry. This is an undeniable and proven fact. Donna Hughes writes books, speaks to large groups, and is monetarily compensated to present this money making false narrative.
“Studies of sex workers, even in areas known for “sex tourism” like Cambodia, have not uncovered widespread sex trafficking operations. However, these studies struggle to gain attention in the face of the moral panic spread by anti-trafficking groups. Evangelical anti-trafficking activists like Hughes and Caine use sensationalist rhetoric that stirs up fear, prurient interest, and a sense of moral superiority. This approach, according to scholar and advocate for sex worker rights Jo Doezma, resembles the fabricated “white slave panic” of the 19th century, which led to harsh measures against prostitutes and other working-class women.” https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-03-29/why-cambodias-sex-workers-dont-need-be-saved
We need to question why this approach has resonated with the moral conscience of evangelical communities, particularly evangelical women. We should also examine the motives and lifestyles of evangelical figures like Matt and Laura Parker, Christine and Nick Caine, and Timothy Ballard. They seem to enjoy the spotlight of Hollywood, fame, and the substantial incomes and operational expenses they receive for spreading a misleading narrative worldwide.
“In the early 2000s, President George W. Bush and his administration established the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. This initiative allowed conservative Christian organizations to receive federal funds for their charitable work. Critics argued that this was a pay-to-play scheme or a quid pro quo. At the same time, anti-trafficking initiatives also became part of government policy. The fight against human trafficking has since become an important cause for evangelical Christians, with activities such as fundraising walks, prayer weekends, Bible studies, self-help books, and praise songs dedicated to ending global slavery. Evangelical women were drawn to these efforts not only for political reasons but also because the rhetoric of the anti-sex-trafficking crusades aligned with conservative Protestant sexual morality.” https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
Understandably, the evangelical community would want to address sexual morality. However, you cannot legislate, and operate with raid and rescue procedures just because someone has a different religious or moral view than you. The average American Evangelical sitting in the pew believes this false narrative. They volunteer their time and they give millions of dollars in donations towards this cause to eradicate “sex slavery.” While this group of individuals is almost entirely sincere, you have charlatans and opportunists like Christine Caine who will exploit vulnerable and exploited children around the world.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-prostitution-is-commercial-rape-says-gloria-steinem-1958154
“The traditional view of sexual and gender roles is a fundamental part of anti-trafficking activism. The focus is on rehabilitating girls so that they can fulfill their expected roles as married women and mothers. According to conservative Protestants, marriage is the only acceptable form of sexual relationship, as it is seen as being divinely ordained and the only way to have a proper relationship with God. Any sexual activity outside of marriage is considered to be like bondage. This perspective helps to illustrate how sex work can easily transition into sex slavery.” https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
“Evangelical women feel uniquely suited to champion the cause of anti-trafficking due to its moral nature. Conservative Protestant women have a history of positioning themselves as guardians of moral values, particularly about marriage and family. They have used this strategy to support their social and political campaigns, ranging from suffrage and temperance to debates on abortion and same-sex marriage. Evangelical anti-trafficking activists view trafficked women as victims in need of rescue. Although the task of rescuing them is challenging, activists like Caine emphasize the urgency of their mission, even though only a small percentage of victims can be saved. Caine’s assertion serves to prompt action by highlighting the testimonial power of each rescued victim and portraying their rescuers as heroes in an apocalyptic scenario.
Could it be that Christian anti-sex traffickers, like Caine, solicit large evangelical audiences and prop up a legal system that criminalizes sex work because they are better storytellers than their opponents? Sex worker rights activists offer accounts of women, men, and trans-people who migrate to new countries; who turn tricks on the street, act as escorts, perform sex acts on camera, strip, to make ends meet; who fear police crackdowns and try to avoid deportation. Christian anti-trafficking activists, instead, paint dramatic pictures of millions of innocent, vulnerable (even desirable?) victims: women and girls under threat of the voracious appetites of a cruel and dehumanizing sex trade, and they need you to rescue them.”
https://theconversation.com/evangelical-women-are-shaping-public-attitudes-about-sex-work-89129
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