(Madam Bella Cummins) – Yet again, I am reminded of Jason Guinasso’s misunderstanding of this subject matter. I understand his wanting to lash out and fix something that he thinks is wrong. However, it’s confused.
Once again, with loaded verbiage, he fails to understand the difference between the nature of legal courtesanship in Nevada and illegal prostitution. It proves again that there is a real need for education, to erase these stereotypes and misunderstandings and to guide our thinking about a new direction.
That is what the Onesta Foundation is about and that forms the basis of our advocacy for enlightened approaches to well-regulated sensual services. In the rural counties of Nevada, we have proved that it works, that it improves public health and safety and empowers communities.
The Onesta Foundation stands with the Governor, The Nevada Legislature and the State of Nevada in this case, but most stolidly with the workers, the courtesans, who are being marginalized and stigmatized by the ignorance of misplaced judgement.
The plaintiff in this case tells of her experience of being forced into prostitution, a crime by any standard, in the state of Texas, and of being brought to Nevada to work illegally in Las Vegas, also a crime with heavy penalties. Then she tells of being forced, by her pimp, to seek work in a licensed brothel as a punishment for some undisclosed infraction. This is a very telling statement, entirely misinterpreted by the Guinasso team.
I liken it to someone who gets behind the wheel of a car having had too much to drink. Their decisions are impaired and there are consequences in their misdirected actions. In this case, the strong drink is judgement.
What is obviously needing to be addressed here are the illegal activities in areas where brothels are prohibited. I think about these ladies, who are out working one convention to the next. There is no reason to believe that their clients and those ladies are safe. They are unregulated, beyond the reach of public safety, and therein lies the problem.
In Jason Guinasso’s fervor, he has brought to everyone’s attention that change is required, so I thank him for that. I still want to help him to understand that his efforts are misdirected. Having been shown the door by the people of Lyon County in the last election, his twisting of the relationship between local, state and federal governments smells of desperation perfume. He’s got it backwards.
There is another way to look at all of this, through the lens of the Onesta tradition of fairness, honesty and virtue in all human relations. People get to make their own choices, absolutely. These women, who work in sensual services in the safe places designed by the state, deserve empowerment in our culture without judgment and without repercussions, should they make that choice.
The powerful, independent and entrepreneurial women who provide fun, safe and healthy sensual services look askance at those who claim to be saving them from something or saving them from themselves. It makes them angry and fires them up when they get the feeling their freedom of choice is being disrespected and taken away from them. They are their own personal power.
As Executive Director of the Onesta Foundation, a Nevada 501c3 non-profit entity, I urge the courts to reject this suit on the grounds that state’s rights should prevail and that this suit is frivolous.