Some of the dishonest rhetoric used to criticize the recent Wheelock College Pornography conference was the demonstrably false claim that conferences featuring alternative views of sex work are never convened. Of course they are, and with plenty of porn industry financial support. For information about one that will be held in July in San Francisco, go here or here. The organizers appear to be accepting conference proposals through May 15th.
A similar conference was held by the same organization in 2006 in Las Vegas. CUNY’s recent”Women and Work 2007″ conference featured a panel on sex work. In March of 2006, the New School and a long list of prestigious universities co-sponsored a conference called Sex Work Matters. A couple of years ago the University of Toledo held a conference on sex work as well. There is a social construct that permits faculty members to convene conferences on any topic they like. It is called “academic freedom.”
–Ann Bartow
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