A Survivor's Response

The LA Times wrote an article on Fake News - Super Bowl and Human Trafficking. As a survivor, I wanted to respond. Here is my reply.

A Survivor’s Response

After reading the article on fake news about Human Trafficking and the Super Bowl, I can’t say I’m surprised at this mentality. It’s what keeps the industry running.

One might be curious why they are working so hard to create the idea that Human Trafficking isn’t actually taking place here in this context.

But I know this script well. I am a survivor of the commercial sex industry and have been trafficked. (To learn more about my story go to our website: www.cherishedla.org)

How many times have I encountered narcissistic clients that dismiss the victim as nothing more than a scapegoat for their insatiable lust? The only way to feel relief from any accountability requires that they distance themselves from their own shame. Like minimizing it to a mere “Urban Legend”.

But for the rest of us, those who have experienced this, we understand this kind of ignorance is what makes it easy for traffickers to move about with their prey right under your nose. The real conspiracy, the real gaslighting, is happening to those who fall for it. Unfortunately, they are deceived into believing that nothing is happening, instead of fighting for innocent lives they actually become accomplices ( turning a blind eye allows harm to continue and grow).

NO this is not “a tale”.

The flashbacks are a constant reminder the nightmare was real. More times than I can count was I forced to “work” a few days around a sporting event. Hired to escort and attend many pro games with someone that needed me to stroke his fragile ego.

Even locked in the hotel.

I dreaded it to my core, being forced to play along in public, I hated sports…and still do to this day! I can’t stand hearing the sounds of a football game because it was usually to the sounds of the cheering crowds that I was being assaulted and I knew no one was coming to help me and there was nothing I could “do” about it except appear to “be there because I wanted to” …it was a matter of survival.

When I read this article, I felt my body convulsing as it brought up all the horrific memories. Immediately, I wanted to protect those who don’t have language for this yet but will be re-traumatized by reading such a coarse and arrogant dismissal of someone’s real pain, that’s only intent is to invite others to join in the violation.

To know what women are suffering and to see it held up against such a stark lack of compassion for humankind… This is obviously someone so immeasurably privileged and entitled to speak to things they really know nothing about and to act as if it were fact.

Recently the head of the company who is making the Rams uniforms for this year’s game called it “the greatest show on earth” but there is much more behind the smoke screen

and while “the greatest show” has everyone’s attention real women and children are being brutally exploited.

To say there aren’t “enough” women being trafficked to warrant spending police resources. ?? It’s not about quantity it is about the ONE!

To that I can only say this: I hope you never experience a daughter or son or sister or brother being trafficked. If we ignore that there is a huge problem and we do not use every platform available to combat it, then there won’t be resources at all. Every time there is an event there are thousands of women, daughters, sisters, sons, and brothers who know the TRUTH, who’ve witnessed it firsthand.

Because of my experience in this industry and now helping others find their way out, I have had the opportunity to go to major sporting events such as the world cup and the Olympics. Because of my background, I was able to visit brothels in Brazil where many women were trafficked to work in small rooms with only an accordion door between us and the woman being assaulted. Women are brought in from all over the world to meet the demand of the “big games”. The growing demands of “sex tourism” require more infants and younger children to be placed on the menu for men with such vile lust.

SO, for me this IS personal. This is not about stats and data and numbers. It’s about the ONE girl who needs us to show up! To offer her a place to be safe and to heal.

If ALL of these efforts were only to save her one life, then I’m in! SHE IS WORTH IT! Each one matters! Each person is someone’s daughter or sister or mother.

I’m not sure what you gain by trying to minimize and silence those who are speaking for the voiceless?

I have only one question: If it were your child, would you want ALL of these resources spent to rescue her from the nightmares?

Or would you rather hear, sorry we can’t help, “that’s just an old urban legend” so “Don’t panic, it’s just fake news”

Kate Wedell

Founder, Survivor Leader, CherishedLA