I found myself sitting with several other guys that Tuesday evening.  They were all from my church.  None of them I knew well, but we shared a lot; our commonalities ran deep.  We all wanted a different kind of life, better than what we were experiencing.  We sought consistency between our spiritual beliefs and our practical lives.

But what an uncomfortable place to sit. I could listen to their stories, but could I share my own?  How could I admit I was a pornographer? I may not have produced it, but I consumed it, often with abandon.

Like so many, I had fallen captive to pornography and other activities of sexual impurity.  Neither the church nor its leaders are immune; two pastors have counseled me from their own experience.

My story is a common one, as I found out that Tuesday evening.

During my 25 years of viewing pornography (my first exposure was at a friend’s middle school birthday party) I never contemplated where all those pictures came from or who all those women were.  At first it was quite obvious, the pictures came from a magazine and undoubtedly the models signed waivers. But later, magazines became Internet sites, and truly, it’s hard to tell where (or how) the pictures originated.

Around the same time that I started meeting with other men who had similar stories to mine, I had become aware of modern-day slavery. Then one day I had an epiphany of sorts, one which has been confirmed again and again.  The pictures that I had consumed with such an insatiable appetite did not have voluntary subjects, but slaves.  I know it!  These women looked happy, but—and I’m positive about this—many were there against their will.

I could not continue to sit idly by when a market I had perpetuated continued to traumatize so many.  That was the true epiphany. I had to act!

It’s been years now since I started meeting with that group of men regularly, and since that first Tuesday night, where I now minister as well. In the last 19 months I have responded to my epiphany by founding a nonprofit to engage the public in ending slavery. It is just getting off the ground.

I can stop my demand, but that is only part of it.  We must work together to bring an end to the entire activity.  What part will you play? If my story is a version of your own story, find a group to become involved in. This is vital!  Stop your own demand for sex slaves.  Once you’ve started … learn more about the issues. You’re already doing that. You’re reading this blog after all. You could donate money to the cause; that is sorely needed, but don’t stop there. Volunteer your time.  Change your career!  Become an advocate for the cause, engaging those around you to stop their demand and join the movement to end slavery!

Brady was raised in a house centered on God.  Although church was a constant in his life, so was his struggle with what became a sexual addiction.  Brady has helped start several churches and has worked with many nonprofits.  Currently he is the founder and president of Epiphany, an organization fighting slavery through public engagement.  He is a husband of 15 years and a father of two children.

Contact Info:

brady@epiphanyusa.org

www.EpiphanyUSA.org

www.facebook.com/epiphanycorp, twitter: @bshuert

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Suggested Donation Minimum $3 Per Ticket

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The new company, managed by CEO Scott Tobias, former president and COO of VVM, along with CFO Jeff Mars, former VP of finance at VVM, and executive editor Christine Brennan, has agreed to buy the print publications and digital properties (excluding Backpage.com). It will manage the 13 alternative weekly newspapers and their websites as well as a national advertising network unaffiliated with Backpage.  No one involved with the current ownership of VVM will hold any part of the new company.

“Backpage has been a distraction – there’s no question about it – to the core (editorial) properties,” Tobias said.

The loss of some key advertisers and the revenue generated by Backpage.com, has forced Voice Media Group to make it a priority to entice new advertisers.  Tobias said Voice Media Group is exploring the possibility of a strategic partnership, but declined to specify any potential partners.  To keep this new company on its feet, Tobias and other former VVM editorial management executives have raised “some money from private investors” for Voice Media Group.

Current VVM shareholders Jim Larkin, CEO, and Mike Lacey, executive editor, will continue to operate Backpage.com as a separate entity, raking in over $20 million a year in advertising fees.  “Backpage.com, which is not included in the transaction, will become the centerpiece of a new online classified advertising company with business worldwide,” Village Voice Media said in a statement provided by general counsel Elizabeth McDougall.

Unfortunately, since the original owners of VVM chose to keep Backpage.com going, they continue to generate an extraordinary amount of revenue through its adult advertisement section.  So we’re not quite done yet.  Backpage.com is still being used to exploit children.  We’re hopeful that the company’s owners will be held accountable through either criminal or civil charges and that Members of Congress will take legislative action to protect our children from being sexually exploited through websites like Backpage.com.

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Teens have a variety of reasons for running away, but the most common reasons may surprise you. One of the myths about runaway teens is that they leave home because they don’t want to follow their parents’ rules. The truth is that many leave home because they’re being abused, or because a family member is an addict. Many runaways honestly think they’ll be safer on the streets than at home, because “home” is violent and dangerous.

There is another disturbing trend on the rise among runaway teens – leaving home because they’ve been ostracized or even punished because of their sexual orientation. Studies have shown that between 20 and 40 percent of runaway youth identify themselves as LGBT, though the actual number could be much higher because some LGBT teens don’t self-identify.

For these kids, the place where they were supposed to be loved and kept safe becomes a place of isolation and neglect because their parents and/or siblings are unwilling to accept their sexuality At best these kids experience isolation, at worst – violent conflict and abuse.

LGBT teens who run away are not always welcome in shelters, either. They may experience the same isolation they experienced at home, causing them to live on the streets, where they’re at even greater risk of being trafficked. Traffickers and pimps prey on vulnerable kids, promising them money, shelter, and the acceptance they so desperately long for. But instead of finding a safe, happy new home, these kids find themselves forced into prostitution, threatened with violence if they try to leave.

Parents who struggle to accept a child’s LGBT lifestyle would never want their kids to be harmed or exploited. Shared Hope encourages parents to seek out resources that can help the entire family process and talk through their thoughts and feelings, and make sure the home is a safe and loving environment for every family member.

Here are a few resources (please note the resources may not reflect the opinion of Shared Hope):

StopBullying.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It Gets Better Project

The post As LGBTQ Youth Face Pressure At Home, Risk of Exploitation May Increase appeared first on Shared Hope International.

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A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a lobbying event at the Oregon capitol building, in Salem, OR. At the event, hundreds of people advocated for two bills that would help crack down on buyers, and offer better protection for victims of human trafficking. It was very encouraging to see the variety of people that showed up. From pastors and ministers, to college students and children — who took a day off of school to make a difference, a very diverse crowd of people showed up.

It was very encouraging for me to see so many people show up and engage in the process of politics in order to make a difference and protect women and children. In addition to this encouragement, the process of this event was also fascinating. I say this because I got an inside look into the political system. Everyone who lobbied, including myself, got the opportunity to enter into the offices of individual politicians. We got to speak with senators and representatives personally. We got to have a regular conversations, and we got to share our own personal experiences with human trafficking, and why it is important we end it.

I realized that politicians are people too, and they are highly influenced by the power of personal, individual story. A group of students from a Warner Pacific College student club delivered a large stack of hand-written, individually addressed letters that encouraged the politicians to support the bills. People showed up, conversations were had, and we made a huge influence!

That is a testament to the power of taking action. It truly shows that together, we can end demand. Together, we can change society and make a difference. At this lobbying event, the idea of changing the world wasn’t just an idea—it was becoming a reality.

Defenders, we can make a difference. Our stories have impact. We just need to share them. I want to issue a challenge to all Defenders: show up and share your story. At this lobbying event, it was probably 90% women—maybe even more. What if we had a lobbying event that was 50/50, or even 90% or 100% men? Imagine the impact we could make in supporting bills that target the johns and buyers. My fellow Defenders, together, we can end demand. Will you join the cause?

The post Advocating: Will You Join the Cause to End Demand? appeared first on Shared Hope International.

Here is a simple example of this concept:

But today traffickers are using this theory to identify the needs of our youth.

Traffickers may follow a recruitment process similar to this:

1. Identify the need of the child
2. Fulfill the need
3. Remove any other sources of need fulfillment 
4. Exploit the child’s dependence for need fulfillment by forcing them into prostitution

One reason traffickers pray on kids is because they are more vulnerable than adults. They are more naive, and at-risk kids who have experienced abuse or extreme conflict in their homes may not only be eager to run away, but may also be desperate for the love and attention of an adult. Many kids who run away from home do so because they experience abuse, or because a member of the family is an addict, is violent, or both. If runaways have nowhere to go – no friends or other family members they can rely on and trust – they need to find food and shelter someplace else, which makes them especially vulnerable to trafficking.

Here’s how a pimp might use Maslow’s theory:

“It could never happen to my child”

That’s what Brianna’s parents thought too. Unfortunately, the scary, inconvenient truth is that unless your child has reached self-actualization and has no further needs, they could unsuspectingly fall victim to a trafficker.

Brianna was a 17-year-old high school student, involved in cheerleading, taking college courses for an early start on her nursing degree and worked at a local restaurant with her sister. She had no idea that friendly conversations she had with a regular customer could end with a trafficking ring planning to transport her to Arizona, likely to be sold.

You are not powerless.

On the contrary, you are the best advocate we have. Know why? Because you are here, reading this article about an issue that has still barely crept on to the radar of our society.

We’ve created a comprehensive presentation package for you, complete with a short 20-minute video based on the stories of two girls who were tricked by traffickers, pre and post presentation PowerPoints, suggested discussion questions, action ideas, indicator and reporting cards, and more. “Chosen” which will be released on May 1, 2013 is great for adult and youth audiences. Find out more…

If you know or meet a girl who exhibits some of these signs, don’t be afraid to ask questions:

• At risk of being homeless or running away from home
• Severe family issues like drug addiction, alcoholism or abuse
• Signs of fear, anxiety, depression, tension or nervousness
• Hyper-vigilant or paranoid behavior
• Interest in relationships with older men
• Unexplained shopping trips or purchases of new clothing and/or jewelry, especially if the clothing is revealing or suggestive
• A “boyfriend” who seems overly-concerned with her whereabouts or is otherwise controlling

If she is in trouble, you may be the only one who tries to intervene. If you need help or guidance, or want to report a suspected case of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888.373.7888.

The post Why Her? What You Need To Know About How Pimps Choose appeared first on Shared Hope International.

In July of 2012, a Toronto man saved a woman’s life by stopping traffic on a busy interstate as she stepped off of the bridge above it.  The coverage explains his behavior as “instinctive.”

But if it were, wouldn’t this heroism happen a lot more? Wouldn’t women feel less helpless and more secure if the men in their lives were physically there to listen, comfort and protect them?  The woman from this story was determined to jump into eternity.  But just as determined was a stranger that seemed to jump off a page of a Marvel comic book. Why? He noticed her and deemed her worthy to save. Which begs the question: “What made her worthy?”

For a fresh take on why men come to the rescue of women, I brain-picked Superhero film and comic fanatic /Youth Pastor of  Horizon Community, David Conlee:

1.  What’s your favorite superhero movie, and why?

Iron Man. His character, Tony Stark is deeply flawed, doesn’t have super powers, he’s not an alien, he wasn’t created by some industrial accident.  But he’s a man with resources who leverages it all to right the wrongs he sees in the world.

2.  Many of these films portray an ordinary man that discovers an injustice and inherently fights it. In 2002′s Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire keeps rescuing Kirsten Dunst, who continually finds herself in sudden danger. Is it instinctive for men to rescue vulnerable women?

I do believe that men desire to be providers…and because of that we want to solve problems, right wrongs, and rescue the “damsel in distress”.  Men want to fix things, so when a woman is in trouble it taps into this primal nature to save her and make it right.

3. What about you?  Presuming you were able, would you be less likely to rescue an unattractive woman?

Probably at least at a subconscious level.  Men are visual processors and physical beauty is a motivator for us.  It would depend on who she is and how much I would have to risk to rescue her.

4.  What’s your favorite romantic comedy?

I’m a sucker for Pretty Woman (ironic given the subject matter above)!

Remember Lyla from Part 1? This survivor of sex trafficking prefers a sappy romantic comedy to a superhero film any night…27 Dresses being her favorite. They let her visit a world where a girl is actually honored enough to pursue. Where she’s no longer alone. Her boundaries are respected, and he was there “to make her better”.  For 90-138 minutes, she’s transported out of reality, and into an almost giddy trance.

Why Not Intervene?

I think of that woman on the bridge and wonder if she felt there was no reason to go on living was because she didn’t believe she was worth a man’s time.  Whether it’s a “Good Samaritan” showing deep concern, or her husband or father offering non-performance-based love, I’m convinced that more men have got to intervene.

Men, you can make a conscious decision to intervene when you see a woman in desperate need, attractive or not. In doing so, you destroy the barrier of perceived inequality. She is made in the image of God just as you are, worth just as much as you are.

The barrier of making her prove her worth must be destroyed. How can she prove her worth if she doesn’t realize it herself?  Besides, trying to prove one’s own worth is exhausting.

I venture to suggest that she is worthy to be fought for simply because her lungs still hold breath and her life still holds purpose.

Chelan Rene’ Russ is an avid abolitionist, wife, mother, and blogger who lives in Portland, OR with her husband and 2 children. Visit her personal blog here. 

The post Guest Post: A Man to Fight for You (Part 2) appeared first on Shared Hope International.

Apr. 4 - Lion’s Roar News:  Nurses sponsor supply drive to aid human trafficking victims

Apr. 9 - Mansfield News Journal: Bill to reduce human traffic demand

Apr 16 - Duluth News Tribune: Local view: Human-trafficking act needs to protect all victims

Apr 22 - Oregon Faith Report: Human trafficking bill heads to Senate

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