(23 Oct 2008) HEADLINE: San Francisco to vote on Prostitution
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CAPTION: San Francisco would become the first major U.S. city to decriminalize prostitution if voters next month approve Proposition K, a measure that forbids local authorities to investigate, arrest or prosecute anyone for selling sex. (Oct. 23)
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NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.
(locator - San Francisco, CA)
(cable car nats)
SAN FRANCISCO IS KNOWN FOR IT'S SCENIC VIEWS AND LIBERAL POLITICS. BUT IF VOTERS HERE APPROVE PROPOSITION K NEXT MONTH, IT WILL ALSO BE THE FIRST MAJOR U-S CITY TO DECRIMINALIZE PROSTITUTION.
Patricia West, Sex Worker, says: "This is about basic human rights. This is about giving the community of sex workers here a voice. We want to be able to organize for our rights and safety, form labor unions, work collectively."
22-YEAR-OLD PATRICIA WEST HAS BEEN SELLING SEX FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW BY PLACING ADS ON THE INTERNET. OTHER SEX WORKERS ADVERTISE IN NEWSPAPERS. A FEW STILL WALK THE STREETS. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS WORK.
Patricia West, Sex Worker, says: "There have been times when I've had a crime committed against me by a client that I didn't feel empowered to go to the police and talk to them about it because they're going to view me as a criminal myself."
"Mariko" hands out flyer on street and tells passerby: "We want to decriminalize prostitution in San Francisco. It's gonna be voted on November 4th."
SOME SEX WORKERS ARE HANDING OUT FLYERS TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW HOW THEY FEEL.
"Mariko", Sex Worker, says: "Knowing you're not hurting anyone when you're working but you have to fear the cops busting into your private bedroom or your hotel room and having them invade your private space and interrogate you about the sex you are about to have or already had."
Haven Daley, The Associated Press, says: "But the mayor, district attorney, police department and much of the business community oppose the idea, contending it would increase street prostitution, allow pimps the run of neighborhoods and hamper the fight against sex trafficking.
Kamala Harris, San Francisco District Attorney, says: "This is not about being compassionate and frankly this is not about that movie Pretty Woman. Go home and rent it if you'd like to see that. But if you want to pass Proposition K you're going to have the exact opposite effect. You're going to basically give a green light to the sexual exploitation of women and girls."
SEX WORKERS HERE DISPUTE THOSE CLAIMS AND SAY THEY'RE OPTIMISTIC SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS WILL PASS THE PROPOSITION.
"Leila", Sex Worker, says: "We're a very progressive city. We're full of open-minded people and we've always been on the cutting edge of human rights. We recognize here that every person deserves to be safe and protected and healthy no matter what your legal status is."
LAST YEAR SAN FRANCISCO POLICE MADE MORE THAN 15 HUNDRED PROSTITUTION ARRESTS AND EXPECT TO MAKE A SIMILAR NUMBER THIS YEAR. HAVEN DALEY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, SAN FRANCISCO.
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