I went to see this film, Sex + Money, last Monday in my hometown. So many people showed up they had to open a second theater to accommodate the overflow! I was also very pleased to find that we had about eight representatives, senators, and judges in attendance (I would also like to note that not a single one of them was a Republican or Tea Party member). This documentary film was made entirely by a group of students who are investigating the state of modern slavery and human trafficking in the United States. By no means is it the greatest documentary there ever was, but it is fairly informative and the topic is one that is all too often glossed over in discussions of civil liberties and sex and labor politics. While the film provides a few insights on what potential factors make human trafficking and modern slavery possible and what is being done to put an end to it, they leave a lot of loose ends. But those loose ends provide several excellent starting points to start pursuing these issues and ideas further. Doing so can ultimately draw more people into exploring the ways sexuality and labor is treated both at home and around the world socially, politically, and economically.
The students who produced this film are now taking it on tour in all 50 states. If you peruse the website you'll see that they are still venue-less in many states. So, if you do live somewhere near where the film is showing, I encourage you to go. If you know someone who lives in a said venue-less state, give them a call and tell them to do something about it. If you feel like a one time showing just isn't enough for the people in or around your community, you can order a copy of the film and organize a screening. A considerable portion of the proceeds will go towards rehabilitating rescued victims of human trafficking and enslavement in America. The bottom-line is bring a friend to go see the film--you'll only have something to gain from it.
And for those of you who are interested in looking for a little extra inspirational mojo, check out The Education of Shleby Knox (2005). Watch a good, southern, Baptist girl rile up her town when she begins to openly oppose abstinence-only sex education in Lubbock, Texas--a school district with one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and contracted STDs in America.
