File #988: "Stiletto - Volume 2 Number 1.pdf"

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Vol.2,No.1

"communicating for the purpose of prostitution"
The newsletter of the Canadian Organization for the Rights of Prostitutes

u

In this issue , ....
Walking the tightrope

Drawing by Catherine

In memoriam: Farewell to Patrice

Here's to you ... my love

News: John beats the rap, More
goods on Gord, A new home for
hos, Soliciting the "suits"

Cupid's arrow
Drawings by Catherine
sex is our
Strolling into an education

Plus: Resources, Courtwatch,
Incredible Jerk Award, Just for
Laughs

h t
y lover and I lie in
bed, totally wrapped
in each other. The covers
have been kicked or thrown
off and even our cat is a little
reluctant to join us. We've
just had sex, we may do so
again -- she doesn't want to
get caught up in our passion.
The sun is high in the sky,
we've been making love all
morning, and now its light
streams into our apartment.
Both of us are wet and sticky
and the bedroom smells like
a cheap brothel. At times our
apartment does serve as a
brothel, as I work -- but she
doesn't. She's right on
though; when her friends ask
her about my work, she
replies, "I'm glad she has a good job."
She states this simply and matter-offactly, the way it should be said.
I slip my tongue into her mouth and
slide my hand down between her legs.
My phone rings. The Panasonic clicks
into life then begins to whir, as my
outgoing message is being played.
Another click ... will the caller leave a
message on my machine? Most tricks
don't. We listen and wait.
"Good morning Miss Highcrest, this is
Mrs. So-and-So from the Ontario Ministry of Health ..."
"Cheese it Slit, it's the sex police!"
shouts Karen. We instantly uncouple
ourselves, sit up, and begin frantically
covering ourselves up, all the while
laughing hysterically. Once I was able to
control my laughter, I answered the call.
Later we discussed what happened.
Our playful, humorous reaction to the
phone 9all is based on fact, although the
MOH are not the sex police. Regular,
gun-toting cops can be, as any
relationship involving a prostitute is

r1

1111

I

against the law in this country.
My lover has a straight job, a good job,
but because she spends as much time with
me as she can, she could be charged with
living off the avails of prostitution -pimping. She is not my pimp; I give her
· money or buy her things because I wish
to. That's illegal, because I'm a whore.
She can give me money regardless of
how she gets it. It's perfectly legal for me
to "live off the avails" of teaching,
managing, cab driving; .. even bank
robbing or other criminal activities, but I
could not legally accept money from her
if she were whoring. What of love?
Because I am a prostitute, I am not supposed to have an ongoing relationship
with anyone, other than the sort where
time is measured by the hour. Legally, I
cannot have a lover, friends, or acquaintances. If I were a parent, even my child
could be charged with pimping once he
or she turned twelve. Are we "not fit" to
associate with anyone other than our
dates? Bad laws for bad girls. No other
vocation is discriminated against in this
2 !Stiletto

manner. No other group of
people has their personal,
private life criminalized as
we do. The pimping law
does not affect prostitution,
the act; the law affects
prostitutes, the people, and
their partners.
The bawdy house laws -which get us for working
inside, and the communicating law -- which gets us
for working on the street,
punish us for what we do.
The laws that affect our
personal relationships penalize us for who we are.
Under Section 212 of the
Criminal Code, any person
who "lives with or is habitually in the company of
a prostitute ... lives on the avails of prostitution" and as such "is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years."
Under the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms, every Canadian's "freedom of association" is considered fundamental, and guaranteed -- unless you're a
prostitute. More so than any other law,
the pimping law affects all of our relationships, professional or otherwise.
We've been told that this law will protect
us from coercion. What it really does is
criminalize love, friendship, and companionship.
Does all this affect my love relationship? Will it ever? No! Our love affair
will continue, it will grow and flourish. If
Karen and I ever take simultaneous
prostitution related busts (me, a workrelated offence; her, an associationrelated offence) I only ask one thing of
the administration at the West. Stick us in
the same cell. We'll only need one bed.

Alexandre Highcrest

John beats the r p
n May 5, 1989, Stephane Gonneville was driving down Murray
Street in Ottawa when he saw a woman
who looked like she was working. He
stopped the car and asked her how much
she would charge him for a blow job. She
told him forty bucks; he said he only had
$25. She agreed to his price and told him
to meet her down the street.
When he did so, Mr. Gonneville was

0

arrested and charged with "communicating for the purpose of obtaining the
services of a prostitute." The lady of the
night, it turned out, was Holly Logan, an
officer of the Ottawa police force. So far,
there's been nothing unusual about this
incident (except the low prices!).
Mr. Gonneville decided to plead "not
guilty" to the charge and this past summer he finally had his day in court. On

August 16, 1990 -- a couple of months
after the Supreme Court came down
with its decision to uphold the communicating law -- Judge Beaulne delivered
his decision to acquit Mr. Gonneville of
the charge. Judge Beaulne was persuaded by the arguments of his lawyer,
Mr. Denis Cadieux, that Mr. Gonneville
was not guilty because he had not, in
continued on page 4

Dolores French, at left,
escort and author of Working, a
about her wild
adventures as a globetrotting whore, was in
Toronto for a few days in
mid-December. She was
brought
her
nnl!TIIO in Atlanta to be a
Shirley
Maggie's
dazzling visit.
discussion
centred
international
prostitutes' rights movement and the current
political climate in the
United States.
Look for more of Dolores'
work in Hustler magazine.
Photo by Konnie Reich.

Stiletto/ 3

fact, offered to pay for the services of a
prostitute, since Holly Logan was not a
pro but rather a police officer.
Needless to say, the Crown was not
amused and so has appealed the judge's
decision. That appeal should be heard, in
French, sometime early in 1991. The
Canadian Organization for the Rights of
Prostitutes (CORP) was asked to be an
"intervenor" in this case (as CORP did in
the Supreme Court case). Denis Cadieux
will make the request on behalf of CORP.
Stay tuned for further developments.

Crystal

More goods on Gord
The "Gord Junger Story" gets longer and
longer - and more complicated all the
time.
First, the Ontario Attorney General

investigated the cop who resigned, rather
Affairs in general, not just the Junger
than being fired, last March after the
case. Internal Affairs, as that part of the
Internal Affairs department learned that
police force which is supposed to investihe was running an escort agency with his
gate police misconduct, has been in for a
former girlfriend. The A-G (under the old . lot of flack lately, as you can imagine.
Liberal government) decided that there
When the inquiry began in October, its
was "no basis for criminal charges" and
first order of business was to decide who
wouldn't say anything more about the
got "standing" at the hearings -- that is,
case -- officially because an investigation
who got to have their lawyers represent
by the Ontario Police Commission (OPC)
them to intervene on their behalf. The
was set up last June. Of course the
OPC granted standing to Metro Police
resignation agreement the cops made
Chief William McCormack, the Internal
with Junger stipulated that there would be Affairs department, the Metro Police
no criminal charges laid.
Commission, the police's Public ComThen, the OPC began hearings in late
plaints Commission, Gord Junger, and the
October which continued for a couple of
escort who used to be his girlfriend.
days in mid-December, and for half a
One of her lawyers, Daniel Brodsky,
day in early January, when it was adargued not only that she ought to have
journed until the end of February. The
standing at the inquiry but also that she
inquiry is being conducted by a panel
should not have to pay her own legal
consisting of Julio Mendez, Jean Beaupcosts. She was ordered to appear before
rie, and Chairman Frank D' Andrea, and
the inquiry but she is no longer working
is to examine the operation of Internal
as a call girl and couldn't afford the costs.

Incredible Jerk Award
The latest from the Cabbagetown goon squad: we
don't know who they are, but we know they're jerks!
Photos by Konnie Reich.
4 !Stiletto

The Solicitor General decided to pay her
costs, but only on a legal aid scale, and
the government will only cover the costs
of one of her two lawyers, so Brodsky
and fellow lawyer Marlys Edwardh will
take turns representing her.
The December and January hearings
consisted of other police Internal Affairs
departments presenting unsworn evidence
about their own procedures. This will
continue from February 25 to March 1, at
which date a block of time is to be set
aside to carry the hearings through to
their conclusion. At that time, the details
of the Junger case will be examined, as
will presentations from the public and
concerned groups.
Meanwhile, the reason Junger's former
girlfriend went to the press in the first
place was because Internal Affairs had
refused to return tapes of incriminating
conversations between her and Junger
that she needed to pursue a paternity suit
against the cop. The tapes have since
Volume 2, Issue 1 -

been returned, and the woman has given
birth to a baby boy.
Finally, reporter Alan Story, who broke
the Junger story in the Toronto Star, was
fired by the Star because he agreed to
appear before the OPC inquiry. The
Star's reasoning was that they owned his
research on the case, since he did the
work while in their employ. Presumably
they don't want to jeopardize relations
with the cops, who are, after all, their
primary "news source."
Crystal

Signed articles represent the opinions of the
authors only.

Editor: Alexandre Highcrest
Contributing to this issue: Catherine,
Crystal, Delilah, Gwendolyn, Alexandre
Highcrest, Jackie, Laura Jacobs,
Will Pritchard.

Laura Jacobs

Court watch
In this new year, Maggie's is going to
begin a court watch. I plan to be in the
courts a couple of days during the week,
so if you see me, please come up and say
"Hi." If you would like someone to assist
you, or even to just keep you company
while you're in court, give Maggie's a
call at 964-0150. We want to keep track

February 1991

is the newsletter of the
Canadian Organization for the
Rights of Prostitutes - CORP.

of who the good lawyers are, how tough
each judge is, which cops are making the
most busts, how the arrests take place,
and anything else that can help the next
pro going into court. If you know the
score, and how the game is played, you
may be able to do things to improve the
legal odds -- to tip the scales of justice in
your favour. Let's work together.

-~--¥·*-~ n·:,1t::ri;

1

. . .t.i

Gutter utterings

Crime in the wilderness - Gutter utterings, a play by artist/poet/playwright and
Cabbagetown street ho Helen Posno will
be presented on February 16 and 17 at
11:30 pm as part of the 13th Annual
Rhubarb Festival. Call 863-9455 for
further details.

1

New coffee house hours

Maggie's, Toronto's Prostitutes' Resource Centre has changed its coffee
house hours to 10 pm to 2 am on Tuesday
and Wednesday nights. Stop by, load up
on safes and have a hot coffee. See ad on
page 6 for more details.

Production: Will Pritchard.
Address: Box i 143, Station F,
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2T8

Telephone: (416) 964-0150
Call or write for advertising rates.
Deadline for Volume 2, Issue 2 is
March 8, 1991.

to work soon, the
gang at CORP/PSSP
misses you!
Photo by Dan Huziak.

Contributors retain copyright on all signed
material. All other material© Stiletto 1991.

Stiletto! 5

A new home for hos
On December 5th, Maggie's, Toronto's
Prostitutes' Resource Centre, formally
opened their doors to the city's pro
community. The evening featured good
food, good conversation, and a fashion
show, courtesy of Mary Lou Patchell, the
proprietor of the He & She Clothing Gallery. Maggie's is the new home of the
Prostitutes' Safe Sex Project, and the
Canadian Organization for the Rights of
Prostitutes, and both groups were well
represented by staff and members alike.

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I

A number of working women visited
the centre, and the conversations were
very diverse, ranging from safer sex
practices, to Mary Lou's beautiful fashions, to, of course, hard-core prostitution
politics. It was an evening of sharing
experiences, tricks of the trade, opinions,
and friendly gossip. I was there with my
lover, a member of CDP, the Campaign
for the Decriminalization of Prostitution,
and both of us felt that a good time was
had by all.
Maggie's is a drop-in centre, staffed by

Cond

Alexandre Highcrest

"suits"

s

It's a cold winter.
When the street is dead,or the phone isn't ringing,
come by your dub for a hot coffee and a chat.
NEW COFFEE HOUSE HOURS:
Tuesday-10 pm to 2 am
Wednesday - 10 pm to 2 am
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday- 10 am to 6 pm
Tuesday -10 am to 6 pm
As always, the coffee and condoms are free!

7
I

s

298 rrard Street East, u111.1uuirs
Toronto, Ontario
267 (41

whores, for all working pros; a place
where you or I can go to have a coffee,
warm up on a cold night, and discuss
whatever we'd like, without fear of being
hassled. Maggie's is also a visible indication of the growing prostitutes' rights
movement here in Toronto.
Drop by, score a coffee and a few free
condoms, and say "Hello." Get a taste of
whore power. And remember, this is your
centre, so come in and let us know what
you think.

150

Two days following our formal opening,
the staff and volunteers of Maggie's
hosted a light, come-and-go buffet for
local politicians, our board members, our
funders, interested folk from agencies
involved in the fight against AIDS, and,
yes, even the Metro Police. The cops are
going to check the place out anyway; we
may as well let it be done out in the open.
The turnout was very good, as your
centre, the first of its kind in Canada, has
garnered a lot of interest, and support.
We were all kept busy answering the
questions directed our way, and
Gwendolyn's film Prowling By Night was
shown to many interested viewers.
Conversations focused on safe sex
practices amongst prostitutes, our clients,
and our lovers, and I feel that many
people left Maggie's that afternoon a
little more educated about the realities of
the business than they were when they
first walked in.
In conclusion, both events were quite
successful, and I think special thanks
should be extended to Laura and Chris,
who organized both buffets, and to Will,
who designed and created Maggie's
striking sign, which looks so damn good
at night. And thanks to everyone who
helped make Maggie's a reality; our
funders, our board members and volunteers, and of course to the whores involved in CORP and PSSP, who've been
busting their asses for years. Right on!

Alexandre Highcrest
6 !Stiletto

liiBa:i-·----~~
High fashion at
Maggie's.
Jennifer Ryan, one
of the lovely models
from He & She
Clothing Gallery,
shows off a piece
from the store's silk
lingerie collection
at Maggie's opening.
Check out their
wonderful wares for
yourself at 263
Queen Street East.
Campaign to
Decriminalize
Prostitution member Karen Maki
visiting from
Thunder Bay, won a
$100 gift certificate
from He & She
donated by the
store as a doorprize.
Photo by Dan
Huziak.

Stiletto! 7

ti
T

tr

here are so many ways that this man
whom I call lover has affected my
life. I feel like I'm walking a tightrope,
and if I take one wrong step, I'll fall. I
have never allowed anyone to get this
close to me before, and the fear of losing
him really gets to me sometimes. What
will happen if he should ever learn my
"dark secret?" I've
stopped doing
many things in my
work that I had no
problem with
before, because
some things "don't
feel right anymore." It can be so
hard to be in love
when you're a
prostitute, especially when you
have to hide this fact from the man you
love.
Each day I live with the horror that he
will find out how I earn my living.
Perhaps one of my friends or acquaintances will accidentally let it slip. Maybe

I'll forget to put the second phone away,
or leave a few phone numbers out, or,
God forbid, a condom wrapper. Will he
find a used condom carelessly thrown
into the garbage instead of flushed down
the toilet? What if some client decides
'that he wants to come over without
calling? Each time the doorbell rings, my
heart leaps to my
throat. Finally, and
worst of all, what
if the love of my
life should happen
to drop by when
I'm in bed with a
client? If any of
these things should
come about, it
would mean an
end to my relationship and to the
first real happiness that I've ever found.
Feeling this insecure also makes it
difficult for me to deal with other problems that we have, so instead of dealing
with them, I let them slide. For example,
sometimes when he says things to me that
8 !Stiletto

hurt, I let them pass, and they build up.
So even if he never finds out that I'm a
prostitute, I might flip out and tell him to
hit the road simply because I feel guilty
about hiding this from him, and overcompensating in order to calm my own guilt.
Can anyone tell me what the answers are?
People tell me that I should come right
out and tell him, because if he can't
accept what I do for a living, then, as the
expression goes, "There are lots of fish in
the sea." My reaction to this is that they
don't know shit! In 28 years, after being
with hundreds of men both professionally
and in the dating scene, I have found only
one man who can make me feel this way.
It's obvious, to me anyway, that a man
like him is a very rare commodity. Don't
get me wrong, he's no saint, and neither
am I to want so much in a man, but we
have real love and that's so rare, and
worth trying to maintain. Besides, the
thought of waiting another 28 years for
another man to come along doesn't tickle
my fancy.
Not only has my love life been affected
by my business, my business has been affected by my love life. I've developed an
intimacy barrier in order to continue with
my work. Whereas before, as long as the
client's breath wasn't horrendous I didn't
mind kissing him; now I can't stand
kissing dates at all. I've had to drop a few
clients who demand that I kiss them and
give them "romantic lover type" service.
I also had to change my hours of work,
which really didn't bother me too much.
Instead of working nights, I only work
days, even though everyone knows that
most big money dates usually happen at
night. So this relationship has really hit
me hard on the business side as well.
Despite all the changes that have happened and the money I've lost, I'd do it
all over again. I hope that we can work it
out and be together for a long time to
come. No one ever said that relationships
are easy. I guess I'll just continue to walk
my tightrope, and hope for the best.

Laura Jacobs

r ' t
A

s we come upon this "official"
season of romance, many of us take
maybe yet another, or perhaps a rare look
at the individual whom we call our lover - the one person with whom we share ourselves for free. Well, when you are used
to commanding a high price for this
privilege with relative strangers, the
significance of a private relationship is
somewhat magnified. I have taken this
time, as each year passes, to either reconfirm or re-assess the relationship I am
in. If I am not involved at all, this is a
great time for me to do business. Actually, it is a great time to do business one
way or another -- that being my point.
Many years went by during which I had
to duck, hide, sneak and lie to do my job.
The last two years, however, have been
quite different. That is because my lover
is fully aware of who I am and what I do.
In fact, I get support in accordance with
however I am feeling -- whether I have
had a good day or a bad one. What I get
- more importantly -- is non-judgemental support. In the past I have examined
how my work has affected my relation-

1111

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ship. Much of this was due to my own
mixed emotions. I somehow felt hypocritical as a result of my involvement
with someone who I felt would judge and
ultimately reject me for doing something
which I feel empowers me. I questioned
myself extensively ... "How could I be
in love with
someone who
really wouldn't
love all ofme? ...
Was I pretending
to be someone I'm
not? ... How could
I sit by quietly
while someone so
close to me
expressed an
ideology which
was so contrary to
my own? ... How could I 'theoretically'
discuss my viewpoints without giving
myself away? ... etc., etc."
As you can see, that could have gone
on forever. I gave up pretending and
dumped the relationship. The next lover I
took, I was up front with -- about every-

I
thing -- this is who I am -- this is what I
do -- right now I'm happy with my own
arrangements -- if you can't handle it
then don't get involved with me. Well,
this person did get involved ... and boy
did I have a lot of habits to unlearn!
Here was someone who loved me and
was saying, "Hey,
what you do with
your body is your
business -- I don't
own you." Now
this was
something I had
been saying to
others for fifteen
years ... finally I
could relax. The
mutual admiration
and respect which
came from this was incredible. My lover
also became my "buddy." When I went to
see a client I said where I would be, who
I was with and when I should return or
call. If I didn't call at the expected time I
knew my lover would be ripping down
the door -- or whatever else was necescontinued on page 12

Stiletto! 9

1-----\
I

h

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10 !Stiletto

raw1" gs

e
ening party to kick
There will
off an exh1b1tan ciatherine's work on
of

?~

Friday March 22 , 1991
10 pm
at
. 's
Maggie
8 Gerrard St East at Parliament
29
(Upstairs)

d

invited guests

pros anWELCOME

Some works w1·11 be for sale.

Stiletto! l l

sary -- to ensure my safety. I had new
strength and confidence, I was even
admired for my ability to handle my job
and be a pro.
Of course we discussed the safe sex
issues at length and our honesty made this
much easier to deal with. While all of this
was very positive for me and my relationship, it was also very good for my work -up to a point. Describing this "point" is as
difficult as describing love. Suddenly,
certain barriers were gone -- I had
nothing to hide. I no longer had the
distraction or confusion in my personal
life, but I also no longer had that part of
my personal power/anger trip in my
professional life. This really changed a
lot of things about my relationships with
clients.
Suddenly I was much choosier, worked
less often, or found myself thinking of my
lover while I was with clients. Suddenly
certain things became sacred to me. The
bottom line is; this year I am thinking of
how my relationship is affecting my work

instead of vice-versa -- and it is certainly
affecting my work. Those things which
have a lot of emotional significance to me
with my partner, I no longer wish to share
with my clients. The first of these things
is kissing -- NOWAY! As a rule I don't
like to anyway, purely for health reasons
-- but now I am somewhat repulsed by
this phony attempt at real intimacy.
My stance has become a little "hardline." "This is my job -- we can be
friendly -- but not intimate." To me
intimacy is the emotionally involved aspect of sex. Never before has the difference between fucking and making love (if
I may use an old cliche) been so painfully
obvious. Sex with my partner is a powerful method of communication; we have
no restrictions, no stigmas. Often, we
make love to break our defence barriers
or release tension between us ... or between us and the rest of the world. To
me, the ultimate in our sexual expression
of feelings is anal sex. This involves total
relaxation, trust and vulnerability. The

significance of this act was demonstrated
during a particularly "spiritual" session
with my lover. The soul-to-soul connection put me on cloud nine -- high on
endorphines -- not drugs.
This is where my relationship's effect
on my work really takes hold. I have two
clients who take particular delight in assrelated sex of one form or another and
reward me accordingly for indulging
them. The problem is, I no longer wish to
see them -- at all -- for anything. I just
don't want to share this very emotionally
important act with someone who I am not
in love with. I can no longer separate the
sex from the emotions.
In addition, right along the same line -getting off with my partner, experiencing
the physical manifestations of the pleasure of sex -- is now all tied up with my
emotions. This makes any attempt by a
client at "giving me pleasure" a
supremely ridiculous charade -- during
which pretense has become somewhat
strained. Now if the client had never had

r----------------,
I wish to receive Stiletto, the
newsletter of the Canadian
Organization for the Rights
of Prostitutes.
Name _____________
Address----------C i t y - - - - - - - Prov---Postal Code - - - - - - - - Telephone ( _ _ ) - - - - - Check one:
D Individual subscription at $1 0;
D Supporting subscription at $20;
D ... ..,... ,,.-., subscription at $30;
for 6 issues
I am enclosing a donation of $ _ __
Mail this form and a cheque or money order
made payable to Stiletto, to:
Stiletto
Box 1143, Station F
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8

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I
L ________________ J
12 /Stiletto

things any other way, all would be fine.
This is, unfortunately, not the case. Very
good pretense and occasional realism was
always on the menu -- now it's not and I
may simply have to recommend another
eating establishment, if you'll pardon the
pun.
Many clients do understand, much to
my initial amazement. "What's the matter
... are you in love?" So clients are
human too. Many are happy for me and
although they mourn the loss of their
favourite pastime, they do realize money
can't buy them love ... only a semblance
thereof.
On Valentine's Day, 1991, I salute my
lover -- the one who provided me with
the historical information of times dating
back to when ...
" ... throughout western Asia and
Greece, women were dedicated to a life
of prostitution in honour of the gods.
" ... when women of noble families
were dedicated to Gilgamesh Ishtar, the
goddess of fertility and also the goddess
of prostitution, in the city of Babylon.
" ... when sacred prostitutes who
supplicated to Aphrodite during the
Persian invasion were honoured by
having their portraits painted."
And here's to my clients, who must
have remembered the following passage
from The Jewel in the Lotus -- read
during an impassioned 60s education and
applied some thirty years later...
"Long before the time of Aholah and
Aholibah ... the oldest profession in the
world claimed holy eminence. The prostitute wore the laurels of womankind, for
hers was an ancient and honourable position. She was sought after while other
women were merely chattels."
Have a safe and sensual Valentine's
Day.

Delilah 1991

11111

I

T

he point of cupid's arrow
is as sharp as it is narrow
Love hurts it's never fair 0
What to do
Let you go or try to change you
Be myself or re-arrange who
Weare
ONLY a couple of parts in the puzzle
But when we nuzzle it fits
When we're together
I don't care whether
it snows
or the whole world blows up
But when we fight
Nuthin's right
Love hurts
Once I asked a date
What it was about me he liked
(fishing for compliments)
He said:
"I like you because you're so feminine
You want so much to please."
Let me fall into your arms
Surrender to your charms
Just tell me what you want me to do
How should I look?
Give me a clue
Is the glass half empty
or half full
Awwwwww
Our cup runneth over

Stiletto/ 13

'

r
It is a bitter brew
But I'll drink it
Suck it back
for you
for you
At home sweet home my sweetheart said:
"Don't talk about work
I don't wanna hear it
Something in that tone
Makes me afraid for you
I hate your work
I fear it
I don't want to share you
He's just some jerk with the money
And he comes first."
Green is the colour of money
Green for growing
for jealousy and knowing
Love heals
Life is a puzzle
The pieces are all over the place
The BIG PICTURE is NOT A TRJCK
It's ABRACADABRA
Wave that magic wand
And we're in the money honey
My honeybun said:
"Don't talk
I'm gonna count to ten
Lie Down
I'll have my way with you
And then ... "

continued on page 14

school
When I wore my T-shirt with the bateau
neckline
A teacher asked me to go to the front of
the class

But I told you I was tired
And you said:
"You're NOT tired
You 're afraid of being intimate
You can't love
That's why you're a Whore!"

And show off my top
Quit the business for my significant other
Went to George Brown College
Took apparel pattern Drafting and
Sewing
It was an eight month course
I stuck it out for 90 days
There was just one happy moment at

Right ON

I only ever had one lover
And She
And She
Wasn't enough.

SERVICES
General medical practise - - doctors and nurses available
Support for abused and battered women
Social services and housing assistance
Personal support and counselling
Safe - sex information
Free condoms
Needle exchange
Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese interpreters available
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday 1Oa.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
Clinic staff are also available on The Works' van
Tuesday afternoon and Thursday evenings.

Parkdale
Community
Health Centre

1257 Queen Street West
0fVest of Dufferin St.)
Phone 537-2455

Some sweethearts of the golden hearts
Misunderstood their role
Believe it is their duty
To save our body and soul
"You're such a lovely girl
Different from the rest
I'll take you from this gutter
'Cause you deserve the best"
0 princess Charmin'
It's alarmin'
That you should presume the right
to rescue me.
Why do you need to see me
As a victim
Does that get you off?
Being superior
Being on top
I often find myself playing a role with
you
We're living an illusion
I'm supposed to be Poor Baby
You keep control AND you Get Wet
Well girlfriend
I'm tired of pleasin' everybody else
How about me for some small change
OR BIG BUCKS BABY
You might as well be a trick
I'm supposed to entertain you
Never fear I won't detain you
from gettin yours
My history is foreplay for your wish
come true
But your wish is NOT my command
My pleasure is to treasure
Not plunder
If you want to spend some time with me
Understand reality
This is MY geography
I ply my trade with dignity
Accept my work
OR get off the map
Dear darling sweetcream
Honey bun dream
Give me something upfront
0 The point of cupid's arrow is sharp.

Gwendolyn 1991
14 !Stiletto

LIST
THIS IS
DATES.
OF
OUT FOR THEM,
AND AVOID THEM!

:nally

No,infact,yaupayJess. TheHSTisre .
.

lldjus!ed
sexual 17J.ations. Persons from
of
are required 10 pay an additional SO 17 ....
xample,
mak
, lhe"
• ,- encounter 111
e up ,or u- lack of activity Similar!
.d
G~ Bay may lleduc1 S0.76 fro~ their
enu of
IO account for socio-cultural variatio

E10::ke, f::1e=r

•oThelO.!al< only applies if you achieve climax. So relax
.,
1~ when you wanna do · R

come.
I!. elax, when you wanna

lists are updated weekly
and are distributed on the
street by the staff of the
Prostitutes' Safe Sex Project.
If you've been assaulted,
harassed or ripped-off by a
date, call us anytime and
tell us what happened!

Canada's HST. Let's come together.

I•

We ask for details about
the incident only.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO
GIVE US ANY
INFORMATION ABOUT
YOURSELF.

pa~Z:t

'

Revenue and
Taxation Canada

This priceless parody comes to us from Frank magazine.

Thank you to Jamie, who gave us
the idea for a new button from
CORP - ask for one from any pro
who works for PSSP, or drop by
Maggie's at 298 Gerrard East and
pick one up! (See the ad on page
six for hours.)

A FREE SERVICE .. 24 HOURS
Stiletto! IS

~~
tr 11 i
i t
ti
O

n November 1 of last year, I started
working for the Prostitutes' Safe
Sex Project as a part time AIDS educator,
doing the stroll in Parkdale. Boy, has this
been an education. In the beginning, I
thought that the working girls I saw on
the street were so different from me. I
thought that all the things that were
happening to these women were terrible,
and I felt I had to do something to assist
these people in protecting themselves.
I still see the violence and harassment
of the street girls as horrendous actions
that no one has the right to inflict upon
anyone. I also see this as not just some
news story involving a stranger, but as
something that could happen to myself,
someone I know, or someone I could get
to know. And I've learned something
pretty basic about street prostitutes.
Whenever I thought of the street
women before I got involved with the
Project, and CORP, I pictured them as
these tough, scary women, much like the
stereotypes we all have heard about. Although I would've said, with real conviction, "Escorts and call girls aren't like
that," I didn't know anything about street
girls. I would only see them working as I

drove by, on my way somewhere. When I
began doing street outreach for PSSP I
was actually scared when I approached
the first street pros I met, asking them if
they needed any condoms. However, the
women I approached looked a little
apprehensive about me!
I've talked with many street prostitutes
since then and I've learned that they're
not so very different from me. For the

most part I find these women very
pleasant. We all eat, sleep, dream, laugh,
and cry -- just like everyone else. I will
also say that most of us pros, no matter
where we choose to earn our money, have
a great sense of humour. I guess what
I've been trying to say is that, whether
working inside or outside, a prostitute is
just another person, like anyone else.

Laura Jacobs

r

4

(Please use Sherbourne St entrance of All Saints Church.)

Strictly; GClmfiBemtial amEI ma tiassles.

16 IStiletto

7

II

r
T

o those of us who knew her, the
death of Patrice O'Donnell leaves us
torn between relief and grief. I was particularly close to Patrice, in fact she was
arrested for being at large at my apartment when she was diagnosed with
AIDS. I write this in sorrow because I
miss the terrific person she was, but I
know that now she no longer suffers.
I remember the sister I never had,

p rk

fri

found in Patrice, who was warm and had
beauty in her personality. The fact that
Patrice helped others to deal with her
disease was so typical. Not many people
have the gift to make others laugh and be
happy the way Patrice did. The Patrice I
knew would take me for coffee and a
sisterly chat when I was down, or just
needed someone to talk to. She was also
very open about AIDS and tried to get

I
I
1111

I
165 Dufferin Street (south of King), Toronto, Ontario
(41 531
11
HOURS:

10 am to 6 pm
Tuesday

10 am to noon and 2 pm to 7:30 pm

Wednesday

2 pm to 6 pm

Thursday

noon to 7:30 pm

across to people that AIDS and unsafe
drug use can go hand-in-hand; in fact she
was a living example of this.
Patrice didn't want grieving and sorrow
over her passing from this life. And she
didn't want to have died in vain. This was
a woman with a lot of guts and spunk, the
type of person who left a legacy for
others concerned about safe sex and drug
use. I will miss her, especially when I see
flowers opening up to the sun or hiding
from the rain - such were her moods.
Unpredictable, fun-loving, but serious
enough to open up with the facts of her
slow passing from this world.
Only people who have known great sorrow or hurt could really understand where
she was coming from. I remember telling
one of the hos in Parkdale the time of the
eulogy to Patrice, and she put her head
down and said she didn't want to talk
about it, she also was a friend of Patrice's. Well hey, I was hurting too but
Patrice would not have wanted this, selfpity wasn't her trip, despite what some
people think.
Sure Patrice made some mistakes, these
days you don't get AIDS if you are
careful. It's not like it was when the
disease could be transmitted through
blood transfusions. I realize also that
Patrice had anger in her, that's why for
the last year she gave condoms to
women, in a bar we frequented, with real
determination. The anger was there, but
at the disease, not at the people. We
talked together and at great length, and I
will always remember her words of wisdom and strength, from someone who
knew it would only be a matter of weeks
or months before death silenced her, and
eventually silence her it did.
But the words of wisdom and love she
shared with others will not be silenced.
Silence in this case would be wrong and
would only lose more lives to a disease
we all have to learn to fight.
I remember when I introduced Patrice
continued on page 18

Stiletto/ 17

:111······s1flllllfi-11······:··.1··!
to another pro; Patrice asked me if she
was a working girl and I replied, "Yes,
she is." Patrice looked at her wistfully
and said that she must make a mint with
her looks. Little did Patrice realize that
the eyes mirror the beauty of the soul,
and in Patrice's eyes we saw real beauty
shining through. My life has not been the
same since Patrice entered it a few years
ago, and she gave me not only encouragement but hope, and a dream that will not
die.
Unfortunately I had an asthma attack
and was not well enough to attend
Patrice's service, but from what people
who attended have related to me it was a
beautiful service. Condoms were passed
around in a basket and everyone sang
Happy Birthday to Patrice. Those were
Patrice's wishes. She, like everyone else,

must have had her bad points. But I
didn't know a selfish, or hateful, Patrice
- and not many of us can leave a legacy
like that. Live and let live was Patrice's
motto, and judge not, because judgement
has a habit of coming back on you.
Maybe in time we can all learn the truth
of Patrice's words of wisdom to people
involved in the sex trade, or using drugs.
Recently a friend told me that I have
very beautiful eyes, eyes that are expressive, and I cried when I remembered the
last person to tell me that-- my friend
Patrice. Let us not allow her to have died
in vain; let us rather spread the same
message that Patrice did, and as valiantly.

The newsletter of
90's Ladies and Friends,
a group working for the
repeal of laws against
prostitutes.
OPT
1125-9th Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814,

USA

Shared in Sorrow
Jackie, 1991

1111

I

for birth control and sexually
566 Church St., at Wellesley,

me 's Clinic
hours:

Oldest
Profession
Times

I
diseases
floor, Ste. 2

phone

Mon, Wed, Fri - 10 am to 3 pm
Tues & Thurs - 4 pm to 8 pm
by appointment

STD drop-in (no appointment necessary)
Tues & Thurs - 4pm to 6pm

Men's Clinic
hours:

phone 922-0603

Mon & Wed - 4 pm to 9 pm
Tues & Thurs - 10 am to 2 pm
Fri - 4 pm to 7 pm
Sat - 10 am to 2 pm

WORKING
GIRL

no appointment necessary

Free and confidential health care services.
Hassle Free does anonymous HIV testing.
18 /Stiletto

A magazine published by the
Prostitutes' Collective of Victoria

PCV, 131 Grey St, St Kilda,
AUSTRALIA 3182

Pissed off with
your lawyer?
Legal Aid
College Park - 598-1260
Old City Hall - 598-0200
University - 598-0200
Parkdale Community
legal Services
531-2411
Neighbourhood Legal
Services
961-2625
Justice for Children
(under 18 years)
920-1633
lawline
978-7293
Dial-a-law
947-3333
Lawyer Referral
Service
(includes free one hour
consultation)
947-3330

Call CORP at 9640150 and leave a
message on our
machine. We can help
you find the kind of
legal advice you need.

AIDS Committee of
Toronto
464 Yonge Street
926-1626
Alexandra Park
Community Health
64 Augusta Avenue
364-4107
Bay Centre for Birth
Control
790 Bay Street, 8th
Floor
351-3700
Birth Control and VD
Information Centre
2828 Bathurst Street
789-4541

Davenport~Perth
Community Health
1944 Davenport Avenue
658-6812

South Riverdale
Community Health
126 Pape Avenue
461-2493

Nellie's
(for women)
275A Broadview Avenue
461-1084

Hassle Free Clinic
556 Church Street
Women 922-0566
Men 922-0603

The House
(planned parenthood
youth clinic)
368 Prince Arthur
Avenue
927-7171

Robertson House
(for women)
291 Sherbourne Street
392-5650

Niagara Neighbourhood Health Centre
674 Queen Street West
363-2021
Open Door Centre
(needle exchange)
315 Dundas Street East
366-7124

The Works
(needle exchange)
660 Dundas Street West
392-0520
EME!ii~l§JlruCY
SHEl/,lffiEffil1

Parkdale Community
Health Centre
1257 Queen Street West
537-2455

City Hostel
(for families)
674 Dundas Street West
392-5500

St Lawrence Health
Service
45 Lower Jarvis Street
864-6000

Seaton House
(for single men)
339 George Street
392-5522
Stop 86
(for women under
21 years)
922-3271

416

Street Health
(free nursing services)
863-1610

Stiletto is your voice. If you work in the sex trade and
you've got something to say, send it to us and we'll
publish it. The next deadline for submissions is
March 8, 1991. Please send written articles (preferably
typed or printed), artwork or photographs to:
Stiletto
Box 1143, Station F
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Artwork and photos will not be returned unless otherwise
requested. Please do not send your only copy!
Stiletto/ 19

(daytime drop-in for
women)
416 Dundas Street East
928-3334

Street Haven
(for women)
87 Pembroke Avenue
967-6060

Daily Bread Food Bank
will tell you locations of
food banks near you.
769-5155

tr

I

rf t r

1111

1n

Most prostitutes use condoms with our tricks, but like so many other people, some of us think we do not need
to use condoms with our lovers. Many people get AIDS from lovers they think are healthy - from lovers
who don't know themselves that they are carrying the virus.
If someone will not use condoms with you, chances are they have had sex with other people without a condom. People are not always honest about what they did before you met them.

A lot of people get AIDS from sharing a needle when using drugs.
If you shoot drugs, do not share a needle with anybody, not even a lover. If you do not have your own
needle, clean the needle first. Draw bleach into the needle and squirt it out a couple of times to kill viruses
and germs. Then do the same thing with water.
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