MeghanCarton

I have been a big fan of this podcast for months now and was so excited when I saw that the latest episode would focus on marginalized communities and the issue of sex trafficking in America. It was therefore surprising to me that so little attention seemed to be given to those who had experienced trafficking. It was wonderful to hear how Ms. Tagouri works to break down barriers and find common ground among different groups. And I wish there could have been more attention paid to those who frequently do not have a voice in the sex trafficking narrative - like the young men who are trafficked for sex - particularly gay and trans men. Those who were compelled into the sex trade through force, fraud, and coercion (the definition of trafficking) and those who were sold over websites like Backpage and Craigslist - websites which the FOSTA and SESTA acts target. Being able to understand the full depth and breadth of all forms of trafficking - sex and labor - and how it affects different communities is a critical part of ending human trafficking (or modern day slavery) in the United States. Since January is Human Trafficking Awareness month in the United States I would invite everyone to learn more about how you can help support those actively working to end trafficking, raise up survivors' voices, and commit to ending trafficking. A great place to start is the non-profit whose board I sit on - Collective Liberty (www.collectiveliberty.org) - whose CEO just received the international Thomson Reuters Stop Slavery Award for her work to raise awareness and combat this issue. Sign up for our listserv or follow us on Facebook or Instagram as we spend the month highlighting stories about how human trafficking manifests in the United States and as we spend 2019 working towards a better world. We would also love to start a dialogue with Getting Curious. The more we know, the more truth is spread, the better we can make our world together.