Portland Sex

The first country I ever visited was Cambodia.
Cambodia is a gorgeous place with people who are so kind and amazing.
But Cambodia is also known for something that isn't so amazing. 
Sex Trafficking.

When I came home, it was definitely something I have never forgotten. The images of girls no older than 14 walking the streets in dresses similar to what American girls wear to prom - the sign of a prostitute - will forever be burned into my mind. I was only 15 when I traveled to the capital of Phnom Penh. I was only a few years older than some of these girls and I couldn't imagine losing my virginity to the highest bidder.

Since that summer, I have had a passion for those who are bought and sold in the sex trade industry. I have looked at Cambodia as a place that needs prayer, needs help, and needs hope. But recently, I have found that this horiffic reality is much closer to home...

Right here in Portland, Oregon.

I came across THIS article that was eye-opening to what is going on just down I-5 from my home. Portland’s legal commercial sex industry is the biggest per capita in the country. "While Seattle has four strip clubs, and Dallas, another trafficking hot spot, has three, Portland has more than 50 all-nude strip clubs within city limits. One directory lists 40 erotic dance clubs, 47 all-nude strip clubs, 35 adult businesses and 21 lingerie modeling shops." 

Portland is now known as a national hub of sex trafficking. "A demand for sex workers, the city’s geography that provides easy access for traffickers, and its reputation as a progressive youth-oriented community attracting runaways creates a toxic brew rivaling the notorious red-light district of Amsterdam."

Indifference is no longer an option. The thought of little children, girls and boys, being sold for a couple thousand dollars, forced to have sex with grown adults, treated as property... To say its sickening is an understatement. Its gut-wrenching and appalling. The darkness that engulfs Portland has to be addressed. But what can be done? 

The End It Movement is an organization that is working to bring attention to the this hidden issue worldwide. Please, go check out their website HERE and see what you can do to help.

These children need us. The world needs us. Portland needs us. Its time to End It.