Private Dancer

Out in Washington D.C. on a business trip, I had the opportunity to hear Mira Sorvino speak on the subject of human trafficking, something I previously did not know much about. It's apparently a huge problem, and does not just involve bringing foreign people into the United States for sex or labor (which is bad enough), but also Americans being thrust into servitude of various varieties. You can learn more by visiting The Polaris Project.

Although there is a technical distinction between prostitution and sex trafficking (the latter involves no choice, the former a questionable amount of choice about whether to engage in the sex for money trade), the stories she told, particularly about sex trafficking, brought to mind this song:

Well the men come in these places
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names
You don't think of them as human
You don't think of them at all
You keep your mind on the money
Keeping your eyes on the wall

I'm your private dancer
A dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer
A dancer for money
And any old music will do

I wanna make a million dollars
I wanna live out by the sea
Have a husband and some children
Yeah, I guess I want a family
All the men come in these places
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names

I'm your private dancer
A dancer for money
I'll do what you want me to do
I'm your private dancer
A dancer for money
And any old music will do

I love Tina Turner, and this song, and although what is described in this song is depressing enough, it barely scratches the surface of the soul excoriating experiences (that's a Mira Sorvino phrase) of the victims of human trafficking. Here's hoping my awareness of the problem can help in some small way to bring an end to it, though I don't yet know how.

Perhaps it is enough for me to continue down the path of setting myself up to offer relief to victims of sexual abuse through yoga and compassionate communication. It definitely feels like there's a link there somewhere...