The Delta Democrat-Times from Greenville, Mississippi • Page 36

Prostitutes protest harassment Pope renews abortion jight DENVER (UPI) Dclwecn Iho sheets lobbying, media pressure and masquerade balls are among Hie devices modern prostitutes use in their campaign to end harassment and arrcsls, according to Die organizer of the national hookers union. "All you need for a basis is a hooker, a lawyer and a media person and you can really raise bell." said Margo SI. James, founder of Cast Off Your Old Tired Ethics, belter as COYOTE, during a recent Colorado speaking trip. The 20,000 member organization has fought tor decriminalization of the world's oldest profession for three years. Hookers have banded together with citizens to end harassment of ladies of the night.

Prostitutes, or working women as Ms. St. James calls Item, not only have to conlend with the traditional arresls for practicing their profession, but arc harassed by police when tliey repo a robbery, assault or a rape. "The cops come and and ask 'Who are you kidding' when a prostitute reports a rape," she said. "A lot of girls Women consider options PHILADELPHIA I Feminist lawyers and representatives of women's groups met Tuesday to consider legislative options to the controversial Supreme Court ruling regarding company health benefits for pregnant women.

In its 6-3 decision last week in a case involving General Electric the court said companies do not necessarily discriminate when they deny sick pay to women who miss work for childbirth and subsequent recuperation. "We're talking specifically how to curtail the impact of the GE case," said Alice Price, managing attorney for tlio Women's Law Project. generally, there are some louf.h issues surrounding questions about child bearing and child rearing responsibilities for women who choose to parlicipate over a long term in tire labor market," she said. Karen DeCrow, president of the National Organization for Women, said Rep. August Hawkins, and Sen.

Birch Dayh, were working on legislation to combat the decision. "The legislation might be a narrow amendment to the insurance law or something broader," she said. "We might just want to add some words to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. We really don't know the best way." Ms. DeCrow, a lawyer in Syracuse, N.Y., described the Supreme Court ruling as a "slap in the face to motherhood." "If people are paid sick leave when they're out for nose jobs, hair transplants and vasectomies, why not for childbirth?" she said.

Betty Friedan, a founder of the women's liberation movement, called the ruling the "worst of all of the decisions from the Nixon-Ford court." She said it "underlines more than ever how important it is to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed." are ripped off by their tricks and beaten but forget about gelling police help." Decriminalization, rather than legalization, of prostitution has been the major aim of COYOTE because working women would be free of government interference in the form of taxes, licensing and other regulations. "We have always preached lo clients about decriminalization and prostitutes liave always been pretty militant among themselves, bul now we are beginning to get the commurly involved," Ms. St. James said. One of the most effective tools liave been masquerade balls with the now annual event in San Francisco al- tracling more than 5,000 persons including Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLainc.

"Sure its kind of radical chic, but Ural's jusl fine with me," said Ms. St. James. "It's a good chance for the community to meet hookers face lo face and a lot of women really get off on dressing up like prostitutes." Task forces in l-i cities are the active Iroops in the hookers' cause, she said. The groups uru made up of hookers, lawyers, community members and interested persons who monitor the legislature and the police and Iry to change opinion.

T-shirts, and national speaking tours are other metlKXls Ms. SI. James uses lo swing public opinion. "Most sludies find lhat mosl people think the police have belter things to do lhan hassle prostitutes," she said. "It is just a matter of the lask forces making sure the cops realize it." "Ms.

St. James, a feminist, said the basis for criminalization is the inability of men to accept women's sexuality and Ihe double standard. "Everyone trades on sex look at advertising bul at least the whore is honest about it," she said. "And hooking is one of the few jobs where women get paid a they are worth which threatens most men." According to Ms. St.

James, the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in somestales has proved to be an effective lool for COYOTE because il requires equal enforcement of the law and the man must be arrested with Hie prostitute. Yule weed Clayton County (Ga.) Police IJL. William Raby adjusts the finishing trimmings on a G-foot "Christmas tree" in the department's office. The a marijuana bush--cnulrl grow as "high" as 15 or 20 feet when full grown. Santa's Gift Sale Have Your Ears Pierced FREE When You Purchase A Special Pair Of Earrings Have your ears pierced free u-tien you purchase a pair of 2IK.gold- plated, hypoalleirjenic, surgical, stainless steel, ball studs for jusl 9.99.

A trained will be in our fashion jewelry department Thursday-Saturday, December 1618. lo pierce your ears. "Since it went inlo effect, they have been arresling preachers, cops, doc- lors, sportscasters and lawyers with working women and that has made a whole lot of people more sensitive to the problems," she said. According to Ms. St.

James, GO to 90 per cent of a hooker's customers are politicians, something which gives prostitutes a unique opportunity to express their views. "You could say we have been sleeping with the but proslilules have traditionally used the encounters lo speak in favor of dccriminalizalion of what they do," she said. The campaign has been goitig well by Ms. St. James' estimation, although i parliciaption has occasionally backfired.

"One area got really hostile lo having proslilules in the neighborhood so the Irousewives dressed up in curlers, housecoats and sneakers to parade in front of Ihe girls' homes and scared all the (ricks away," she said. VATICAN CITY (UPI)--Pope Paul VI said Tuesday that abortion is and persons resorting to it doom themselves to "ever renewed crime asgainst life and persons i The 79-year-old pontiff made condemnation of abortion one of the main themes of a message distributed in preparation for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, Jan. 1. The message, enlarging on Ihe papal slogan, "If You Want Peace, Defend Life," also condemned the world armaments race, terrorism and police torture. "Every crime against life is a blow to peace, especially if it strikes at the moral conduct of the people, as often happens today, with horrible and.

often legal ease, as in the case of the suppression of incipient life by abortion," the Pope said. I thc of Lcland HI11C I CHIPPING HAMMERS Hypoallergenic Fashion Earrings While you are in our fashion jewelry depart- merit, don'l forget lo look at our large collection of beautiful hypoallegenic pierced earrings. Fasti ion ed in gold and silver tores, they're perfect for gifting! 3.00 to 5.00 values Shop McRae's in Greenville Mall Monday Thursday. 9:30 til 10:00: Friday Saturday. 9:30 til 11:00.

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