advocate

“Assisted Suicide/Deniable Democide” my rewritten lyrics to Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” in response to the horror safeguarding failures galore assisted dying bill being rushed through the backdoor of UK Parliament

February 21, 2025 // 0 Comments

The rewritten lyrics of “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop into “Assisted Suicide/Deniable Democide” by Ruth Jacobs, writer and human rights advocate, critiques the rushed through Assisted Dying bill, which is avoiding vital parliamentary scrutiny by being pushed through as a private members bill, when something so significant that changes our society, how we value life and each other, and how we trust institutions and professionals meant to keep vulnerable people safe, and make the unwell well, not unalive them. It must also be disclosed which MPs, especially on the Assisted Death Committee, have shares in the companies that will spring up to provide death as a business. This bill has been repeatedly misrepresented by pro-assisted death advocates as safe, while removing safeguards and voting down amendments in Parliament that would have gone some way to safeguarded the vulnerable. It is unacceptable that fully informed consent to an assisted death is not a requirement. Nonconsensual sex is rape. Therefore nonconsensual suicide is murder. This bill’s ever loosening safeguards risk "deniable democide" targeting vulnerable populations, appearing to commodify death with an immoral approach to euthanasia, prioritising a political agenda and profit over providing the social and palliative care people need to live. Our palliative care is mostly charity run and inaccessible to most who don’t have cancer or aren’t white. Investing in helping people live is the moral imperative.

In the Booth with Ruth – Meg Munoz, Former Sex Worker, Trafficking Survivor, Ally and Rights Advocate

March 2, 2014 // 47 Comments

Too many human rights abuses are happening, too many opportunities being lost, and too many freedoms being denied... When you have those being trafficked being criminalized, we’ve got a problem. When you have sex workers being denied the full opportunity to engage, participate, and provide for themselves, something’s horribly wrong...

In the Booth with Ruth – Lori Adorable, Sex Worker and Sex Worker Rights Advocate

January 15, 2014 // 18 Comments

You can argue all day over whether the sex industry is harmful to women as a whole and workers in particular, but you can’t argue with the studies that show the Swedish model allows violence against sex workers to continue. You also can’t argue the fact that, were it to succeed, sex workers would simply find themselves unemployed. So clients may be ‘punished’, but the workers will be punished as well. If you want to help those in the sex trades who don’t want to be there, provide more options. Provide alternatives. Don’t just take this one option away.

In the Booth with Ruth – Kevin Jaffray, Drug Harm Reduction & Recovery Activist

October 27, 2013 // 24 Comments

Those feelings and the memories of feeling so alone are at the heart of everything I do in the field today. The empathy towards those who are living with the same feelings and fighting against the same demons and stigma that I felt during those years drives me to stay connected to those who are living with addiction and all its surrounding issues.

Niki Adams of the English Collective of Prostitutes Discusses Decriminalisation & the Merseyside Model

September 11, 2013 // 11 Comments

"Since 1975, the International Prostitutes Collective has been campaigning for the abolition of the prostitution laws which criminalize sex workers and our families, and for economic alternatives and higher benefits and wages. No woman, child or man should be forced by poverty or violence into sex with anyone. We provide information, help and support to individual prostitute women and others who are concerned with sex workers’ human, civil, legal and economic rights."

My most in depth article arguing for the Merseyside model to be made UK wide | The F-Word

August 22, 2013 // 15 Comments

The stigma against people in the sex trade cannot be denied. They suffer undeservedly because of that stigma at the hands of the police, and also at the hands of criminals who view them as 'easy targets'. As a stigmatised and vulnerable group, crimes against them are unequivocally hate crimes.

Victim-centred: The Merseyside Model – Ruth Jacobs interviewed on Policing Today (Part 2)

August 8, 2013 // 12 Comments

In the second part of an exclusive Policing Today interview, author and human rights campaigner Ruth Jacobs talks about human trafficking and the urgent changes needed to the criminal justice system’s attitude towards victims of sexual crime.

Founder of Once Upon An Eden and survivor of extreme child abuse, Michelle Carmela, gives her opinion on Facebook’s issue of child sex abuse images

August 2, 2013 // 19 Comments

I can understand Facebook wanting to protect freedom of speech. I can understand the company at times feels like their hands are tied. However, when children are seen being violated and exploited, it is essential Facebook remove these images. They must use common sense and seek to promote safety...

In the Booth with Ruth – Rachel Moran, Author and Survivor of Prostitution

July 23, 2013 // 11 Comments

I wanted to tell people the truth about all that I had seen. I wanted to record the degradation and the simple human suffering that’s an inevitable and intrinsic part of sexual exploitation, and I wanted, most importantly, to talk about how we can put a stop to it.

Chong Kim, a Survivor of Sex Trafficking, Talks About Eden, The Newly Released Film Based On Her Life

July 21, 2013 // 9 Comments

Eden is based on the real life story of sex trafficking survivor, Chong Kim, who was abducted at 19 years of age from Dallas, Texas. I met up with Chong in London to talk about the film and her life as a survivor and advocate.

Child trafficking survivor & advocate, David Zimmerman, speaks out about child sex abuse images on Facebook

July 13, 2013 // 10 Comments

Facebook could start by including better options for reporting violations of policy and criminal activity. There could be direct links to appropriate agencies for the range of crimes committed online, from child sexual abuse images and trafficking to cyber stalking and bullying. Facebook could employ a moderator system that allows faster detection and timely responses. There could be an active law enforcement presence...

In the Booth with Ruth – Gabriella Apicella, Screenwriter

July 11, 2013 // 2 Comments

I strongly believe that film is one of the most powerful tools for communication, and when iconic images stand in for real-world complexity this can reduce anything to stereotype. So much so that prostitution is all too frequently romanticised as in ‘Pretty Woman’, or demonised as in ’Monster’...

Staying Safe: The Merseyside Model – Ruth Jacobs interviewed on Policing Today (Part 1)

July 10, 2013 // 7 Comments

In the first part of an exclusive interview, Policing Today talks to author and campaigner Ruth Jacobs about the efforts being made by the Service to keep sex workers safe in Merseyside, and why violence against those in prostitution should be viewed as a hate crime.

The Merseyside Model Saves Lives – so why is it not being rolled out nationally? | Impolite Conversation

July 8, 2013 // 13 Comments

Not making the hate crime approach the national standard for people in prostitution is a hate crime in itself while women are being beaten, raped and murdered as the state looks the other way... If a particular policing approach was known to be achieving a 67% conviction rate for those who rape people in society in general, and yet it was only being used in one part of the country, there would be public uproar.