04/09/2018
HUGE VICTORY!
We use EVOX to help heal the trauma of s*x trafficking with Survivors that work with Elijah Rising.
Learn more here: https://www.ineedpeace.com/human-trafficking
On Friday, April 6, the website Backpage.com was seized and shut down by federal authorities. The site blatantly facilitated s*x trafficking and exploitation. Backpage has been shielded from prosecution for years despite the fact that people are posted and sold every hour of every day on this site. Currently, we are waiting to be informed about the charges against Backpage, but we watch with the rest of the world to see what will unfold.
Some have voiced concerns about the closure of Backpage impacting our outreaches and the women we serve. However, the shutdown of Backpage is a victory for survivors, not an inconvenience for the abolitionist community. Backpage generated 90% of its profits by facilitating the exploitation of women and children. The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children reported that 73% of their cases had a direct link to Backpage.
Throughout the statements of national and international activists, a consistent thread has been the understanding that Jesus, the Man of Justice has done this through His people, effectively bringing about historical change and impact to an entire generation. The full effects of government's actions have yet to be seen, however, irrespective of the fallout, we will leverage this momentum to continue to fight for a world free of s*xual exploitation.
We continue to fight for the innocence of our children. We continue to fight for the freedom of our daughters. We continue to fight for the dignity of our sons. Together, we will never, never, never give up.
Sincerely,
Micah Gamboa
Executive Director
