Bay Area

The Case Against SB357: Black, Vulnerable and Trafficked

Facts and reality establish that passing SB 357 and similar legislation harms Black communities which are some of the most vulnerable and traumatized people in America. When the ACLU co-authored SB357 and claimed that full decriminalization of sex work would improve public health and safety, whose health and safety were they referring to?

Published

3 years ago

May 10, 2023

Oakland Post

The exploited, whether they identify as survivors of human trafficking or independent sex workers, should not be criminalized. The problem is that the ACLU and social service agencies align with proponents of decriminalizing sex buying knowing that Black girls are the most impacted by an increase in demand.

PART 7 – Not all Sexual Exploitation is Equal and Black Girls Get the Worst of It

By Tanya Dennis and Vanessa Russell

Facts and reality establish that passing SB 357 and similar legislation harms Black communities which are some of the most vulnerable and traumatized people in America.

When the ACLU co-authored SB357 and claimed that full decriminalization of sex work would improve public health and safety, whose health and safety were they referring to?

Authors of this article are proponents of the equity model which would decriminalize exploitation for the exploited and provide exit services, while continuing to hold sex buyers and exploiters accountable.

There range of opinions about this topic is vast. Some advocates are looking to cure human trafficking with criminal convictions and longer sentences, without simultaneously prioritizing investment in prevention and intervention care for BIPOC communities.

Others, such as those who support SB357, are advocating for full decriminalization despite the knowledge that demand for sex from marginalized and disempowered communities will increase.

Groups like Open Society Foundations, which is funded by George Soros, pushes for full decriminalization and states in their “Ten Reasons to Decriminalize Sex Work” white paper that decriminalizing the act of sex-buying will improve human trafficking response rates.

In their report, they note that New Zealand, which fully decriminalized sex work, was “doing great work on human trafficking.”

Melissa Farley of Prostitution Research had a completely different perspective on sex work decriminalization in New Zealand. In her white paper, she noted that after New Zealand’s decriminalization of prostitution, “the violence and sexual abuse continued as before” and “sex workers felt that the law could do little about violence; that it was an inevitable element of the sex trade.”

The other unanswered question raised decriminalizing sex work is what happens to those who remain in the industry even though they want to get out. Reports in New Zealand say that sex workers no longer receive job training or housing advocacy.

Some of the loudest voices in support of SB 357 are those of privileged people who do not understand the implications of these policies that disproportionately harm Black women and girls. They fail to understand that not all forms of sexual exploitation are equal.

Elizabeth Quiroz, a survivor who was sold at the age of 16 and trafficked throughout the Bay Area, has a strong reaction to full decriminalization.

“Fully decriminalizing the sex trade will promote human trafficking in our communities and expose our most vulnerable populations, such as people of color, to additional violence and trauma,” Quiroz said. “Without accountability for the buyers and exploiters, even those who enter the industry on their own free will can eventually become victims of human trafficking.”

The logic outlined in the ACLU decriminalization white paper and legislative position reveals the authors have not considered the health and safety of Black women and girls.

SB 357 has not provided alternatives to police intervention. Those interventions could include

paid ubiquitous outreach
survivor advocacy across the state
exit services such as housing
workforce development
mental health services

The mental health service providers should be required to be familiar with the systemic oppression in Black communities and understand the dangers of the street trade, which is where Blacks women and girls are the most vulnerable and the most exploited.

Tanya Dennis serves on the Board of Oakland Frontline Healers (OFH) and series co-author Vanessa Russell of “Love Never Fails Us” and member of OFH

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.