Bad Date Book
Encyclopedia
A Bad Date Book is a written record that circulates in cities that have a high concentration of street based prostitution
. It contains reports of bad dates (violent clients who see prostitutes), describes the incidents, and frequently provides a description of the person, the vehicle, and the license plate number of the offender -- sometimes a picture of the person is included. Bad Date Books are published periodically and handed out to sex workers on the street. Reports are usually collected by outreach workers who are distributing the list. Sometimes information comes from the police or the media, complete with composite drawings or photos. The Bad Date Book can serve as a warning system, so that sex workers can avoid cars and clients who fit descriptions on the list. Bad Call Lists have also been made available to sex workers who advertise and work over the phone, and reports are often collected over the phone.
The first Bad Date Book was published in Vancouver, Canada by the “Alliance for Safety of Prostitutes” (ASP) in 1983.
A ‘date’ is the term sex workers use to describe a meeting with a person for the purpose of sex for money; a 'bad date' is a term describing someone who abused or abuses a sex worker
.
Many organizations produce a "Bad Date Book" including:
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. It contains reports of bad dates (violent clients who see prostitutes), describes the incidents, and frequently provides a description of the person, the vehicle, and the license plate number of the offender -- sometimes a picture of the person is included. Bad Date Books are published periodically and handed out to sex workers on the street. Reports are usually collected by outreach workers who are distributing the list. Sometimes information comes from the police or the media, complete with composite drawings or photos. The Bad Date Book can serve as a warning system, so that sex workers can avoid cars and clients who fit descriptions on the list. Bad Call Lists have also been made available to sex workers who advertise and work over the phone, and reports are often collected over the phone.
The first Bad Date Book was published in Vancouver, Canada by the “Alliance for Safety of Prostitutes” (ASP) in 1983.
A ‘date’ is the term sex workers use to describe a meeting with a person for the purpose of sex for money; a 'bad date' is a term describing someone who abused or abuses a sex worker
Sex worker
A sex worker is a person who works in the sex industry. The term is usually used in reference to those in the sex industry that actually provide such sexual services, as opposed to management and staff of such industries...
.
Many organizations produce a "Bad Date Book" including:
- Sex Professionals of CanadaSex Professionals of CanadaSex Professionals of Canada is a Canadian activism group. SPOC was formed in 2001, and campaigns for decriminalization through public education and legal challenges to decriminalize Canadian prostitution laws....
- COYOTECOYOTECOYOTE, or Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics, is an American sex worker activist organization. COYOTE's goals include the decriminalization of prostitution, pimping and pandering, as well as the elimination of social stigma concerning sex work as an occupation.Though it is frequently described as a...
(in New York) - WISH (in Vancouver, BC)
- Crossroads (Alberta, Canada)
- Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Centre (in Vancouver, BC)
- The Bad Date Coalition of Toronto
- Street Workers' Advocacy Project (Saskatchewan, Canada)
- Bad Date Sheet Intervention Project (Tacoma, WA)
External links
- BadDates.ca - National database
- Gregoire, L. (2003). AVENGE THE DEAD, BUT REMEMBER THE LIVING. Vue Weekly.
- Woolley, P. (2006, August 10). Local shootings are business as usual. Straight Talk.
- Black, D. (2005, August 4). Prostitutes Identify `Bad Dates' on Website. Toronto Star.