Columbia High School Community Service Definition: Community Service Is Defined As A: Fill & Download for Free

I applied to 19 schools (I considered an honors college as a separate one). Majority of them were in-state (NYC/Upstate area, Long Island), with 8 of the schools being out of state. I’ll include some of my stats as well as a short description of how they are presented the way they are, and what school I’ve decided on at the moment.BackgroundBlack/ First Generation College Student (both of my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago).Middle class family.My public high school is split into 3 communities, not actual schools. This was part of the plan when the school was first created, as it allowed for more student focus since they were put into 3 different communities. At graduation, we would have 3 salutatorians and 3 valedictorians.Class Rank: In my community, I rank 2 out of what I think is 85 students.Test ScoresSAT: 1190/1600 (640-EBRW/550-Math)21/24 on the essayACT: 25 (I didn’t report this score in any of my applications)AP English Language and Composition Exam: 3My school only offered a few AP classes, as the way they were ran made the material much simpler than it was supposed to be. I had only taken AP US History, Environmental Science, Psychology, and English Language. I was expecting to take English Literature and Statistics in my senior year, but before it started the two courses had been removed. This was the only course in which I passed the following exam for, everything else was a 2.Senior Year CoursesCalculus: this wasn’t an Honors or AP course, it was mainly a standard one.Senior EnglishRegents Chemistry (In NY, certain subjects have a test you take at the end of the school year called the Regents)Dual-enrollment classes at CUNY Queensborough Community College. For my senior year, I’ve taken a second level Psychology course known as “The Psychology of Adjustment”. I’ve taken my fourth course, overall, known as “Introduction to Criminal Justice.”Government: Our (high) school is run on a semester system. The first semester was dedicated to economics, and the second was dedicated to Civics.Participatory Budgeting and Justice: This was a special course, as I believe only 40 schools were selected to offer this course. The school received $2,000, and our principal matched that, so we had $4,000 to work with. Throughout the course, we learned about budgeting and government proceedings, as we had also worked to give a voice to school opinions and determine what they would like us to improve with the $4K. After conducting a survey vote, our school had spent the money on improvements on bathrooms (although I don’t think that change could materialize since the COVID-19 pandemic closed down our schools).Student/Senior Government: This is both a class and a club, as once every week we meet up to discuss events that we can hold for the student body and what can be done for the seniors.Physical EducationExtracurricular ActivitiesNational Honor Society member since 10th GradeSchool Beautification Club co-founder: I founded this club along with 3 other NHS members. It mainly started off as cleaning up areas of the school and trying to promote a much cleaner environment, as I was hoping we could’ve done more than this. Unfortunately, it had to be halted given all that was occurring. I received the Leadership award along with my 3 other founders from our school’s NHS.Fencing: I only did this in the 11th grade and then the coach quit :/Church Lector: Every Saturday I would help out at mass by participating in the daily readings since the 10th Grade.Field Biology Internship: For 8 weeks, I participated in an internship at a nearby park and its nature center. I conducted some small research regarding the environment, where at the end of the internship we had to prepare a presentation on an environmental topic based on the research we conducted. My topic was simply about Climate Change.Student/Senior Government: see description under “Senior Courses” section.“Herstory”: This was a writing club headlined by my Sophomore and Junior Year English teacher. It was partnered with Adelphi University, as every week we would come together and collaborate. We would share pieces on topics ranging from mental health to loss of a loved one, as would provide positive feedback and suggestions on what can be done to improve it for the next time. In the end of each semester, the club would have a final reading where we all gather and share the culmination of our weeks work.Teaching Intern: This was part of another class I took in Junior Year, in which we were required to attend an internship with one of two neighboring elementary/middle schools. I was assigned to a first grade class, which grew very fond of me including the co-teachers for that course. I helped teach some lessons, ensured that the students were completing their work, and cleaned the classroom and organized files for the teachers (some of this may have sound mundane, but as the year progressed I helped along with other interns in decorating a hallway in preparation for some of the school’s bigger events).CollegeNow: This was the program that offered the dual-enrollment course(s) I had taken. We earned real college credit that can be applied towards the college that we go to (dependent on if the credit matches any course that we would have to take). I’ve done this since junior year.GPA: My school went by a 100 system, and the last I’ve checked, my cumulative GPA was a 97.36 weighted.Letters of Recommendation: I got one from the person who I always help every Saturday at church, the professor at my dual enrollment course(s) for psychology, my Chemistry teacher (who was also my Biology teacher sophomore year), my Spanish teacher (he had known me for the 3 years I was in his class), and my Algebra 2 teacher (we got close, and she liked me as a student throughout the year I was in her class). When I write this part of the answer, it did seem like a lot of letters to have.My common app essay was about my ability to succeed in a speech contest at elementary school despite having a speech disability, where I managed to grow into a succeeding person at high school. Felt a bit generic, but after getting it edited it seemed to be something much more deeper to me.Here are the college decisions. I applied to most of these for Regular DecisionAcceptedCUNY Hunter CollegeCUNY City CollegeCUNY Brooklyn CollegeAdelphi University: I was accepted to this school through an on-site admissions** program that my high school offered.Long Island University-Post : I was also accepted to this school through an on-site admissions program at my high school.SUNY Binghamton: This was considered to be one of the best SUNY schools out of those that were in the system.University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: I was a bit surprised to be accepted to this school. I applied here because I wanted to move to Minnesota in my adult life, or when my career began. This school felt like more of a target for me.Penn State-University Park: I liked this school as well, and was happy to be accepted. However, I don’t think I would attend this school given the lack of financial aid they provided me. :/Hofstra University: I was also accepted to the Honor College (which I don’t think I applied for). I got the Dean’s Scholarship, which was $26,000 per year. I don’t think I’ll attend this school either, given it’s short distance from where I live.** On-site admissions is when an admissions counselor from a college visits your high school, reviews your application and then immediately tells you whether or not you have been accepted to said college.WaitlistedSUNY Stony Brook University: I was a little surprised to see that I was offered a spot on the wait list. I declined it however since I wasn’t too keen on attending this school. Plus I knew there were other applicants who wanted to go to this school more than I did.University of Michigan: This is my dream school! I knew it was a competitive school, but I fell in love with the atmosphere and the academics as well. I was also surprised to see that I was considered up to the point I got this decision, but upon reading the letter, I immediately accepted the offer. I’m still praying and hoping for good news from this school (l listed 4 majors for this school and attached 3 letters of rec. That probably could’ve been why I’m in this position as well).RejectedBowdoin College: I didn’t submit my test scores for this school since it was test optional. I thought my essays and some of my achievement would help in my application, but I guess not. I also had a slight feeling this would happen given the competition among the other applicants.Boston University: This one stung for a little bit. I first woke up on the Saturday that the decision was posted, checked my email and found that the decision was available. I logged into my portal only to see that I was rejected. I wouldn’t really mind going to this school since it’s pretty great academically and it’s in Boston, which is a pretty nice city. However I did see the average SAT range, and I didn’t think the academic rigor at my school would help given the caliber of this one.Yale University: I toured the campus and attended an info session the July before my senior year started. New Haven did have its sketchy parts and moments, but I fell in love with the campus and the vibe that the school exuded. I know my test score(s) weren’t exactly the best, nor the courses I had taken, but I still took a risk and applied. I completed the application a few days before it was due, and managed to get them edited, but when I revisit the supplements, it still felt a little bit mediocre to me.Columbia University: I couldn’t really tour this school, but I still applied regardless. I hadn’t really exposed myself to much classical material as I thought Columbia had expected, but I still provided lists of my interest in literature and entertainment. Again, a little bit stunned yet still had a strong expectation this would happen.Brandeis University: I was stunned by this one as well. I had help in the college application process by two people. One person is from a service known as UStrive and the other was a former student from my school who goes to this college. He checks up on me to see how I’m doing and helps guide me through anything I need to complete for the sake of the process. I even referenced him on my application when it asked for all the sources I learned about Brandeis from. I was on the phone with him when I was opening up the status update, but again as me and him were both stunned to see that I had been rejected. I didn’t submit my test scores as I instead used a graded paper from my Government class. I guess I underestimated how competitive this school was as well.New York University: I had originally expected this to happen to me, despite how well I crafted my application. I was a little bit down when viewing the decision, but it was a bit expected given that over 85,000 people applied here for the CO2024. Plus I’ve also heard that the financial aid NYU gives out isn’t really helpful, so to say. My parents also liked this school, since their medical school is free for any student that attends NYU. I toured the school in Junior Year and loved it especially since it was in the Greenwich Village area.CUNY Macaulay Honors College: I actually expected this to happen, but I only applied since I felt like it was worth a shot given my academic standing.CUNY Baruch: I didn’t have any strong feelings towards this school, and by the time I got a decision from them, I had already committed to another college.University of Michigan: *see the second update at the bottom of this post*As of now, I’m mainly looking towards committing to SUNY Binghamton, as it still provides a traditional college experience I’m looking for and has a pretty good value with it, that is unless Michigan accepts me (I’m hoping that they also provide some substantial financial aid despite my being an out-of-state student, if the acceptance happens).Reflecting on this process, I definitely would’ve changed some of the things I had done, starting with studying more for the benefit of improving my test scores. I also would’ve limited the amount of EC’s I had listed, since I probably should’ve kept only some of the ones that were the most meaningful to me or I dedicated the most time to. More time could’ve also been put into crafting my essay and writing supplements. I understand that the college I go to doesn’t define my worth or abilities as a person, even if an elitist part of me tells me otherwise. In the end, I still managed to make my parents proud, even despite the rejections from the schools that had plentiful resources and opportunities. Overall, the college application process was a pretty interesting time during my high school years, as it also had taught me more about myself in ways I wouldn’t have thought to look at.I had applied to most of these schools for Psychology, but I am now interested in studying Neuroscience for the Pre-Med track. I’m open to hearing any advice on how to adjust to the college life as a first-generation student, and if anyone is studying Neuroscience or is a Pre-Med student. I’m also open to hearing your opinion on how the major is and any study skills that might help. I’ll come back to this post later once I make my decision or if anything has changed before my final high school year ends.Last Note: I had contacted the admissions office and my regional counselor for Michigan about whether it’s acceptable to send a letter of continued interest, and they said no (I first asked the counselor via email, where he thanked me for the email and appreciates my interest in the school). I simply ask, if you’ve been waitlisted, how was your experience? Did the school accept you off of it? If not, what school do/did you go to?UPDATE: I apologize for being extremely late on not updating this post at an earlier time, but here I am now. I’ve committed to Binghamton University! I still haven’t heard anything from U of Michigan, but I feel that I’d be better off going to Binghamton for the time being since I’m already deep in the process of preparing to start the Fall 2020 term.SECOND UPDATE: Again, apologies for not being timely on updating this post. On July 24, I got an email from U of Michigan in which I had been rejected (or in other words, am unable to attend the school since all of the remaining spots had been filled up). U of M did say that I am welcome to apply as a transfer student, preferably when I am a rising junior. For now, I’ll enjoy my first two years at Binghamton (planning to major in Neuroscience for Pre-Med) and decide where I’ll go from there. I look forward to starting my time at college.THIRD UPDATE: I’ve finished my first semester at Binghamton. Overall, it was a rather interesting experience transitioning from high school to college. I’ve learned how to properly manage the classes I’m taking (Rate My Professor helps), and next semester I intend to develop a stronger work ethic, and a more rigid study routine and schedule. I did manage to pass all my classes, but I know I can do much better in the coming months and years.

I was emailed a copy of this by a friend who wanted me to answer.First what is an assault rifle? An assault rifle is defined as a weapon firing an intermediate cartridge its ballistics fall between a rifle cartridge and a pistol cartridge. A intermediate cartridge is less powerful the a full power battle cartridge. A example of a full power cartridge is the British 303, Russian 7.62x54, USA 30–06 Springfield, and the German 7.92x57 mauser. The intermediate cartidges have an effective range longer then a pistol. This is important and cannot be stressed enough because it fills a gap in reduction of combat effectiveness of the enemy. In other words an enemy with no holes in them is 100% combat effective and a huge threat, an enemy with 0% combat effectiveness is dead and no threat time to focus fire on enemy assets of higher threat value.The second most important part of an assault rifle is what's called a selector switch. Generally they are located on the side of the assault rifle within thumbs distance of the grip and trigger on the lower receiver. They are usually 3 positions on civilian models, those being safe in the forward position, semiautomatic in the up position and safe in the rearward position. A assault rifle is capable of safe forwards, semi auto upward or burst fire like the m16, and automatic fire rearward. Another civilian selector switch is safe forward, semi auto upward, and binary rearward.What is binary? Binary means you fire one round when you pull the trigger and upon release you fire a second round. This is not automatic fire which is defined as firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger or if the trigger is held in a depressed position. The ATF ruled pulling and releasing the trigger is seperate actions and cannot therefore be considered for the purpose of law as automatic fire. For that reason bump fire or slide fire stocks are legal. The gun slides back into your shoulder from the backward force called recoil removing your finger from the trigger allowing the trigger to reset to the none depressed position. When the inertia of the recoil is reduced forward pressure from holding the barrel or forgrip under the barrel causes the gun to slide forward hitting your finger and depressing the trigger to fire the next round. To be clear, your finger does not move, the gun does. It does not modify the internals of the firearm in anyway to make it a machine gun even if it has both a binary trigger or a bump/slide fire stock because it cannot fire more then 1 bullet if the trigger is held in the depressed position. This is important as most of these so called assault weapon bans call for banning barrel shrouds. A barrel shroud is a cosmetic sleeve that goes over a barrel to keep your hands from touch a hot barrel. Common examples are well the ar-15, and the Winchester model of 1897 which sometimes had a piece of stamped sheet steel over the barrel called a heat shield.This automatic fire is part of the definition of a machine gun which is heavily regulated by both the national firearms act and the 1986 known as the firearm owners protection act put heavy restrictions on assault rifles and machine guns. These two laws restrict and control their sale and ownership. Legally transferable machine guns must be manufactured prior to 1986. You must wait 6 months or more following your application and a very thorough investigation into every aspect of your life after of course you pay 200 dollars for the application fee. You must maintain the record of your approval and you may at any time have atf officers show up unannounced to “view” your firearms and make sure you own them legally. There is however a legal way to own automatics of any kind made after 1986. To do this you must hold a federal firearms license, firearms are divided into 3 classes. Class 1 is firearms, these are firearms that do not fall into any classification of a firearm. A great example is a Mossberg shockwave. It is not a pistol, it does not legally meet the requirements to be a shotgun, and its not a rifle. Its a firearm. The 2nd class are class twos. These are anything that falls under the atf requirements to be a pistol rifle or shotgun. Anyone can buy these providing they do not violate the murky quagmire joke called state law. I say that the state laws are a murky quagmire joke cause they are so drastically different from state to state. I own an antique revolving shotgun. Surprise yes they exist, mines a 1855 10 gauge colt. I live in Rhode island. It is legal here, yet in Massachusetts and Connecticut as well as New York my 1855 10 gauge colt is illegal. We share a maritime boarder with NY. I cannot drive up to Maine to go hunting with it as I would be transporting an illegal assault weapon! Then there is class 3 which is grenade launchers, grenades, mines, working rocket launchers, assault rifles, surpressors, any other weapons, machine guns, short barrel rifles and short barrel shotguns. To sell them you need to be a SOT (special occasional taxpayer). To buy them they must be legal in your state pay 200 bucks and get a thorough vetting. Machine guns post 1986 are called post dealer samples. You must have your SOT as well as have a letter from a law enforcement or government agency saying wed like to test a machine gun before we buy them to outfit our employees. Only then can you legally have a post dealer sample in hand. I repeat MUST BE A SOT DEALER for this, it is illegal if any other dealer is in possession of a post dealer sample.So now you understand the assault rifle in depth. The assault weapon? There is no legal definition prior to 1994. The 1994 assault weapons ban defined assault weapons as being able to except any detachable magazine, having a pistol grip, collapsible stock, or a barrel shroud.Here's the issue the colt m16 and by extension the ar-15 which does not stand for assault rifle but armelite rifle was banned under the 1994 assault weapon ban. It is largely recognized at least among the gun rights group it was a ban on cosmetic features only. Look at the ruger mini 14. Under the 1994 assault weapon ban the mini 14 was legal but the ar-15 was illegal. They both fire the same caliber bullet, accept a 30 round magazine, have the same rate of fire, and are the same in terms of power and lethality. So why did one gun get banned and the other did not? Cosmetic appearance. The ruger mini 14 was used in 2 shootings during the 1994 weapons ban. The first being the 1999 Edgewood Baptist church 7 dead 7 wounded and 1998 Thurston high school 4 dead 22 wounded.So clearly the assault weapon ban which was touted as a way to reduce gun crime failed. The ban was woefully ineffective across the board. The fbi even said it did next to nothing to stop gun crime. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services in 2003 reviewed all laws that were on the books and concluded insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of the laws reviewed to prevent violence. This was echoed in 2004 by the national research committee, the department of justice, the jerry lee center of criminology and the national institute of justice. The firearms banned made up roughly 1.7 to 4.8% of all gun crimes depending on which study you believe. I say that because if the studies drew from the same data pool it shouldn't be varying by 3%.So because of the marginal effect it had the choice to not renew the federal assault weapons ban of 1994 was made by the sunset clause which basically was a lets try it out if it does not work we can let it pass and remove it from the law book.The law was heavily challenged during its time. It was unfortunately not challenged as a unconstitutional under the 2nd amendment which I'm a firm believer that it and other laws like the 1986 firearm owner protection act and the 1934 national firearm act as well are in violation. To say no frank your wrong it only applies to muskets, I must say then your freedom of speech only applies to English from the 1700's and your unlawful search and seizure only pertains to soldiers making themselves at home or rummaging through your belongings looking for evidence of wrong doing.It is doubtful after the landmark cases district of Columbia v. heller and mcdonald v. City of Chicago that the law would of been allowed to stand at all.Edit: Forgot to mention. The term assault weapon is sometimes used in the military. A good example would be the riflemans assault weapon of 1977. This is was a close support rocket that could be fired from the m16. It saw very limited use with the USMC. A better example was the mk-153. The mk-153 is a shoulder fired rocket launcher designed for anti fortification as well as anti tank. It is better known as the smaw.The first use of the term assault weapons in politics is a distinction to which Art Agnos is never credited. He was arguing for his bill in committee in 1985 in California. When he was on the floor trying to get support for a ban of all weapons that can hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition when he said, “The only need for assault weapons is to shoot people.” His bill was defeated and never made it out of committee. However the truth about the democratic gun control agendas new low would not be until 2013 with the Washington post who published josh sugarmann's 1989 paper on assault weapons.“Assault weapons—just like armor-piercing bullets, machine guns, and plastic firearms—are a new topic. The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons. In addition, few people can envision a practical use for these weapons.”Art Agnos's seat in California is now filled by Dianne Feinstein.I will leave this edit with this. I was taught the value of life and the power of weapons in all their forms. My brother at 6 years old thought you could make a once fired bullet jump back into the gun until it was in a prefired state. This was quickly remedied with the traditional range day. A day where friends and family members gather their firearms and ammunition to teach responsible use of firearms. Range rules are observed. Targets placed in a field and a spray painted firing line created that you cannot go over until all firearms are unloaded and made safe. I got to see first hand yeah sure tiny hole in a cinder block but the back side of it is gone. The gun can easily kill and you cannot take it back once you pull the trigger. This was a lesson taught to my niece and newphews this past summer. I was also taught that a car is not a car. It is a weapon that weighs thousands of pounds and can easily kill someone as well.I believe the democrat politicians are mentally ill. The reason for this is their gun control agenda and their rational. When someone uses their car irresponsibly be it drunk driving or purposely running their vehicle into crowds of people the democrats are quick to blame the driver and rightfully so. When it comes to firearms though that rational thinking goes out the window. In the wake of tragedies where many people were run over if you applied their gun logic to the situation it makes no sense. There's no laws being passed to limit ford to vehicles only capable of 10 miles per hour, no laws being passed to background check everyone who buys a car to prevent cars from being used in drug dealing, drive by shootings, terrorist attacks and to prevent felons, druggies, mentally ill individuals or domestic abusers from owning a car. There are no laws limiting colors to pea soup, baby diaper greenish yellow, and pus yellow. No law limiting your fuel tank to a gallon of gas in hopes a would be victim can outrun a car until it has to be stopped to be refueled. That would be very unreasonable, unethical and would not be tolerated by the people. So why is it that line of thinking is ok by democrats about guns? Like a car without people it would sit there and rust away. The only answers I can come up with are mentally ill, lack common sense or both. They do not realize you cannot legislate an evil heart.

Just one?!I would decriminalize prostitution in every state. I would make null and void every prostitution penal code and related statute.I would also go after moral turpitude laws.Moral turpitude - Wikipedia“Moral turpitude is a legal concept in the United States and some other countries that refers to "an act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community". This term appears in U.S. immigration law beginning in the 19th century.”I would also like to see anti discrimination laws established or existing anti discrimination laws amended to include protections on behalf of sex workers and porn performers so they cannot be denied employment over their past work or charges.There are laws in place which address forced sex labor and a legal distinction should be made between forced sex labor and erotic services as a profession!ESPLERP publishes a policy agenda defining our ASKS….ESPLERP Policy Agenda 2018Erotic Service Providers Legal Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) 2018 Policy Agenda:This Policy Agenda promotes a rights-based approach, whereby consenting adults in the sex industry are neither perpetrators in need of punishment nor victims in need of rescue, but rather individuals with rights and agency who deserve to be recognized as free to make their own choices about their bodies and sexual behavior.Some legislatures are already making progress in this area. For example in 2017:● the District of Columbia moved to decriminalize sex work to promote public safety and health – Promoting Public Safety and Health DRAFT● New Hampshire established a committee to study decriminalizing sex work – New Hampshire HB287 | 2017 | Regular Session.We are hopeful that this Policy Agenda serves as a roadmap both for legislators and organizations, to help them adopt internal and public policies as well as madvance incremental legislation to address the discrimination and stigmatization that affects the sex worker community in general as a result of criminalization of prostitution in specific.ESPLERP Mission:The Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) is a diverse community-based erotic service provider led group which seeks to advance sexual privacy rights through legal advocacy, education, and research. In our legal advocacy, we create change through impact litigation and policy statements. This often involves education activities for policy makers and the public. And in our research work, our evaluation tool (ESPLERP Research Evaluation Tool) helps the public and academics maintain ethically and scientifically rigorous standards.As a prime example of impact ligitation, in March 2015, ESPLERP filed a complaint with the United States Federal District Court (http://esplerp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/001_Complaint.pdf), known as ESPLERP v Gascon [case 16-15027], which challenged California’s anti-prostitution law, Penal Code 647(b), arguing for the decriminalization of sex work – that these laws deprive individuals of the fundamental right to engage in consensual, private sexual activity.We have some heavy hitters on our side. Decriminalization of sex work is supported by Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, the Lancet, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Global Commission on HIV and the Law. And our case is supported by amicus briefs from over thirty civil rights and LGBTQ organizations, including the ACLU, Lamdba Legal, the Free Speech Coalition, and the Transgender Law Center – Amicus Briefs Filed In Support Of ESPLERP v Gascon.In October 2017, ESPLERP v Gascon was heard before a three judge panel at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco – see ESPLERP V GASCON ORAL ARGUMENTS - DECRIMINALIZE - SEX WORKER RIGHTS. But in February 2018, the panel dismissed our case.The legal process is slow and long-winded, but it is an important strand in our fight for sexual privacy.But equally, as well as being criminalized, sex workers are subject to significant social and economic stigma and discrimination.Therefore, the Erotic Service Providers Legal Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) sets forth the following practical legislative steps toward enfranchising all aspects of sex work:Definitions and Community:We define an erotic service provider (aka sex worker) as anyone, who earns a living from their erotic labor, including prostitutes (whether working indoors in massage parlors or brothels, in their homes or on an outcall basis to homes or hotels, or outdoors on the street), exotic or burlesque dancers and strippers, adult film performers, escorts, courtesans, dominants, submissives, phone sex operators and webcam performers.Anyone who consensually engages the services of an erotic service provider, we consider a client – not a “trafficker” or an “exploiter”, and also not a “john” (a slang term that is sexist and derogatory).Directly relying for their livelihood on the jobs of erotic service providers are support staff who act in capacities such as receptionists, agents, managers, drivers, warehouse workers, security, photographers, and even janitors in adult clubs.Beyond these support staff, there are also third parties whose livelihoods rely more indirectly but often substantially upon erotic service providers, such as website owners and operators, hairdressers, makeup artists, dance club owners, gym owners and personal trainers, taxi and rideshare providers, and even hospitality industry staff who work in the hotels and other establishments used by erotic service providers and their clients.We consider part of our community anyone who is an erotic service provider or who knowingly and consensually hires, pays, or provides support to an erotic service provider, and also our friends and family members who support us (whether in a formal or informal capacity).Background:Legislation has too often relied upon, or been an accomplice to, the criminalization of our labor as prostitutes / sex workers. We believe that, as argued in ESPLERP v Gascon [case 16-15027], this is clearly in violation of our constitutional right to sexual privacy.Many statutes define erotic service providers as “victims”, fail to recognize the agency of erotic service providers or our clients, and fail to provide equal protection under the law for members of our community. Labeling us as victims encourages a law enforcement approach toward our community, since the presence of a “victim” implicitly assumes the existence of corresponding “perpetrators” who must be brought to justice.The state commits violence against sex workers by:● harassing them – the Urban Justice Center found that 30% of street-based sex workers in New York had been threatened with violence by police officers, while 27% actually experienced violence at the hands of police – Revolving Door - Fact Sheet● arresting them — prostitution arrests are the usual means by which persons are labeled sex trafficking victims● victimizing them during incarceration (from other inmates, guards, from losing income, from being forced to work, from being away from family)● denying them access to support services, legal advocacy and safe space shelter● forcing them into state-provided or state-funded “diversion services”, which typically offer arrested sex workers the only way to avoid further prosecution● fining them, subjecting them to probation and loss of rights, and saddling them with a damaging criminal record.Anti-Trafficking:Laws like the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act and California’s Proposition 35, FOSTA, SESTA use overly broad definitions which define our everyday personal and professional relationships as criminal associations, essentially defining our spouses, domestic partners, boyfriends and girlfriends, roommates, landlords, support staff, and others, may be prosecuted as sex traffickers and even forced to register as “sex offenders”.There are vast Federal investments in grants to “anti-trafficking” NGOs, where in collaboration with Federal and State agencies, they mount high profile prostitution sting operations under the guise of “rescue” such as Operation Cross Country (Is Operation Cross Country the Best Way to Fight Child Sex Trafficking?), which typically fail to find “traffickers”, but do criminalize consensual sex workers and their clients, and certainly do not provide services (such as counselling, housing, education) to ensnared individuals who are just trying to make a living.This slew of trafficking laws put the lives of both coerced victims and consenting erotic service providers in danger by maintaining a black market which attracts violence and creates unsafe working conditions. The cover story of the November 2015 issue of Reason Magazine accurately declares that “The War on Sex Trafficking Is the New War on Drugs” (The War on Sex Trafficking Is the New War on Drugs).In effect, the “War on Sex Trafficking” is a war on people who exchange sex for money.Another major consequence of the current approach to “sex trafficking” is that law enforcement is empowered to seize property, without due process, even if the property owner is never charged with a crime. In practice, property seizure results in untraceable profit for law enforcement agencies and their non-profit collaborators. For example, the Department of Homeland Security seized $1.4 million from Rentboy.com, and we have no idea how that money was spent. The only people who do not benefit from such seizures are the sex workers on the sharp end.The narrative on sex trafficking has now expanded to include “children” – whereby everyone under 18 who is found to be involved in prostitution is automatically defined as a “trafficked victim” – per the 2003 Federal Reauthorization Trafficking Victims Act. And in addition, at the State level, “Safe Harbor Laws” are being touted as a means to recognize youth as “victims” – which implies that no charges of prostitution should result. However, both the Federal and State approaches remand underaged people into “protective custody”, where they are often held in “witness protection” until they testify against someone. Therefore, laws like California SB1322 that mandates law enforcement to transfer such youth to “welfare services” actually violates these youths right to due process. (SB-1322 Commercial sex acts: minors.).In contrast to this law enforcement focus, research shows that funding long term necessities for youth (safe housing, employment, education, food, and money) is a far better approach – https://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/documents/Youth%20Involvement%20in%20the%20Sex%20Trade_3.pdfPrinciples:We believe the following principles should be paramount in all legislative initiatives that affect our community.1. Nothing About Us, Without Us – When it comes to laws affecting people involved in the sex industry, the voices of those stakeholders must be heard front and center, and attitudes that “other” us and deny our agency must be excised from the legislative process.2.Our Bodies, Our Rights – Consenting adults have the right to be free from state criminalization of their sex lives, whether or not money is exchanged or any other consideration is involved.3.Individual Privacy, Institutional Transparency – Any legislation that affects our community must protect our privacy, and must guarantee that government agencies and service providers operate are held accountable for treating people humanely, non-coercively, and with integrity, dignity and respect.Policy Agenda:The criminalization of consensual sex creates a system with multiple levels of social and institutional discrimination. We therefore call for a rights-based approach which recognizes consenting adults in the sex industry as neither perpetrators in need of punishment nor victims in need of rescue, but rather individuals with rights and agency who deserve to be free to make their own choices about their bodies and their sexual relations.We therefore propose the following legislative steps toward ensuring greater safety and enfranchisement for erotic service providers…1. End discrimination against erotic service providers, clients and support staffa.Repeal moral turpitude lawsThese archaic laws limit the ability of people to gain employment after a prostitution arrest. Even non-criminalized erotic service providers such as exotic dancers, adult film performers, massage parlour staff, agency support staff, phone sex operators, professional dominatrixes/submissives and webcam performers may be negatively impacted by these laws. For example, Stacie Halas, a permanent certified teacher, was dismissed by her employer, Oxnard School District, when they learned of her previous employment in adult film – http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/120680877-Stacie-Halas-decision.pdf.b.Prohibit discrimination in access to publicly funded servicesIn its 2015 Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights (UPR Report of the United States of America), the State Department affirmed United Nations Recommendation #86, stating, “We agree that no one should face violence or discrimination in access to public services based on sexual orientation or their status as a person in prostitution”. But there are numerous instances of State laws and regulations that still discriminate against our community. For instance, the California Victims Compensation Fund maintains language banning those who have been injured in the course of a prostitution transaction from receiving benefits. Language singling out people who work or have worked in porngraphy and/or prostitution is another form of victim-blaming and is completely inappropriate treatment of victims of sexual assault.c.Prohibit discrimination in judicial proceedingsVery often, erotic service providers are treated unfavourably in family court hearings (for example, covering child custody and/or divorce settlements). For example, Jessica Hernandez lost custody to an abusive partner, who subsequently killed the child, because the judge disdriminated against her based on her legal occupation as a stripper – Mother of slain child blames judge for death.d.Prohibit the use of sex worker status as grounds for discriminationPeople applying to State or local government for housing, education, or employment, should not be subject to discrimination based on their occupation. But, for example, Oakland’s 2014 “nuisance ordinance” targets prostitutes, and allows for the removal of tenants due to their perceived status. Such laws place the onus on the person being discriminated against to prove that they are not a prostitute. And mean that low-income tenants, transgender residents, and people of color are targeted and made homeless.2.Grant immunity from prosecution for prostitution offences to erotic service providers and our clients and support staff when they report more serious crimesCurrent legislation discourages erotic service providers, our clients and support staff, from reporting serious crimes. For example, the excessive fines imposed by California Proposition 35 discourages reporting crimes. This provides cover to the small number of actual sex traffickers, corrupt law enforcement officers, coercive third parties, and others who prey upon erotic service providers while leaving victims and witnesses of crime exposed to penalties.3.Establish a ‘Vacatur Law’ to automatically remove prostitution convictions and arrests from criminal and public recordsA ‘Vacatur Law” should be established whereby prostitution convictions and arrests can be automatically and completely removed from criminal and public records, without requiring people with criminal records to go through a complicated, onerous and expensive legal process.4.Prohibit the possession of condoms as evidence of prostitution in arrests or prosecutionsIn many jurisdictions, law enforcement and prosecutors can use possession of condoms as evidence of prosecution. In California, AB 336 went some way toward addressing this issue, but it still left the door open for prosecutors to make special motions allowing condoms to be used as evidence.5.Prohibit gender identity, sexual orientation and racial profiling of sex workersAs the ACLU argues in its supporting amicus brief for ESPLERP v Gascon (http://esplerp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/22-Brief-of-American-Civil-Liberties-Union-Foundation1.pdf), legislation criminalizing sex workers, their clients and support staff, is “discriminatorily enforced against women (transgender and cisgender) and people who are LGBTQ and gender non conforming”. Women of color, transgender women and LGBTQ youth should not have to fear being arrested for prostitution just because a law enforcement officer considers their appearance indicative of prostitution.6.Prohibit mandatory HIV testing and repeal laws that criminalize HIV positive statusWith new medical advances against HIV (such as Truvada), the current level of state coercion employed against people with compromised immune systems is inappropriate. In California, with the passing of SB 239 in 2017, knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV without disclosing the infection, is now a misdemeanor, which is the same status as other STDs. We supported SB 239, but we need legislation to go further and decriminalize HIV status altogether.7.Monitor peer counseling ‘services’ provided by anti-trafficking or anti-prostitution non-profit groups and rape crisis centers receiving public fundingAnti-trafficking groups, anti-prostitution groups and rape crisis centers in receipt of public funds should be subject to independent ethics oversight. For example, Bay Area Women Against Rape, employed in the past an older man as a peer counsellor, who in additional to providing ‘counciling to adult women, as accompanied law enforcement on anti-prostitution sting operations claiming to rescue trafficked victims, specifically minors, and then acted as a primary “peer” counselor for the “rescued” minors. This presents a clear ethical conflict. And an older man counseling a minor does not meet the definition of peer-to-peer counseling let alone women in general. Such arrangements are ripe with potential for self dealing and conflict of interest and should be subject to independent ethics oversight.8.Implement a grievance process in publicly-funded anti-prostitution/anti-trafficking groups, rape crisis centers and domestic violence sheltersNon-profits and NGOs that provide services to prostitutes or trafficking victims, in particular rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters, should be required to notify all service recipients of the process by which they can file complaints about the quality of the services they receive. State records of all such complaints should be maintained and available to the public, and any non-profits or NGOs that show consistently poor user satisfaction or engage in unacceptable practices should promptly be made ineligible for public funding.9.Implement public reporting requirements for law enforcement agencies that perform prostitution and human trafficking arrests, incarcerations and convictionsCurrently law enforcement agencies and task forces that perform prostitution and human trafficking operations, arrests, incarcerations and convictions, operate with a near complete absence of transparency. For example those that are listed here in the recent new report. More than 500 arrested, dozens saved in statewide crackdown on human trafficking They should be subject to Federal, State, county or city oversight, and be required to:a. make all meetings open to the publicb. publish names and roles of task force membersc. publish annual audits with all costs, including overtime pay, and any costs incurred by participating non-profitsd. publish anonymised details of arrests and convictions, together with demographic data (gender, age, race) on those who have been arrested and/or convictede. publish all Memoranda of Understanding between task forces, law enforcement agencies, non-profits or other agenciesf. implement public reporting requirements for publicly-funded non-profits and NGOs that provide services related to prostitution or human trafficking.10. Expand Privacy LawsWe require laws that protect the digital privacy of erotic service providers. The USA has signed on to the the UN Treaty on International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), but there are many ways in which developments in surveillance have premptively violated our privacy.a. Stingray devices (also known as International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)-catchers) were initially developed for the military and intelligence community, but are now in widespread use by local and State law enforcement agencies, who use them to violate the privacy of erotic service providers. There is clearly a need for laws banning the use of these devices without a warrant to ensure that constitutional rights are protected.b. Our images are routinely scraped from public online ads sites and are published onto other online sites without our permission. This activity should be made criminally illegal, as erotic service providers have limited access to civil courts to pursue justice.c. We oppose license schemes that would expose erotic service providers to harassment and discrimination – such as requiring our legal names, date of birth, and social security numbers, and requiring us to submit to criminal background checks (Do licensing rules put adult entertainers at risk?). For example, a privacy watchdog in the Netherlands found that compulsory registration of sex workers breached privacy rules (http://thttp://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/08/registration-of-sex-workers-breaches-right-to-privacy-says-court/11. Protect the privacy of erotic service providers, clients, and support staff during undercover sting or surveillance operationsLaw enforcement agencies who invite journalists/media or members of nonprofits to accompany them on operations targeting the erotic service provider community should be required to inform such third parties that they are not allowed to film or record a person who is caught up in an operation, being arrested or in custody, without that individual’s consent. Such filming by “embedded” journalists and others violates our right to privacy, leads to exploitation of individuals, and stigmatizes the industry as a whole (see walk-a-mile-in-my-shoes/the-rescue-scam and Starchild’s testimony about having his rights violated during a prostitution sting operation. Starchild testimony.12. Establish regulations restricting prosecutorial misconductIt is unacceptable for prosecutors to coerce defendants in sex trafficking and prostitution cases into giving up their rights to due process and their day in court by threatening to go after them with draconian charges if they don’t accept plea bargains. There is a growing movement calling for limitations on prosecutors’ ability to force defendants to plea to charges they may not have committed. The State should establish strong penalties for such misconduct to deter prosecutors from abusing their power.13. Prohibit sexual contact by law enforcement during investigationsLaw enforcement officers and their agents should be prohibited from any sexual contact, including penetration, with anyone who is under investigation and/or in their custody or who are victims and/or . /,witnesses. Any violation should be prosecuted as a criminal sexual assault offence and restitution should be obtainable in civil courts. For example, Michigan Governor signed into law House Bill 4355 and Senate Bill 275 in 2017 outlawing police having sex with prostitutes on duty by removing an exemption that previously blocked their prosecution. Alaska State bills HB112 and SB73 propose to take legislation one step further and make it felony criminal acts for officers to have sexual contact and penetration with those they are investigating for prostitution.Conclusion:In conclusion, anti prostitution and anti trafficking laws contribute to the disenfranchisement of our community. This disenfranchisement, and a lack of public accountability in law enforcement, state agencies and nonprofits, misallocates precious taxpayer resources, as well as deterring reports from community members who have been actual victims of rape, robbery, theft, coercion, battery, assault, stalking, or murder. Continuing these failed policies based on faulty definitions is going in precisely the opposite direction to the growing global consensus on the human rights of erotic service providers and clearly puts members of our community at risk while undermining public safety.Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLERP)2261 Market St. #548 San Francisco, CA 94114info(AT)Sex Workers and Erotic Service Providers Legal, Educational and Research Project, esplerp.org, ESPLERP Legal Challenge