#there’s one called murder on the links which involved a golf course at night which is one of the most terrifying locations I can imagine | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bountyofbeads · 5 years

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Transgender Woman Found Burned Beyond Recognition in Florida, Officials Say https://nyti.ms/2LWvjcW

Eighteen trans Black women have been murdered this year. Most were under 30.

SAY THEIR NAMES:

Dana. Jazzaline. Ashanti. Claire

Muhlaysia. Michelle. Paris.

Chynal. Chanel. Zoe. Brooklyn.

Denali. Kiki. Jordan. Pebbles.

Tracy. Bailey. Bee.

The Senate must pass The Equality Act and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

We have to find ways to end the bigotry that leads to this violence.

Read more below:

https://t.co/iBFhXk8eg6

Transgender Woman Found Burned Beyond Recognition in Florida, Officials Say

Bee Love Slater was the 18th transgender person known to have been killed in the United States this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

By Mariel Padilla and Neil Vigdor | Published Sept. 14, 2019 | New York Times | Posted September 16, 2019 |

The body of a black transgender woman, said by the authorities to have been burned beyond recognition, was found inside an abandoned car in Florida.

The victim, Bee Love Slater, 23, was the 18th transgender person known to have been killed in the United States this year, according to Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization that tracks anti-transgender violence.

The authorities had to use dental records to identify her after she was found on Sept. 4 just outside of Clewiston, Fla., a city on the southwest side of Lake Okeechobee, Steve Whidden, the Hendry County sheriff, said Saturday night in an interview.

Sheriff Whidden said investigators were treating the case as a homicide, but had not uncovered any evidence to suggest that the killing was a hate crime.

“We don’t have anything that would show that it’s a hate crime right now,” he said. “We possibly have a motive, but I can’t say what that is at this time.”

The authorities are examining a series of social media posts directed at Ms. Slater before her death, according to Sheriff Whidden, who said that while they were not direct threats, they wished harm on Ms. Slater.

“There were some Facebook posts made — that this person needs to die,” said Sheriff Whidden, who would not elaborate on whether posts were made by an individual or more than one person because of the ongoing investigation.

“There are more questions than we have answers,” said Jackson Jackson, a friend of Ms. Slater’s.

Advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender crime victims said Ms. Slater’s death was part of what they described as an alarming spate of violence against transgender people.

The Human Rights Campaign said she was the 18th transgender person to have died by violent means so far this year. In 2018, advocates tracked at least 26 such deaths, the majority of whom were black transgender women.

“These victims are not numbers — they were people with hopes and dreams, loved ones and communities who will miss them every day,” the group said on Twitter after Ms. Slater’s death.

Another friend, Shaq Bailey, said he was heartbroken at the news of Ms. Slater’s death. “She did nothing but smile and have a positive vibe,” he said. “Nobody who knew her would say bad things about her.”

Janet Taylor, a former longtime Hendry County commissioner, said on Saturday that the death jolted the tight-knit city of Clewiston, which is about 65 miles west of West Palm Beach.

“That’s the feel of the community, that this is really a hate crime,” Ms. Taylor said. “Sexual preferences — we can’t be judgmental about that. Our community just wants justice done for her family.”

Ms. Taylor, who is the founder of Glades Lives Matter, a community action group, said Ms. Slater was not from the immediate area and was believed to be from Pahokee, Fla., which is about 30 miles from Clewiston.

“She didn’t deserve what she got,” Ms. Taylor said.

The American Medical Association called violence against transgender people an “epidemic” and voted at a conference in June to adopt new policies to help prevent this violence.

“According to available tracking, fatal anti-transgender violence in the U.S. is on the rise and most victims were black transgender women,” Bobby Mukkamala, an association board member, said in a statement.

The new policies include educating people on the disproportionate number of fatal attacks on black transgender women and supporting a standardized database of hate crimes.

“The number of victims could be even higher due to underreporting, and better data collection by law enforcement is needed to create strategies that will prevent anti-transgender violence,” Dr. Mukkamala said.

Another friend of Ms. Slater’s, Dezmond Bass, said: “She lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone, and it made it easier for her to be targeted. You should be able to be who you want to be without being discriminated against, and we are doing all that we can to make sure she gets justice.”

Violence Against the Transgender Community in 2019

Published by Human Rights Campaign | Posted September 16, 2019 |

In 2018, advocates tracked at least 26 deaths of transgender people in the U.S. due to fatal violence, the majority of whom were Black transgender women. These victims were killed by acquaintances, partners and strangers, some of whom have been arrested and charged, while others have yet to be identified. Some of these cases involve clear anti-transgender bias. In others, the victim’s transgender status may have put them at risk in other ways, such as forcing them into unemployment, poverty, homelessness and/or survival sex work.

While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities, barriers that make them vulnerable. HRC Foundation’s “Dismantling a Culture of Violence” report demonstrates how anti-transgender stigma, denial of opportunity and increased risk factors compound to create a culture of violence -- and provides clear ways that each of us can directly make an impact to make our society a safer place for transgender people.

As is too often the case in the reporting of anti-transgender violence, many of these victims are misgendered in local police statements and media reports, which can delay our awareness of deadly incidents. In the pursuit of greater accuracy and respect for transgender and gender expansive people in both life and death, HRC offers guidelines for journalists and others who report on transgender people.

Sadly, 2019 has already seen at least 18 transgender people fatally shot or killed by other violent means. As HRC continues to work toward justice and equality for transgender people, we mourn those we have lost:

Dana Martin, 31, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Montgomery, Alabama, on January 6. Reports stated that she was found in a roadside ditch in her vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, an Alabama-based trans advocate, said that “she was a person that was loved by many.”

Jazzaline Ware, a Black transgender woman, was found dead in her Memphis apartment in March. Her death is being investigated as a homicide, according to The Advocate. “Our community in Memphis is mourning the death of Jazzaline Ware, a Black trans woman and beloved friend,” said the Transgender Law Center in a press release. Further details are unknown as of May 31, 2019.

Ashanti Carmon, 27, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Prince George's County, Maryland, on March 30. “Until I leave this Earth, I’m going to continue on loving her in my heart, body, and soul,” said Philip Williams, Carmon’s fiancé. “She did not deserve to leave this Earth so early, especially in the way that she went out.

Claire Legato, 21, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Cleveland on April 15. Local media reports that Legato was shot in the head after an argument broke out between her mother and the suspect. She was taken to a nearby hospital and died from her injuries on May 14. Friends and family took to social media to mourn Legato’s death, remembering her as someone who was “full of life.”

Muhlaysia Booker, 23, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Dallas on May 18. Local media reported that Booker was found dead, lying face down with a gunshot wound near a golf course in east Dallas. In April, Booker was viciously attacked in what Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings described as “mob violence.” Officers say that there is no indication as of May 20, 2019, that the April attack is linked to Booker’s killing.

Michelle 'Tamika' Washington, 40, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Philadelphia on May 19. Police responded to reports of shots fired in North Philadelphia’s Franklinville neighborhood, according to the Philadelphia Gay News. Washington, who was also known by the name Tameka, was found with several gunshot wounds and transported to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She is remembered by friends and loved ones as a beloved sister and “gay mother.”

Paris Cameron, 20, a Black transgender woman, was among three people killed in a horrific anti-LGBTQ shooting in a home in Detroit on May 25, according to local reports. Alunte Davis, 21, and Timothy Blancher, 20, two gay men, were found dead at the scene and Cameron was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries. Two other victims were also shot but survived. “This case illustrates the mortal danger faced by members of Detroit’s LGBTQ community, including transgender women of color," Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire said.

Chynal Lindsey, 26, a Black transgender woman, was found dead in White Rock Lake, Dallas, with signs of “homicidal violence” on June 1, according to police. The Dallas Police Department has reached out to federal law enforcement to aid in the investigation. As of June 4, no further details were are available

Chanel Scurlock, 23, a Black transgender woman, was found fatally shot in Lumberton, North Carolina, on June 6. Few details are yet public about the crime, but police told a local news outlet they have “great leads” in their investigation. “RIP baby,” wrote a friend on Facebook. “You [lived] your life as you wanted. I’m proud of you for being unapologetically correct about your feelings and expectations of YOU.”

Zoe Spears, 23, a Black transgender woman, was found lying in the street with signs of trauma near Eastern Avenue in Fairmount Heights, Maryland, and later pronounced dead on June 13, according to local reports. “She was my daughter -- very bright and very full of life,” transgender advocate Ruby Corado, the founder and executive director of Casa Ruby, told HRC. “Casa Ruby was her home. Right now, we just want her and her friends and the people who knew her to know that she’s loved.”

Brooklyn Lindsey, 32, a Black transgender woman, was found dead on the front porch of an abandoned home in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 25, according to local news reports. “I love you, Brooklyn Lindsey,” wrote a friend on Twitter. “I shall live on for you. Rest in power, sista.”

Denali Berries Stuckey, 29, a Black transgender woman, was found fatally shot in North Charleston, South Carolina, on July 20. “I lost my best friend, first cousin,” wrote a family member on Facebook. “We were more than cousin. We were like brother and sisters. I love you so much, Pooh.”

Kiki Fantroy, 21, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Miami on July 31. Fantroy’s mother remembered her as having “a heart of gold” and being “a very loving person.” She also pleaded for justice for her daughter, saying, “My baby, my baby. Please help bring justice to my baby.”

Jordan Cofer, 22, was among the nine victims killed in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, on August 4. While Cofer was only out to a handful of close friends and used the pronouns he/him/his on his social media profiles, he is remembered by friends as “extremely bright” and “well-liked.” A friend told Splinter News that “Jordan was probably one of the sweetest people you would ever meet, a true saint, but he was also very scared constantly. He tried to give the best to everyone.”

Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe, 24, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Allendale County, South Carolina, on August 4. She was found dead in a car parked in a driveway, according to reports. Doe’s friends and family remembered her as having a “bright personality,” and being someone who “showed love” and who was “the best to be around.”

Tracy Single, 22, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Houston on July 30. “Rest in power and peace Tracy,” wrote Monica Roberts, Houston-based transgender advocate. “You were taken away from us way too soon.”

Bailey Reeves, 17, a Black transgender teen, was fatally shot in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 2. As of September 6, little is known about the circumstances surrounding her death. Reeves is the 17th known trans person killed this year.

Bee Love Slater, 23, was brutally murdered in Clewiston, Florida, on September 4. Slater is remembered by loved ones as someone "with a really, really sweet heart" who "never harmed anyone."

Additionally, HRC is deeply concerned about the deaths of Johana ‘Joa’ Medina and Layleen Polanco, whose stories we are following closely. Medina, 25, died at a hospital in El Paso, Texas just hours after being released from ICE custody. She suffered severe health complications that went untreated while she was in detention, according to Diversidad Sin Fronteras. Her exact cause of death is not yet known. Polanco was found dead in a cell at Riker's Island on June 7.

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your-dietician · 3 years

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History presents 'Fight the Power'; 'Us' on 'Masterpiece' | Arts & Entertainment

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/history-presents-fight-the-power-us-on-masterpiece-arts-entertainment/

History presents 'Fight the Power'; 'Us' on 'Masterpiece' | Arts & Entertainment

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hosts and co-produced “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” (7 p.m. Saturday, History, TV-PG). This one-hour survey offers a brisk glance at protest movements, from the Labor Rights struggled between the 1880s and the 1930s; the battle to give women the vote; the modern Civil Rights movement that emerged from the Montgomery, Ala., bus protests and the murder of Emmett Till; the fight for gay recognition and rights in the post-Stonewall era; and the recent uprisings protesting police violence against men and women of color. Each of these historical currents could fill a documentary of its own, if not miniseries treatment.

A fascinating figure who defies category, Jabbar was a perennial All-Star during his playing days with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. At the same time, he studied martial arts with Bruce Lee. In his retirement, he has emerged as what used to be known as a “public intellectual,” a writer and spokesperson unaffiliated with academia who has been vocal in his support of social justice movements. He’s also a widely published author. Similar to many famous people, he has written his memoirs but also has co-written several ruminations on Sherlock Holmes and World War II.

“Fight the Power” is one among many commemorations of Juneteenth, recalling June 19, 1865, when Black residents of Galveston, Texas, were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. History will repeat “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre” (8 p.m., Saturday, TV-14). Other notable cable offerings include “12 Years a Slave” (6 p.m. Saturday, Sundance, TV-14) and “Selma” (7 p.m., FXM, TV-14). CBS will air “Selma” (7 p.m., Sunday) as well, its network broadcast debut.

• Nothing quite announces a couple’s comfortable semi-retirement like a European tour. Unless, of course, you’re on the verge of splitting up and have a miserable teenage son tagging along.

That’s the gist of “Us,” a “Masterpiece” (8 p.m., Sunday, PBS, TV-14) presentation based on a novel by David Nicholls.

Douglas (Tom Hollander, “The Night Manager”) awakens one morning to his wife, Connie’s (Saskia Reeve, “Luther”), announcement she wants a change. Not a divorce as much as a separation. With their moody son, Albie (Tom Taylor), about to enter university, she thinks “their work is done” and can’t face the prospect of empty nesting with a man who can’t communicate.

Or so she says. This bombshell coincides with their long-planned grand tour of continental capitals, an expensive one at that. Douglas insists they call it off, but Connie persuades him it might offer one last chance for him to bond with his sullen offspring.

So, don’t go expecting an amusing travelogue similar to “The Trip” franchise with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The spirit here is more akin to “Two for the Road,” the wistful 1967 anti-romance starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.

Happily, it’s about this time “Us” offers prolonged flashbacks to the first encounters of young Douglas and Connie (Iain De Caestecker and Gina Bramhill), when he was a socially awkward biochemist and she a budding artist surrounded by a gaggle of pretentious friends.

Both the grand tour and the misty reminiscences unfold with a great deal of walking and talking, not unlike the charming and highly chatty 1995 Richard Linklater romance “Before Sunrise,” starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. At its best, and perhaps its most obvious, “Us,” suggests this long wander is about to enter a new juncture.

It’s a bit of a shame “Masterpiece” should offer this series during two Sundays in two-hour dollops. Sixty minutes of this talky and often heartbreaking story is more than enough in one sitting. Who tunes in to British TV to listen to characters talk about their feelings?

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

• 2021 U.S. Open golf championship (6 p.m., NBC).

• Auto racing (7 p.m., CBS).

• A pregnant woman vanishes in the 2021 shocker “Secrets of a Marine’s Wife” (7 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

• Both clans face peril as “Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty” (7 p.m., BBC America, TV-PG) continues.

• Scheduled in the U.S. Olympic trials: swimming (8 p.m.); track and field (9 p.m.).

• When circumstances keep an event planner from attending her friend’s destination wedding, she turns to an old correspondent in the 2021 romance “Her Pen Pal” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): A profile of the Minnesota prosecutors in the George Floyd case; the Oath Keepers’ role in the Jan. 6 terrorist attack on the Capitol; Japan’s baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani.

• The Braves host the Cardinals in Major League Baseball (6 p.m., ESPN).

• U.S. Olympic trials (NBC) include swimming (7 p.m.) and track and field (8 p.m.).

• “Kevin Can FK Himself” (8 p.m., AMC, TV-MA) migrates to cable.

• Sessions continue on “In Treatment” (8 p.m. through 8:30 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

• Kiesha enters labor on “The Chi” (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

• Unfinished business on “Little Birds” (8:30 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).

• Dan wants to coach on “Flatbush Misdemeanors” (9:30 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

— OK, that was weird. The least expected story of the week was the scandal involving Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) and Lori Loughlin, star of “When Calls the Heart” (7 p.m. Sunday, Hallmark, TV-G), in a bribery/cheating plot to get their respective daughters into elite universities.

This is obviously an ongoing case, and all sides must have their say, or day, in court. But the motivation at the center of this story is worth discussing. It involves some overwhelming need to do anything to get children into elite schools. As if anything “lesser” were unthinkable.

Television plays no small role in this insecurity. I can’t remember how many times I’ve had to describe an ABC legal drama where every single character hails from only the most exclusive Ivy and spends most of the pilot bragging about it.

There was a time, not that long ago, when John Grisham wrote best-selling books about young, barely accredited lawyers from no-name institutions who took on impossible cases against massive corporations and eventually won. And got the girl, to boot.

So, our current era’s neurotic obsession with elitism and inequality is hardly hard-wired.

If anything comes of this sordid affair, it’s an appreciation that shoddy efforts at snobbery are always essentially pathetic. Or on classic TV, comedic. Watching “Gilligan’s Island,” we identified with Mary Ann and the Skipper, and pitied the millionaire and his wife.

— CNN launches the four-hour documentary “Tricky Dick” (8 p.m., Sunday), profiling the life and times of Richard Nixon’s public career, which spanned the decades from the dawn of the Cold War to the Clinton years.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

— An anxious new mother joins a group for solidarity and support, only to discover that it has darker plans on its agenda in the 2019 shocker “Mommy Group Murder” (7 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

— The Thunder and Warriors meet in NBA action (7:30 p.m., ABC).

— An old kidnapper returns to form on “Ransom” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

— Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): Embassy workers in China and Cuba complain of mysterious ailments; AOL founder Steve Case and his plans to invest in the future of overlooked American small towns and cities; a visit to Monaco.

— The duels begin on “World of Dance” (7 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

— Auditions continue on “American Idol” (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

— Lex Luthor is on the loose on “Supergirl” (7 p.m., CW, TV-PG).

— Mr. Wednesday prepares for battle on “American Gods” (7 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).

— After learning about her royal lineage, an adopted 10-year-old becomes a little tyrant in the 2019 shocker “Mommy’s Little Princess” (7 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

— A secret room holds dangers on “Charmed” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).

— Hidden secrets revealed on “The Walking Dead” (8 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

— A new trial is pursued on “The Case Against Adnan Syed” (8 p.m., HBO, TV-14).

— Axe is determined to destroy Taylor on the fourth season premiere of “Billions” (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

— Ulysses pursues a conspiracy theory on “Now Apocalypse” (8 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).

— “Unsung” (8 p.m., TVONE) profiles the Jets.

— Pacific overtures on “Madam Secretary” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).

— Tensions rise on “Good Girls” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

— Mo’s past is revealed on “Black Monday” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

— St. Patrick’s Day inspires many traditions. Syfy offers a marathon of “Leprechaun” movies, from “Leprechaun 5: In the Hood” (4 p.m. Saturday, TV-14) to “Leprechaun 2” (8 p.m.). TCM takes the traditional approach, ladling out the Technicolor blarney of director John Ford’s 1952 romance “The Quiet Man” (7 p.m. Sunday, TV-PG).

SATURDAY SERIES

“Dateline” (7 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … “NBA Countdown” (7 p.m., ABC) … The kids are all right on “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … “48 Hours” (9 p.m., CBS) … A vintage helping of “Saturday Night Live” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

SUNDAY SERIES

A visit from an old friend inspires Miles on “God Friended Me” (7 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Homer can’t leave Bart’s virtual realm on “The Simpsons” (7 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Empathy for all things on “Bob’s Burgers” (7:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

A walk down the aisle on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … On two episodes of “Family Guy” (Fox, TV-14), Meg’s winter Olympics (8 p.m.), fighting over a dowager (8:30 p.m., r) … Aches and pains on “Shark Tank” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

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bangkokjacknews · 4 years

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Pattaya finds it too hard to abstain from sex

In a daring nautical themed outfit, sex worker May confidently predicts the survival of Thai sleaze town #Pattaya despite a junta attempt to tame the kingdom’s #SinCity

She is bullish because she, like tens of thousands of others in the industry, have no plans to give up their jobs. And there are no signs the hordes of foreign sex tourists are abating. Two hours east of Bangkok, Pattaya’s bawdy reputation hails from the Vietnam War era when American GIs partied in their downtime. Today it spins money off its no-holds-barred reputation and its most successful sex workers earn anywhere between 70-150,000 baht ($2-4,400) a month, as much as ten times the national average wage. ”I make good money here, for me and my family,” May told AFP as she touted for clients near‘Walking Street’ -- a mile-long drag festooned with bars and clubs pouring out ear-crushing EDM music. https://bangkokjack.com/2018/11/05/thai-tourism-industry/ But concerns about the impact on Thailand’s reputation have spurred authorities to act, while frequent reports of underage sex workers, drug abuse and mafia operations further muddy Pattaya’s name. May, who is transgender, said the strip has felt more subdued in recent weeks as police and soldiers conduct frequent patrols as part of a clean-up ordered by the censorious ruling junta. Police Lieutenant Colonel Sulasak Kalokwilas is one of those tasked with what many might deem the ultimate Sisyphean task: weaning Pattaya off sex. ”We are suppressing obscene and dirty shows. We’re trying to make those bars disappear,” he explained. As he spoke, lines of women stood behind him in revealing outfits enticing punters into bars with names like Taboo and G-Spot as well as Fahrenheit -- a nightspot boasting “The Hottest Girls in Pattaya”. ”The lady boys and women working there, they are not involved in the sex trade,” said Pattaya’s police chief Colonel Apichai Kroppeth, echoing the kind of Thai police rhetoric commonly divorced from reality. ”They work as waitresses, sit and chat with customers, some dance in shows,” he said. Bar fines, short-times For many residents of the city the latest moral outrage fits a familiar pattern: negative overseas headlines prompt authorities to launch high-visibility -- yet limited -- crackdowns on an industry that pays the bills for everyone. ”You’re expecting the poachers to be the gamekeepers?” said one westerner who has made Pattaya his home, when asked if the latest clean-up will work. The sex trade is a cash cow for the bar owners, girls, massage parlours, hotels, taxis, mafia and, many have long alleged, the cops charged with policing. Thais call it “pon prayote”, says British journalist Andrew Drummond who reported on crime in Thailand for two decades. ”It means everyone benefits... it brings in massive amounts of money and simply couldn’t happen without police connivance.” Apichai insisted there was “no bribery for sure” in his force. Prostitution is illegal in conservative Thailand. Yet it remains ubiquitous for local and foreign customers alike. Businesses use a well worn loophole to avoid prosecution, hiring sex workers inside the bars merely to entertain and talk to patrons. A small “bar fine”, usually around 500 baht ($14), secures private “short time” away from the bar where any deal struck for sex is purely between the punter and prostitute. While authorities have vowed to shutter the trade, there is little discussion on what happens to the sex workers -- who often support large families with their earnings. There are no exact numbers, but a 2014 UNAIDS report suggested some 140,000 females are employed by sex work across Thailand. Tens of thousands are thought to operate in Pattaya alone. Par for the course Tourism officials are optimistic for change, citing the increasing number of families coming to the town’s resorts and its popularity for sports, such as jet-skiing and golf. ”In terms of facilities I think we are already there,” said Suladda Sarutilavan, Pattaya’s director of tourism. Last year some 12 million tourists -- seventy percent foreigners -- visited a city which now boasts over 100,000 rooms across 2,000 hotels, from cheap backpackers to swanky golf courses and family apartments. While not everyone who comes is a sex tourist, she admits the city’s seedy image and crime headlines are a problem. ”It makes us feel a little bit uncomfortable,” she said. Two recent killings have renewed the spotlight on the city’s reputation as a bolthole for foreign criminals. In January, British businessman Tony Kenway was gunned down as he left the gym, a hit police linked to “boiler room” scams. In 2015 an Australian former Hells Angel was kidnapped in broad daylight and murdered. Foreigners who have made Pattaya home lament the killings, but say they fail to tell the wider picture of a largely safe, affordable city. ”Every night I went out in Coventry there was always one or two fights. I feel completely safe here,” said Briton Bryan Flowers, who moved to Pattaya a decade ago and now owns a dozen bars. Others argue fancy hotels, malls and golf courses can flourish in step with the town’s party reputation. ”It’s why a lot of people come here,” Simon Peatfield, another Brit who owns restaurants and sports bars, said. ”There’s only so much golf you can play.” - AFP – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

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