After reading about a Norman resident arrested for prostitution, I decided to do a Google search regarding prostitution in Oklahoma. What I found both disgusted and offended me.
What I found was the YouTube channel of Brian Bates, the self-proclaimed “Video Vigilante” of Oklahoma City. Brian Bates’ YouTube channel describes himself as having “been exposing the graphic realities of street prostitution since 1996.”
In reality, what Bates has done for over a decade is serially harass and stalk nonviolent Oklahoma City residents. His videos, which have been featured on Maury Povich’s show and a sensationalist MSNBC documentary about crusaders of his ilk, relate his stories of harassing young women across OKC.
In his videos, Bates follows and videotapes suspected prostitutes throughout their daily transactions and attempts to catch them in the act of selling their sexual services to men.
Once he sees that a transaction has been settled, Bates follows the pair in his car, gives the pair sufficient time to commence with the sexual act itself, and reports them to the police. He then bursts from his car and often opens the door to the man’s car to get a quick shot of the sex act itself as evidence.
Bates’ perverse stalking, which he posts online for millions to see, would never be tolerated if it were applied to any other segment of society. Indeed, it is quite likely that a man who was uploading and sharing videos of other couples engaging in sex acts without their consent would quickly find himself the target of lawsuits, or even jail time.
Bates, however, is nearly beatified for his harassment of prostitutes and “johns,” their customers, as they go about their lives. A quick view of his comments will reveal that many believe he is the leader of a noble social crusade.
In reality, Bates is stalking and harassing women who have a hard enough time making a life for themselves without a sanctimonious pest threatening to end their only source of income. Prostitution is a victimless transaction that does not harm Brian Bates’ person or property, and he has no business bothering them.
Fining women or throwing them in jail for the exchange of sexual favors for money is a serious affront to their liberty and person. Bates’ act of following these women around then filming and reporting them is therefore plainly despicable.
If Bates understood the nature of black markets and honestly cared about protecting women, or even if he only selfishly wants them off of public sidewalks, he would turn off his camera and become an advocate for the complete legalization of prostitution and bordello-operation.
To understand how legalized prostitution would improve the lives of prostitutes and keep them from roaming the streets, one only needs to observe the state of Nevada, where prostitution is legal in nearly every county.
Where prostitution is allowed to operate as a legitimate business, it is done in safe, reliable bordellos. Prostitutes have legitimate legal standing and are able to report and sue violent managers or clients without fear that they will expose themselves or their coworkers to imprisonment.
Indeed, a 2005 report by Barbara Brents and Kathryn Hausbeck of the University of Las Vegas found Nevada bordello managers go to impressive efforts to maintain peaceful, respectful environments for their employees, with some even enforcing strict policies against obscene language.
Bates is likely unaware that in his zeal for the elimination of prostitution, he and others like him have supported the exact policies that force prostitutes to sell their bodies in public areas and submit to the control of pimps.
Bates is far from a noble crusader for justice. Rather, he is a voyeuristic serial stalker of vulnerable women and his work encourages policies that increase violence against women. His decade-long campaign of sexual espionage should end in his imprisonment on multiple counts of multiple charges, including stalking, harassment, voyeurism and trespassing.
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dargus 2 years, 3 months ago
Not all prostitutes are desperate poor people. Some are very highly paid and don't find their work degrading at all.
leimapapa 2 years, 3 months ago
The videovigilante guy is definitely a self-righteous douche, but come on.. Legalizing prostitution? Really? That's moronic.
JJanowiak 2 years, 3 months ago
I didn't read this but do want to point out that wearing an anarchist hoodie probably made by Hanes does not speak well of the author's credibility. In fact I find it highly offensive. Anarchism? Is this the 1840's? Just because an ideology once existed and never mattered doesn't mean that students should believe it's valid or that they should be writing through the lens of it. Yeah, yeah, you've probably got some great fleshed out ideological system for how the entire world works, but let me point out to all readers that no matter how sophisticated you think your alternative anarchist system of belief is, it's still anarchism and one day you'll have to graduate into the real world. I don't even know how you can argue against it the whole thing is so absurd.
KKG2011 2 years, 3 months ago
Seriously? I thought the whole anarchist shirt, shaved head thang was just an act, but you really are that out of touch. As a woman I'm offended and disgusted by your whole take on prostitution. I lost a very good friend two years ago who got addicted to drugs and then was pimped out by her boyfriend. She was eventually murdered by either a customer or her bf. I only wish there would have been Brain Bates around to discourage her activity. I watched his videos and literally cried when I saw the interview with Yvon and heard her talk about being sold by her mom at 12. As someone who claims to be a journalist I find it interesting you obviously made no attempt to interview Bates. What's wrong afraid you couldn't actually debate the topic. If I was any less a person I would hope you had a daughter one day that was pimped out and then see how you feel.
Mesocyclone 2 years, 3 months ago
While I don't condone this person's means of exposing the realities of prostitution and I agree it's a gross violation of privacy to take video of people having sex (much less post it online for millions of people to see), I find it equally disturbing that you and so many others in this generation fail to see how prostitution at its core actually degrades women of their dignity. Think about it - in the act of prostitution, women are essentially selling their bodies for money. During that set time that the "john" has paid for, her body becomes like "property" for the "john" to use for his own personal pleasure. It's really a system where men get to take advantage of women who are poor. Feminists should be outraged by this. You call this dignifying and liberating? Do you truly think these women are happy doing this for a living? Or are they doing it because they feel like they have no other alternatives? These are women need love and compassion - they need help, and yet our culture doesn't reach out and help them, rather our culture treats them as sex objects, only valued for their bodies. Prostitution is the very epitome of this objectification of women that is so rampant in our society. In fact, it is a form of slavery. These are human persons - God's children - not sex objects to be bought and sold! How dare we strip women of their dignity in this way! No woman should have to sell their bodies and be stripped of their very dignity as human persons just to make ends meet.
I am not at all advocating that women should be thrown in jail for prostitution. At the same time, I don't want to see this trade, essentially a form of sex trade, legalized either. It is an evil on the same footing with the sex trade of children. I think that the men who take advantage of women in their desperate situations are the ones who should be in jail.
mustafa 2 years, 2 months ago
"His decade-long campaign of sexual espionage should end in his imprisonment on multiple counts of multiple charges, including stalking, harassment, voyeurism and trespassing."
Thanks for this great example of fried-green-tomato style, liberal blood-lust against non-criminals that you just don’t like.
TheAntiTrevorClark 2 years, 2 months ago
KKG2011: If Prostitution was legalized, it could be regulated and this type of thing wouldn't happen.
Mesocyclone: Let's say you are broke, and all you have is a bicycle. You like this bicycle. It gets you places. But you realize that in order to eat, you have to sell it. I stroll by, thinking, "Man, I would love a good bicycle right now," and see you standing there with a bicycle for sale. Am I 'taking advantage' of you? No. I'm buying a bicycle from a person selling a bicycle.