The Salvation Army Vision Network (SAVN.tv) has launched a Kickstarter campaign that seeks to look at the connections between the sex industry and the horrors of sex trafficking. According to the Kickstarter page,
HARD CORPS, a feature length documentary by the Salvation Army Vision Network, plunges down the rabbit hole of “the sex industry” to see what’s on the other side. The undeniable connection between addiction and pornography serves the growing business of Human Sex Trafficking and this film proposes to uncover the façade of pornography as “a harmless pastime for consenting adults.” It pulls back the curtain to reveal the ugly reality of addiction, infidelity, prostitution, child abuse, rape and Human Sex Trafficking.
Although it initially seems like an novel idea, the Internet has exploded with criticism and disapproval. Melissa Gira Grant, a blogger who has compiled all new updates in the developing story, says this:
A documentary project raising money on Kickstarter (not news I know) about “sex trafficking” (also, not news) uses on its project page and video and in the documentary trailer itself undercover footage shot of sex workers, apparently without their knowledge or consent.
The fact that the documentary uses “undercover footage… without their knowledge or consent” was challenged on the Kickstarter campaign’s FAQ:
Despite this, however, the Twitterverse continues its apparent smear campaign.
.@kickstarter Please take down Hard Corps. It's illegal, dangerous, and funding a charity.
— Tushy Galore (@tushy_galore) July 24, 2013
How @GuyNoland and Salvation Army #abuse @Kickstarter and sexworkers' privacy for docu: "Hard Corps" http://t.co/IoQArtI5iR via @melissagira
— Pieter Claeys (@PieterClaeys) July 24, 2013
Follow with dismay Salvation Army fundraising scam to do secret filming of #sexworkers http://t.co/DJJmevWJNU via @melissagira
— Scarlet Alliance (@scarletalliance) July 26, 2013
Apparently, the antiporn/anti-sexwork doc "Hard Corps" takes an interview with Nina and distorts it without her knowledge or consent.
— RGC_BPPA_AnthonyJK (@RGC_BPPA) July 24, 2013
Nina Hartley responds as well:
@GlasgaeLauraLee @nanayasleeps But no, I did not know that they would use my interview that way. I wonder if I have any rights here?
— Nina Hartley (@ninaland) July 24, 2013
Notice, however, that she did not deny signing a consent form. Rather, she says, “I did not know that they would use my interview that way.”
Someone even went as far as to pledge $1 just so they could write a negative comment to the creators.
A novel bit of Kickstarter advocacy: someone pledged $1 to leave a public comment for creators of "Hard Corps." pic.twitter.com/uH31PgCPwt
— Melissa Gira Grant (@melissagira) July 23, 2013
And others seem to simply have something against Salvation Army.
All I need to know about that Hard Corps documentary is that it's being produced by the Salvation Army.
— Patrick Lindsey (@HanFreakinSolo) July 23, 2013
Salvation Army's kickstarter pretends "sex trafficking" is real in order to put people off porn. "RAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!" http://t.co/iWyhyi6zmN
— Tom Martin (@Sexismbusters) July 25, 2013
so, so very angry about #HardCorps and the salvation army's BS way of doing things. Thanks to @whorephobia and @melissagira for stepping up
— Peechington-Marie (@_peech) July 24, 2013
Despite all this, Guy Noland, the writer, producer and director of Hard Corp keeps his spirits high.
To all the lovers AND haters. Thanks for spreading the word! LOVE IT! http://t.co/afGREXgw5x #hardcorps #endsextrafficking
— Guy Noland (@GuyNoland) July 23, 2013
For more information, check out Melissa Gira Grant on Storify and the Kickstarter campaign page.
