Guest Column: A Wake-up Call in the Local Sex Trafficking Conversation

— by Morgan Meadows —

Morgan Meadow, center, with Nick and Jo Lembo, representatives of Shared Hope International . Photo by Donna Laslo

Waking up at 3 a.m. is not unusual for me. Symptoms of PTSD are a recurring part of my life as a survivor of domestic sex trafficking in my childhood and my young adult life. However, waking up at 3 a.m. this past Friday, June 26^th, held a tremendous and deeply personal gratitude for all those who participated in the “Chosen” documentary film showings of June 24th and 25th. What’s a former victim to do at that dark and holy hour but reflectively write an article and prayerfully plan my day?

To the 70 plus community members on San Juan Island, and the nearly 40 members from Orcas Island: I can’t help but say thank you – from every cell of my being – for stepping bravely out of your comfort zones to hear the truth about Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) in our region.  Many blessings go to Jo and Nick Lembo, devoted representatives of Shared Hope International and regional experts from Vancouver, WA. They provided us with the snap-shot we needed to learn how to respond to this growing social crisis, offering tools and resources to influence community-based education going forward. The graceful way they supported my efforts to share part of my story will linger for a long time. They enabled me to reveal, safely and for the first time publicly, some of the resiliency it takes to be a survivor growing toward my wisdom years and potential thriving.

No one has all the answers to the complexities of domestic violence. But collectively, we are the solution. Coming full circle into the work of advocacy and healing outside of DMST is beginning to look like this for me:  Share the truth, attend to other survivors, and learn within our community how to best support the restoration of human dignity to traumatized persons. The conversation has started, and therefor opportunity for professionals and common folk to gather – to plan strategies for eliminating the horror of modern-day enslavement in the teen sex trade. The question was asked at both events: How do we get this in our schools? We can figure that out if we work together because the materials are already prepared. The depth of questions asked during the film’s Q & A sessions has convinced me that there is such a thing as a right time and a right place for this difficult and promising community conversation. And it is NOW.

Shared Hope is generous with free downloads and resources: www.sharedhope.org.  The founder of Shared Hope, US Congresswoman Linda Smith, says, “The more people who know, the smaller the world gets for those who buy and sell our children.”

Sponsors for the two “Chosen” community education events were Soroptomists of FH, The San Juan Community Theatre, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS), Sea View Theatre, and Vision Accomplished Services, LLC. Co-Organizers were Stephanie Prima, of San Juan Island, and Morgan Meadows of Orcas Island.