A bad date list (also known as a bad date book or Ugly Mugs) circulates details of persons that may pose a threat to
sex worker
A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker"
According to one view, sex work i ...
s. Bad date lists can serve as a warning system, so that sex workers can avoid persons who fit descriptions on the list.
Bad date lists contain reports of 'bad dates' or incidents of violent or dangerous clients or other persons, which describe the incident, and frequently provide a description of the person, their vehicle (if applicable) and their phone number (if applicable).
Bad date lists can be handed out to outdoor sex workers. Reports can be collected by outreach workers who are distributing the list. Bad date list websites are also frequently used, mainly by indoor sex workers. Sometimes information comes from the police or the media.
The first Canadian bad date book was published in Vancouver, Canada by the "Alliance for Safety of Prostitutes" (ASP) in 1983. The Prostitution Collective in Victoria, Australia developed the first Ugly Mugs Scheme in May 1986, using the term 'ugly mugs' to describe punters who become unreasonable and violent.
Many organizations produce a "bad date list" including:
*
Sex Professionals of Canada
Sex Professionals of Canada (SPOC) is a Canadian activism group. SPOC was formed in 1983 and campaigns through public education and legal challenges to decriminalize Canadian prostitution laws.
History
Founded in 1983, SPOC has developed into a v ...
*
COYOTE
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological ni ...
(in New York, NY)
*WISH (in Vancouver, BC)
*Crossroads (Alberta, Canada)
*Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Centre (in Vancouver, BC)
*The Bad Date Coalition of Toronto
*Project SAFE (Philadelphia, PA)
*Street Workers' Advocacy Project (Saskatchewan, Canada)
*Bad Date Sheet Intervention Project (Tacoma, WA)
Websites
National Ugly Mugs (UK)run by
UK Network of Sex Work Projects
UK Network of Sex Work Projects (UKNSWP) is an umbrella organisation that represents sex work projects in the UK, both agencies or individuals working with sex workers. It facilitates networking between those it represents, so as to share good pra ...
(UKNSWP)
References
{{Reflist
*Sorfleet, A. (1995, July)
Coalition Advocating Safer Hustling Vol. 2 No. 3
External links
* Gregoire, L. (2003)
AVENGE THE DEAD, BUT REMEMBER THE LIVING Vue Weekly.
* Woolleyparmod.call. viral..8929480751. Straight Talk.
* Black, D. (2005, August 4). Prostitutes Identify `Bad Dates' on Website. Toronto Star.
Prostitution