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 PORNOGRAPHY  May 2000; Volume 24 Issue 05 Hope for the hopeless
Vickie Burress, Director of AFA of Indiana knows differently. In attempting to rescue strip club dancers from their near sexual slavery, Burress has touched the ruined lives. She has witnessed the physical and emotional abuse these women have endured in attempting to feed the insatiable sexual appetite of adult club patrons and the unending greed of joint owners. Last October AFA of Indiana launched "Citizens for a Safe Community," a campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the problems associated with pornography and SOBs. Forty billboards were donated to the cause. Each carried the message: "Strip bars and pornography victimize women and children." Local media reported their efforts and soon the whole city learned the sordid story of a dehumanizing industry and its victims. "They come out of the clubs looking for trust and unconditional love. They are emotionally upset and confused. They want out, but they just don't know there is a better way to life," Burress said. For those who want to minister to former dancers, nothing short of a close mentoring relationship is effective, Burress said. "You have to pour your life into them. And at the same time, Christians must surround them with a supporting community." Many come out with alcohol and drug problems, no money and children to support, she said. Only six months into the campaign, attitudes in Ft. Wayne have started to change. The city now bans off-duty police officers from working as bouncers or security cops at strip clubs. Six support groups for sexually addicted men have formed, as well as two groups for wives who are married to sex addicts. For more information contact AFA of Indiana at P. O. Box 92, Garrett, IN 46738, 219-357-5484, Website: www.victimsofpornography.org, Vickie Burress, E-mail: vickie@fwi.com. Other ministries around the country doing similar work include: Amy's Friends, P. O. Box 1375, Addison, TX 75001, 972-732-0611, Website: www.amysfriends.net, E-mail: afriend@airmail.net, Amy Dupree. Amy's Friends has made available an information packet for community activists who want to minister to strip club dancers. One Way Out Ministries, P. O. Box 6244, Ft. Myers, FL 33911, Pager: 941-930-5962, Jeanie Turner. Out of Exile, P. O. Box 140422, Orlando, FL 32814-0422, 407-578-3080, Emergencies 407-721-8034, Website: www.outofexile.org, E-mail: ooe@outofexile.org, E-mail: tammy@outofexile.org, Tammy Dahl. Greenhouse Ministries, 2891 Ashton Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036, 513-934-4468, E-mail: ghmin@aol.com, Jill Deyo. Frontline World Ministries, 172 Winding Creek Circle N.W., Cleveland, TN 37312, E-mail: FRONT52@aol.com, 423-559-8968, Lee & Janet Rollins, (literature only for those in the adult entertainment industry). Citizens for Community Values, P. O. Box 341864, Memphis, TN 38184-1864, 901-759-7923, E-mail: Carolynccv@hotmail.com, Carolyn McKenzie. Hosea's Hope, 1820 Pearl Street, Carrollton, TX 75006, 972-478-7516, Website: www.hoseashope.org, E-mail: hoseashope@aol.com, Laurie Hughes. Whosoever Will Ministries, P. O. Box 395, Euless, TX 76039, 817-354-8547, 817-540-5239, Website: www.startext.net/homes/woman, E-mail: woman@startext.net, Jackie Holland. Light Dancers, P. O. Box 55136, Phoenix, AZ 85078-5136, 602-482-7292, E-mail: Lightdancers@christianstaff.com, Lisanne McMurray. © Copyright 2000 • American Family Association, all rights reserved. |
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Pornography and its evil sibling, sexually oriented businesses (SOBs), are victimless activities. Nobody gets hurt, right? So goes conventional wisdom.