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While there has been a constant push for (well deserved) attention on the female sex trade, recent investigations have revealed women are not the only ones finding it difficult to avoid sexual abuse. In the United States, there is actually a growing fear of a gay sex trade that exists and while some might shrug it off as ridiculous, it is actually a very real issue. So, before you let anyone tell you men cannot be sexually violated as well, you might want to take a look at the current conditions that exist right here in your own back yard.

How Prevalent is the Gay Sex Trade?

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Like females who are kidnapped in foreign countries and forced into human trafficking, male victims are often lured in with false promises. They trust someone they shouldn’t and pay a price that no person should ever have to pay. They are beaten, starved, raped, and often lose all sense of value as a person thanks to the constant abuse they face. Unfortunately, the issue is only recently becoming recognized by authorities and exact statistics are still not something that is easy to come by. One thing that is for sure is the gay sex trade is growing as the percentage of male trafficking victims appears to be on the rise. One source indicates that it was 12 percent back in 2009, but only about five years later it actually makes up as much as 20 percent of all trafficking victims.

From Miami to New York

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In the United States, the two most common places to find this sort of human trafficking are in Miami and New York. In fact, a recent article in the Miami Harold talks about multiple victims who came over from Hungry expecting a better life and finding only despair and torment thanks to their captors. When talking about their captivity, they recall being starved, beaten and raped repeatedly, with no potential end in sight. How did they get over here? They were tricked into believing they would be starting jobs as well-paid escorts. Fortunately, the LGBT community of that area showed up to offer their support, but for some reason stories like this don’t seem important enough to capture the attention of the nation.

Bringing the Issue to Light

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Just as feminist organizations have been spending many years trying to focus attention on the injustices towards females around the world, it is time people start to also take a stand for the difficulties that men can face. Just because there are not stories circulating in your newspaper everyday does not mean it isn’t a real issue. The conviction in Miami is just one example of the kind of crime that is occurring here in the United States. Sex trafficking is often a taboo subject, but it is time this changes. Instead of focusing of non-violent and victimless crimes, perhaps it is time law enforcement start focusing on real issues. Among those issues, the gay sex trade is definitely one that needs to be addressed.

Have you heard of other stories about a gay sex trade in the United States? How do you think these victims can better defend themselves against this sort of situation?

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