News
#WearBlueDay: January 11
On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, TRUST and Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network invite you to bring awareness to human trafficking by participating in #WearBlueDay. Anyone can participate. It is as simple as wearing a piece of blue clothing and posting about it throughout the day on the social media platform of your choice.There are many ways you […]
LGBTQ+ People Are Significantly More Likely to Be Sex Trafficked
For Pride Month this year, instead of incorporating the rainbow flag into our logo, we thought it would be better to advocate for real change. We often forget that the first Pride was not a parade; it was a riot. On Saturday, June 28, 1969, LGBTQ+ persons took to the streets after police in New […]
For Mental Health Awareness Month, Don’t Forget About Sex Trafficking Survivors
Trafficking, whether for labor or sexual exploitation, is a form of human slavery. By necessity, traffickers always use violence, fraud, or coercion to subjugate their prey — because there is no such thing as consensual slavery — and often enough, after days, months, and years of trauma, the violence becomes so engrained in the minds […]
The Equality Model: What Is It? And How Can It Help Arizona?
They say a lie travels halfway around the world before the truth can even lace up its shoes. Right now, there’s a persistent one still circling around: “Legalizing prostitution is better for everyone involved — with government regulation, sex workers are safer, and sex trafficking becomes a thing of the past.” And yet, if you […]
Judge Brnovich Fit to Preside Over Backpage.com Case, Appeals Court Rules
Earlier this month, Backpage.com lost its appeal to have the presiding judge removed from their case about enabling rampant sex trafficking. The 9th Circuit Court refused to compel Judge Susan Brnovich, whose husband is Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, to step aside. The Backpage executives, notably James Larkin and Michael Lacey — both of whom […]
Zephi Trevino Must Be Freed: How Victim Blaming Leads to Tragedy
Zephaniah “Zephi” Trevino is being charged for a murder she did not commit in Dallas. Her sex trafficker, Philip Baldenegro, has already confessed to pulling the trigger, but the justice system refuses to acknowledge Zephi as a victim. At the age of 16, Baldenegro trafficked Zephi by originally posing as her boyfriend. Before long, he […]
Support Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network on Arizona Give’s Day
Arizona Gives Day, which is coming up on April 6th, is a special time for our community. Each year, Arizonans take the time to give donations to more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations that help our state thrive. Presented by FirstBank, the ninth annual Arizona Gives Day is going to be a bright spot in a […]
Who Is Buying Sex? A Look at the Demand Side of Sex Trafficking
This month, two women in Springfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to traffic a “stable” of women addicted to heroin. The victims were recruited from the women’s jail in nearby Chicopee and paid in heroin. This is only one of dozens of stories you might find in recent news. The regular and […]
Arizona now provides legislation to permit civil action against Human and Sex Traffickers
Arizona Governor Ducey has signed HB 2116 which means civil action can now be pursued by Human or Sex Trafficked survivors. HB 2116 is highly supported by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich who says it will allow victims of Human and Sex Trafficking to take civil action against their perpetrators, and anyone else who contributes […]