Tony Ortega, 'Village Voice' Editor and OC Boy, Attracts Protesters to His Cal State Fullerton Speech Tonight

By Gustavo Arellano Thu., Oct. 6 2011 at 11:40 AM

Categories: OC Media

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The half-wab himself...

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to sneak into the class of Cal State Fullerton professor (and longtime Orange County Register reporter) Jeff Brody and steal his guest speaker, Village Voice editor Tony Ortega. He's in town for a week to speak at the school's various communications departments, alumni, blah blah blah. Ortega is one of the people you can blame for getting me into journalism, and a great guy to boot--if you don't already read his daily posts on Scientology, you should.

Ortega then spoke briefly to my class, and we retired to Cantina Lounge across the street for some drinks. But while we were leaving the Humanities Hall, Ortega--a graduate of Savanna High, and a Titan two times over--pointed to the latest issue of the Daily Titan. "Did you know that they're protesting me during my big talk?" he said gleefully. As a matter of fact, I did.

Turns out that a group called Stop Slavery 2011 is planning to protest Ortega's speech this evening at the school's Golleher Alumni House, according to the Daily Titan. They're mad at him (and us, for that matter) because we run sexy ads in our papers and our website, Backpage.com, and the organization feels we promote child sex trafficking, a ridiculous proposition given our long role fighting said child sex rings.

"I know alumni at Fullerton have done great work," the head of Stop Slavery 2011 told the Daily Titan. "Unfortunately, here is an example of someone who directly is involved in a business that directly sells girls and boys and others and are human trafficking victims, and I am sick of it. How can California State Fullerton even really highlight this guy as an alumni that you guys are proud of when you really look at what he is doing?"

Want to go after real perverts, guys? Tackle the Diocese of Orange--or, since you don't have the guts to do that, protest the Orange County Register, who runs the same sexy ads we do. Anyhoo, the protest starts at 5:30 p.m., and Tony will talk at 6:30. See you there!

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http://stopslavery2012.com/blog/b_10066_catw_in_partnership_with_prostitution_research_and_education_pre_will_hold_a_protest_in_front_of_village_voice_media_holdings_llc_which_has_an_office_located_here_in_manhattan__the_protest_is_scheduled_for_november_16_from_4_until_7_pm.html
Especially for you: "On Thursday September 22, while Backpage.com was drafting its lengthy rationalization of their practices, our High Risk Victims Unit participated in a task force operation in SeaTac. We recovered three female children who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com." - Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle, WA http://publicola.com/2011/09/28/detectives-recover-three-15-year-olds-in-backpage-prostitution-stings/ http://publicola.com/2011/10/06/prosecutors-violent-pimp-coerced-woman-into-prostitution-on-backpage/ http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_1004accused_pimpof_2_teen_girlsin_court_today http://publicola.com/2011/10/03/kc-prosecutors-pimp-beat-woman-forced-her-into-prostitution-on-backpage-com/
"On Thursday September 22, while Backpage.com was drafting its lengthy rationalization of their practices, our High Risk Victims Unit participated in a task force operation in SeaTac. We recovered three female children who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com." - Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle, WA http://publicola.com/2011/09/28/detectives-recover-three-15-year-olds-in-backpage-prostitution-stings/ http://publicola.com/2011/10/06/prosecutors-violent-pimp-coerced-woman-into-prostitution-on-backpage/ http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_1004accused_pimpof_2_teen_girlsin_court_today http://publicola.com/2011/10/03/kc-prosecutors-pimp-beat-woman-forced-her-into-prostitution-on-backpage-com/
"On Thursday September 22, while Backpage.com was drafting its lengthy rationalization of their practices, our High Risk Victims Unit participated in a task force operation in SeaTac. We recovered three female children who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com." - Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle, WA http://publicola.com/2011/09/28/detectives-recover-three-15-year-olds-in-backpage-prostitution-stings/ http://publicola.com/2011/10/06/prosecutors-violent-pimp-coerced-woman-into-prostitution-on-backpage/ http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_1004accused_pimpof_2_teen_girlsin_court_today http://publicola.com/2011/10/03/kc-prosecutors-pimp-beat-woman-forced-her-into-prostitution-on-backpage-com/
These protests were most likely staged by the Church of Scientology who are currently being investigate for human trafficking themselves. Tony Ortega has bravely taken on the task of reporting the highly questionable antics of Scientology's leaders. As a result he has been the target of their "Fair Game" policy (which they deny exists but it really does) which in their eyes allows them to attack and harass by any method whether legal or illegal because he is an enemy of the organization. Please help put a stop to this harassment by signing the petition to the White House to investigate the criminal abuses of the Church of Scientology http://wh.gov/4Os.
Double check the IP of the poster. If it is Glendale CA IP then bingo, Scientology!
What if it were your mom, your sister, your best friend, your daughter, you in one of those ads? thats not gonna happen....
Nosexslaverys solution Is more than likely Scientology since the Scientology OSA goon brigade has latched onto this issue, as a way to tar and feather Tony Ortega personally ....as a way to Fair Game and intimidate Him to stop his writing about Scientology
Just so everyone is aware, sex trafficking IS a real issue and is not bound by the borders of third world countries. It exists within the United States and yes, pumps and traffickers do, indeed, use adult ads as avenues for their business. For those of you narrow minded enough to believe that the girls who prostitute themselves do it willingly, well, tell that to a young girl who was just naive enough to believe it when a boy told her he loved her and showed her affection in order to gain her trust only to force her into a life of prostitution by force, possibly getting her addicted to drugs. Tell a young woman that has been beaten, threatened and raped repeatedly that she CHOSE prostitution. Not all prostitutes choose their line of work. For some, it is chosen for them. Being robbed of freedom....well, THAT IS SLAVERY. There are 30 million slaves in the world today! That is more than at any other time in history! Human trafficking happens everywhere, on every continent; from Asia to Europe to the U.S. and everywhere in between. Girls as young as 3 have been trafficked and sold to brothels. I know this as fact because I volunteer for an organization who's members risk their lives daily to rescue these children, provide them with love and a safe place to live and education. It is a long process, up to 5 years, sometimes more, before a survivor is rehabilitated and able to return to some manner of normalcy. Yah....tell the young women and children who are held captive to this dirty, shameful, disgusting business and those that have survived the nightmare.....tell the moms that are heartbroken over their missing daughters, the sisters and brothers, the husbands, the fathers, the family and friends of those who have been trafficked and/or forced into bondage for the purpose of sex, that THEY CHOSE IT. Abraham Lincoln once said something to the likes of "he who is for slavery, I'd like to see it put upon him". For all of you who are of the belief that adult ads are nothing but a source of revenue for the media that publishes them and that they are harmless, I ask that you do a bit a research on the subject of sex trafficking, both domestic and abroad. Get the facts before making blanket statements. What if it were your mom, your sister, your best friend, your daughter, you in one of those ads?
There is reasonable evidence to suggest that shutting down the adult section of Craigslist made things less safe for prostitutes who had been posting ads there. As to whether or not back pages does anything effective, what do you make of their statement that they have made 230 reports to law enforcement in a singe month? If a less reputable site was hosting the ads instead, which is all that will happen if backpages stops, would police get those tips? You haven't addressed the substance of my post.
The cult has been claiming this, without evidence, for ages now. I've yet to see a single piece of evidence to support the claim. Who are these Stop Slavery 2011 people? A scientology font group maybe or people who have been sent "information" from the cult of scientology?
O.k. enough with the catholic church sex-abuse scandal, that is an issue in itself. The issue here is that Ortega is being unethical by allowing his newspaper to be owned by a company who promotes sexual exploitation. There is concrete detail showing Village Voice is guilty because there are actual victims who declare their pictures are on Backpage.com.
Get a life, you punctuation freak. Prostitution serves an important role within any society. There have always been prostitutes and there always will be. Many disabled men, who otherwise could never be with a woman use prostitutes. Many religious men who are expected by their communities to be virgins until they get married use the services of prostitutes. Men with perversions use prostitutes to fulfil their fantasies, which otherwise would be illegal. My point is - since prostitution is not going to go away, it needs to be regularised as it is in Holland [and Nevada]. It has to be legal, prostitutes need to pay taxes, need to be checked for health and age. Unfortunately, since most of the American society is so incredibly hypocrite and religious, your politicians would never agree to the only logical solution - legalising prostitution [Nevada being the exception]. So adds in newspapers is what's left. And by the way - it's much better to have those adds than having women on the streets. So while I am not speaking for Mr. Ortega, I don't see why he would have a problem getting his salary from an organisation that runs the backpage. The backpage only provides an advertisement service, it doesn't traffic anyone, nor forces anyone into slavery. And Mr. Ortega's job is to edit the newspaper articles, not to pimp underage Lolitas. I think your anger is misplaced and should be directed towards traffickers and real pimps.
Prove it. Where is any concrete proof of minors advertising in the Village Voice?
Craigslist.com shut down their sex ads. I applaud that. Legalizing prostitution (where it still is illegal) does not change the fact that Village Voice is preying on the misery of others, namely minors. A little research shows that they are aware of it and do nothing effective.
They have 120+ people screening ads and reporting any that appear underage to the police. I suspect employing that many people more than cancels out any revenue generated by underage ads that slip through. If they stop running ads are the people exploiting minors going to just close up shop or will they try another website that isn't cooperating with law enforcement? Really, legalizing prostitution and allowing it to operate in the open makes it easier to stop minors being exploited. What's your solution?
That you be: "Learn some English, you moron, before you are expressing your opinion." But I digress: Maybe Tony can explain how he feels getting paid by an organization that supports (and gets paid for through) exploitation of children.
I agree. Gustavo, do your homework. Village Voice Media is under attack for human trafficking and abetting sexual abuse in 46 States: http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Sep/426563.html
Village Voice Media makes 23 million $$$ a year from promoting prostitution, including abuse of minors. You could say that Tony is paid through sexual child abuse.
Stop Slavery 2011 Is just a dupe receiving dead agent packs about Mr Ortega.
Stop Slavery 2011sounds like a scientology front group.
Oh I see now. I just didn't realize the Catholic Church was involved in child sex rings. Abuse I knew about.
Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal? Worst one of them all.
Although this organization seemingly has the right intentions, this protest is utterly lame. The real slavery problems is deeply embedded in the world of organized crime. And it sounds like the group is too scared to wade into that world knee-deep to find the real criminals, so their targeting the adult entertainment industry where people thrive and prosper within the bounds of the law. If they really want to make a statement rather than pimping their own cause for easy attention, why not protest the fact that the United States is the only nation besides Somalia that refuses to sign the Amnesty International treaty against Human Trafficking? Or better yet, roll up their sleaves and venture into the slums to find the real pimps importing children for sex slaves so they can be prosecuted under the new but untested laws? Sex trafficking is a dirty business, if their not prepared to actually get their hands dirty doing something proactive to stop it - their only pissing in the wind. Here's hoping a bunch of strippers and porn stars show up to counter protest their ridiculousness and offer swag bags full of free condoms, vibrators and videos. That would actually make this silly waste of time noteworthy! Until then, Meh.
So everyone here is asinst single moms making a living as "Massage Therapists" I mean why would you think that a place called "Beautiful Massage" would be anything other than a legit place of business?
"Unfortunately, here is an example of someone who directly is involved in a business that directly sells girls and boys and others and are human trafficking victims, and I am sick of it. How can California State Fullerton even really highlight this guy as an alumni that you guys are proud of when you really look at what he is doing?" Learn some English you moron, before you're expressing opinions.
so much silence. everybody is checking their own guilt. these protesters have a point, and after tonight, Gustavo will not be able to claim that he "knows nothing". Don't change the subject to Diocese of Orange. .
"...organization feels we promote child sex trafficking, a ridiculous proposition given our long role fighting said child sex rings." Really? I'm not doubting you -- just curious what you do to fight it.
I don't think there is any doubt that the free "progressive" rags available up and down the coast promote trafficking of women in that they are probably the number one none internet venue for call girl services. I do doubt that there is much 'slavery' going on -- most of the women know what they are getting into. I just think the contradiction between the anti-business, oh-so-righteous liberalism and these papers' revenue streams is hilarious.