When Danielle Douglas was just 17 years old, she became the victim of sex-trafficking. For two years, she was subjected to horrible physical abuse, intimidation and manipulation by a man who called himself a pimp. Now 34 years old, the sex-trafficking survivor is on a mission to change the definition of the word “pimp” to raise awareness about the abuse that victims often suffer.
Her online petition to ask Merriam-Webster to officially change the definition of the word “pimp” has received more than 20,000 signatures. Currently, the word is defined as “a man who solicits clients for a prostitute.” Douglas told NJ.com, “This is not realistic at all. They are usually violent and abusive, and can use various tactics to keep the human beings under their control.” She wants the word to be redefined to more accurately describe how pimps “abduct human beings and sell their bodies for money.” Merriam-Webster has told her that they plan on issuing a new definition of the word in an upcoming edition of its dictionary …
