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Support Our Blog, Or Sex, or Both, Really!Melissa Ditmore discussing the ramifications of PEPFAR’s anti-prostitution policy on sex workers over at the Global Health Magazine blog.
Since we’re on the subject, especially in light of the amazing protests at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna last month, this is not a bad time to suggest you review the amazing short film “Taking The Pledge”
Filed under: Activism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, PEPFAR, Taking the Pledge | Leave a comment »
Melissa Ditmore’s latest on the anti-prostitution pledge at http://www.rhrealitycheck.org:
Anti-Prostitution Pledge Results in Discriminatory TreatmentMelissa Ditmore on October 9, 2008 – 8:00amRecently on RH Reality Check, I examined the damaging effects on sex workers of a new law against prostitution in Cambodia. The perception on the ground is that the law was passed so that Cambodia could avoid sanctions associated with the US Traffic in Persons report.This is not the first time that sex workers have been sacrificed at the altar of US funding. Anti-trafficking funding and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) deny funding to any organization that does not have an explicit policy against prostitution and sex trafficking. Outwardly, this seems innocuous, but the restriction has been used in ways that seriously undermine public health and anti-trafficking efforts in the developing world. Denying services to sex workers is counter-productive in both areas.In addition, the terms of the restriction have been left ambiguous, allowing some self-appointed experts to act as “police” for the US government in watching aid recipients for alleged missteps. CHANGE released an updated policy brief detailing the ways in which sex workers have been adversely affected by this restriction.
Filed under: Allies, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, Male Sex Workers, PEPFAR, Taking the Pledge, trafficking | Tagged: Cambodia, Melissa Ditmore, RH Reality Check, Uganda | 4 Comments »
He-Jin, a transgender sex worker activist from Korea, at the anti-PEFAR demo at the International AIDS Conference. Here’s more on the action from the AIDS 2008 blog:
“Wednesday was a busy day for activists here at the IAC. A number of actions were held–I counted at least four–including one targeting the United States for failing to fight HIV/AIDS. U.S. AIDS activists marched through the halls, media center and into the “US HIV Epidemic in 2008” session, issuing a grade of “F” to U.S. policy makers, and demanding a National AIDS Strategy and a reform of the U.S. global AIDS plan to ensure the U.S. treats four million people worldwide and funds only evidence-based HIV prevention programs.”
And a video of Tucker, a US-based AIDS activist, describing the problems with PEPFAR and its restrictions on sex workers:
Filed under: Activism, Allies, HIV/AIDS, Taking the Pledge | Leave a comment »
We need your help again! Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA) will gather this Wednesday, February 27, to make amendments (“known as markup”) to the PEPFAR reauthorization draft bill prepared by Congressman Berman, Acting Chairman. We must urge committee members who support the Chairman’s bill to attend the entire markup and keep the pressure on all HCFA members to support the bill. Please call members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs TODAY.As you know, the Chairman’s draft bill makes several critical improvements to U.S.-funded HIV prevention policy in order to better address the real-life needs of women and girls. It strikes the ideologically-driven requirement that 33% of prevention funds be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs, removes the anti-prostitution pledge, and emphasizes the integration of HIV and AIDS programs with family planning programs. However, these hard-fought, life-saving provisions are in jeopardy. A small yet vocal opposition is ready to make amendments during markup that would roll back the advancements in the Chairman’s bill. Your phone calls will help ensure that these vital improvements to prevention policy remain in the bill during committee markup.
PEPFAR reauthorization will be a long fight with many opportunities for action. Just a few minutes of your time at these critical junctures can make a real difference in the course of U.S. global AIDS policy.
Please consider making phone calls TODAY to any and all of the committee members who live in your state. Click here for a list of Representatives to call, their office telephone numbers, and a sample phone script. And if you’re not in one of these states, we encourage you to circulate this action to any contacts you have in these states.
We appreciate your continued activism and will keep you informed about outcomes from markup. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need more information.
Many thanks,
Healy and Kim
Healy Thompson and Kim Whipkey
Advocacy and Outreach Team
Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
hthompson@genderhealth.org, 301-637-7773
kwhipkey@genderhealth.org, 301-270-1182
Filed under: Activism, Allies, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, PEPFAR, Politics, Taking the Pledge | 3 Comments »
Filed under: Allies, Announcements, Conferences, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, Legal, Politics, Sex Worker Rights, Taking the Pledge, Urban Justice Center | 2 Comments »
By JIM ABRAMS Associated Press
The Lantos bill would eliminate a provision in the 2003 bill requiring that one-third of all prevention spending go to abstinence programs. That amounts to about 7 percent of all spending. Critics say that while they don’t oppose abstinence programs, inflexible funding requirements are counterproductive.
It also would remove a provision stating that all groups receiving money under the program must sign a pledge confirming that they do not support the legalization of prostitution or sex trafficking. The groups still may provide condoms or condom information to prostitutes. The provision, said its author, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., was designed to “ensure that pimps and brothel owners don’t become U.S. government partners.”
Democrats said studies have shown that some groups will not or cannot make the pledge because of concerns it will alienate women they are trying to reach. Other groups say legalized and controlled prostitution could help slow the spread of HIV infection.
Read the full article here.
The article also appears in: San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Seattle and the UK
If you are in or near any of those cities, please send a letter to the editor:
UK: letters@guardian.co.uk
SF: letters@sfchronicle.com
San Luis Obispo: letters@thetribunenews.com
Seattle: opinion@seattletimes.com
Please also keep an eye out for this story in your local papers and be prepared to send a letter to the editor (sample below)
Also, no matter where you are, please go to the stories above and comment at the websites if they allow comments.
Thanks!
Stacey
Sample LTE: Use this as a guide, but don’t copy it, it’s more effective to say it in your own words. Keep it brief and focus on one key point. Most publications will require that you provide a phone number and mailing address for reference only, they will not publish it. It’s also helpful to include your organization/affiliation.
Editor,
Regarding Jim Abrams’ Feb. 8 article: House GOP Opposes AIDS Program Changes
Kudos to Representative Lantos for pushing for reform in PEPFAR policies, including the anti-prostitution oath. This policy dangerously conflates prostitution with trafficking and leaves women globally without health and support services that could help them avoid both HIV and forced-prostitution. It is time for the US to respond to these issues with practical solutions that get resources to those who need them- not with moralistic hysteria.
Sincerely,
Stacey Swimme
Co-Founder
Desiree Alliance
http://www.DesireeAlliance.org
2756 N. Green Valley Parkway Box 104
Henderson, NV 89014-2120
866-525-7967 X 702
Filed under: Activism, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Media, Politics, Taking the Pledge | 5 Comments »
photo by Audacia Ray
Attendees at Sex::Tech– The Inaugural STD/HIV Prevention Conference focusing on Youth and Technology- were all abuzz about the “sex work blog thing” before our panel even happened. Or so Melissa and I were told at the post-conference happy hour. (Yes, despite missing many of the workshops, I did manage to make it to both of the cocktail parties!) “What does this have to do with youth and HIV/AIDS prevention?” “Why are they presenting at this conference for prevention educators?” After our presentation, people were stopping us in the halls to tell us how great and informative our presentation was! I certainly observed a furrowed brow or two when I looked out into the audience, but in general I think that our message was clear.
Sex workers have everything to do with sexual health education and disease prevention. We are a huge part of the solution. Our presentation was the first time that many educators learned about the PEPFAR provisions that limit health and education funding to agencies that serve sex workers. It was the first time that many people learned of the hypocrisy with which such policies are implemented and of the exposure of Randall Tobias, former Deputy Secretary of State who said that “it was just like ordering pizza” when he’d “call up and have the gals come by for a massage.” This is the birth point of BnG.
So we told them how the blog started. We told them about long, teary, angry all-hours-of-the-night phone calls that Melissa and I shared while as sex workers we were sitting in our own isolated worlds watching the media tell our stories through the lens of the “DC Madam Scandal.” That we desperately needed a space to respond and share our own opinions, to tell of our own exploits and scandals and to confront the stigma and harassment that we experienced with every twisted, slanted and salacious ‘hookers-to-the-elite’ story emailed out over our various list-serves. We told them that we didn’t really expect anybody besides our friends to read it, so we set out. But then Melissa actually talked to the DC Madam and the story suddenly felt accessible to us. Web-based radio shows and other bloggers were actually interviewing Jeane Palfrey, ABC News interviewed us about our first Blog-Scandal-Viewing party where sex workers got together and watched ‘Taking the Pledge’ along with the 20/20 fluff piece about the ‘Madam’s phone list.’ People were actually listening to us! Bloggers were linking to us and lurkers were stopping by regularly to see what those crazy hookers were talking about this week.
But the more we talked out in the open, the less crazy and foreign we seemed to people!
The conversations bounced around, lots of people came by to hate on us, which only sparked a whole bunch of new people coming to stand in solidarity with us! Once we found our collective voice we began using it to confront enemies on all sides. We held a virtual rally to support the actions in Philadelphia to oppose the reinstatement of Judge Deni who tolerates sexual violence against sex workers. Just a few weeks earlier we had our biggest day ever (9/18/07 with over 2,100 hits!!!) when we held a virtual press conference to confront Melissa Farley and her not-peer-reviewed research that conflates prostitution with trafficking…
…leading us back to how the blog started… US policy… the conflation of forced labor with consensual sex… the trafficking smoke-screen used to distract Americans from their own responsibility for the demand for cheap labor and to hide the corporate-driven severe exploitation occurring in many labor markets… pledges that prevent us from giving away condoms… the divide-and-conquer tactics that keep feminists busy fighting against women so that the anti-choice forces can focus on attacking Roe v. Wade… the horrible things said about us in the media… in ‘journalism’… in blogs…in living rooms…
People die when sex workers are silenced and stigmatized.
BnG exists because sex workers are the solution, and despite the gag orders that bind us, we will never be silent!!!
We made lots of new friends at the conference and got to meet up with some folks we already knew. Have to send a shout out to Guy and Nikol at the Midwest Teen Sex Show!! Thank you to all the people who attended and asked great questions about sex work at the end. We welcome all service providers and agencies to use this blog as a resource to get info, ask questions or just come hang out with hot, sexy, politically-minded people of all genders!
Thank you Melissa for putting together the power point and being our amazing messing-around-under-the-covers goddess!
In solidarity,
Stacey
Filed under: Academia, Activism, Allies, Conferences, HIV/AIDS, Politics, Pop Culture, Sex::Tech, Taking the Pledge, Talking About Blogs | 13 Comments »
**Please Distribute Widely**
For Immediate Release Media Contact: swopeast@gmail.com
December 13, 2007
Sex Workers Outreach Project East
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Two-Part Online Event
1) Repository for International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Projects/Pictures/Events …and…
2) Live Online Vigil
Who: Sex Workers Outreach Project East Two-Part Online Event
What: Repository for International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Projects and Live Online Vigil
When: Repository begins Saturday, December 15th, 5:00 PM EST and continues through Monday;
Live Online Vigil Monday, December 17th, 5 – 11 PM Eastern (2-8 PM Pacific)
Where: http://www.swopeast.blogspot.com/
Beginning Saturday, December 15th, at 5:00 PM EST, the swopeast.blogspot.com will be available for posting pictures, events, comments, summaries, reactions, etc., to events related to the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Please post any comments or artifacts that you’d like to share and visit our blogspot to view happenings related to the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers from around the world.
On Monday, December 17th, beginning at 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM EST SWOP East will be holding a Live Online Vigil. Please join our virtual community to share your stories, mourn our sisters and brothers, and work toward a space where this violence is no longer tolerated.
For questions or more information contact swopeast@gmail.com
Filed under: Activism, Allies, Announcements, Arrests, End Demand, Featured Bloggers, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legal, Legal Brothels, LGBTQ, Liveblog, Media, Media Allies, Penguins, Politics, Protests, Sex Worker Bloggers, Sex Worker Rights, Sexual Assault, Taking the Pledge, Trans Workers, Violence, Workers of Color | 2 Comments »
PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Sapna Patel,
SWP, 646/602.5626,
(New York City, November 30, 2007) – The Sex Workers Project at the
Urban Justice Center joins organizations and individuals in the U.S. and
around the world to observe World AIDS Day on December 1, 2007. The
theme for World AIDS Day 2007 is Leadership. This theme highlights the
fact that sex workers are imperative in the fight to prevent and treat
HIV/AIDS and must be at the forefront as leaders in local, national and
international efforts to stop the spread of the disease.
Sex work is universal and any successful effort to curb the spread of
HIV/AIDS must not only incorporate sex workers, but also place them in
leadership positions as educators and decision-makers in their
communities. Unfortunately, bias against sex workers the world over
often means that instead of being engaged as part of the solution to the
HIV/AIDS pandemic, sex workers are treated as part of the problem. They
are then punished rather than enlisted to help in HIV/AIDS prevention
and treatment programs. For example, the U.S. Anti-Prostitution Pledge
requires that health care and social service providers receiving
HIV/AIDS and anti-trafficking funding denounce prostitution. This policy
has been used to deny sex workers around the world the health services
they need to survive, the safe-sex education that could protect them and
their communities from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
infections, and the programs such as education and job training that
could give them more control over their lives.
The organizations with the most effective HIV-prevention programs build
their efforts on a sophisticated understanding of the social and
personal dynamics faced by sex workers, and start by building trust and
credibility among these groups. They recognize that it is necessary to
provide social, legal and health services to men and women in sex work
without judging them. Basically, the Anti-Prostitution Pledge requires
groups to express the government’s viewpoint on a controversial subject
in order to remain eligible for funding. It even restricts the way
organizations use their own private funds. The language is so confusing
that organizations are unsure how to comply with it and government
officials are unsure how to enforce it. The Anti-Prostitution Pledge
unfairly vilifies sex workers and also forces organizations that treat
vulnerable people to take sides – either to condemn the people who need
their help or risk losing the funds that make their crucial work
possible.
Sex workers are often more knowledgeable about sexual health – and
practice safe sex more often – than the general population. They often
act as sexual health educators for their clients and should be
mobilized, not demonized, in the struggle to control HIV/AIDS. An
approach that recognizes sex workers’ human rights, addresses their
needs, promotes safer behavior and improves their access to health and
social services can empower them to overcome stigma and discrimination
so they can insist upon condom use by clients and also fight for safer
working conditions. This approach will attract sex workers’ support and
achieve the goal of helping to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Sex workers are individuals whose reasons for engaging in sex work – and
leaving it – are personal, economic and social – as complex as anyone’s
reasons for involvement in any type of work. Sex workers who have the
knowledge and necessary tools are able to protect themselves and their
clients. When they have the power to negotiate, sex workers are leaders
in practicing safer-sex methods. We call on States and non-governmental
partners to place sex workers in the forefront as leaders in this fight.
The Network of Sex Work Projects has produced a 13-minute video about
the effects of the pledge. Watch Taking the Pledge at
http://sexworkerspresent.blip.tv/file/181155 or at
http://www.sexworkersproject.org.
The Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center provides legal
services, legal training, documentation, and policy advocacy for sex
workers in New York City. For more information, please visit our
website at: http://www.sexworkersproject.org.
###
Filed under: HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Sex Worker Rights, Taking the Pledge, Urban Justice Center | Leave a comment »
In May 2007, sex workers and advocates gathered from across the globe
to attend the 18th International Harm Reduction Conference in Warsaw
Poland. Last year was our first time at this event and it was quite a
success. Rachel Wotton from Scarlet Alliance- the Australian Sex
Workers’ Association-was our plenary speaker and we held sex worker
lead panels and living room sessions.
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/sharp/events/conference_200705
24/agenda.pdf
We also had a booth that we took turns working daily during the
conference. Our topics ranged from outreach to law reform and we spoke
with hundreds of people during the conference. Now it is time to do it
again, this time in Barcelona Spain May 11th-15th, 2008.
We have been invited to create sex worker lead panels and sessions
from abstracts submitted to IHRA for 2008. We encourage
representatives from all the sex worker networks to put in your
abstracts and to keep us in the loop so we can do our utmost to get
your abstract accepted.
Please do the following two things:
1. Submit your abstract directly to the International Harm Reduction
Association (IHRA) http://www.ihra.net/ by November 14, 2007
2. after submitting your abstract to IHRA, please send us a heads up
note including your abstract and any other information about the sex
worker organization you work with to swopusa@yahoo.com and
psaunders@bestpracticespolicy.org
All entries will be notified of acceptance by Dec. There is limited
funding and please be sure to apply for an IHRA scholarship when you
submit your abstract too.
Need help shaping your abstract? Never done an “abstract” and feel
like its not for you? Contact swopusa@yahoo.com and
psaunders@bestpracticespolicy.org by Nov 1 and we’ll connect you to a
fellow advocate who can help you brainstorm your idea and shape your
abstract. Remember that there are all kinds of different roles and
venues to present at IHRA-you don’t have to have studied at University
or be a “researcher” to present about sex worker issues at this
conference.
Sincerely,
Sex Worker Harm Reduction Panel Participants
Filed under: Academia, Activism, Allies, Announcements, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Labor, Legal, LGBTQ, Male Sex Workers, Politics, Sex Worker Rights, Sexual Assault, Taking the Pledge, Trans Workers, Violence, Workers of Color | Leave a comment »
I am happy to share some very good news about SWOP East. Just over a year ago, SWOP East was an independent harm reduction based project called the STORM Project, Sex Trade Opportunities for Risk Minimization. While we retain a harm reduction component, we made a radical decision as an organization to take on a sex worker rights position as the core belief and mission of our organization. I approached SWOP about bringing STORM under the SWOP banner as part of my hopes to switch to a sex worker rights position. At the time I was the only sex worker rights activist on the board of directors. SWOP-USA welcomed STORM into SWOP and we became SWOP East.
SWOP East now has a sex worker rights based Board of Directors, we added some wonderful and talented activists and allies, Jessica Land joined us and has brought her energy and experience in the movement to become our new Board Chair, Amanda Brooks, joined in May and along with our Chilean counterpart Beatriz Mercado in Chile, they have been instrumental in the now launching Pledging Action global effort to get condoms to sex workers in Santiago, Chile that have lost access to resources due to USAid anti trafficking legislation which has devastated outreach programs worldwide. Lola Silvera of Toronto is my frequent adviser and is on our advisory board. Last month saw Jill McCracken of St. Petersburg, Florida to SWOP East as our new treasurer, Ren Ev. in DC has joined us as an awareness activist and we are close to having a supporter join us from Richmond, VA.
SWOP-USA’s welcoming of what was STORM and the great, vital energy of all of the new members, of which I am eternally grateful and thankful for all of their effort, work and enthusiasm, has developed SWOP East into an organization spanning two continents, three countries, and seven states.
Our growth is part of the emerging sex worker rights movement of which I am so proud of all it’s members and thrilled to be part of! This started three years ago when I was welcomed into the sex worker rights movement by so many activists that I love and respect dearly
We are always interested in hearing from others interested in working with SWOP East, SWOP-USA or any Sex Worker Rights Org or any sex worker or sex worker rights activist, ally or supporter that wants to join a growing movement for social justice for sex workers worldwide!
In Solidarity
Jill Brenneman
Filed under: Announcements, End Demand, Featured Bloggers, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, Protests, Sex Worker Bloggers, Sex Worker Rights, Sexual Assault, Taking the Pledge, Violence, Workers of Color | 4 Comments »
Thank you to Beatriz Mercado of SWOP East-Chile for translating this document into English!
Although this is not a breaking news item, Angela Lina protested a heavy fine to be imposed on Chilean street sex workers. I don’t know if the bill passed or not. Courtesy of a RedTraSex newsletter.
In English: More intents to fine sex workers
Last July, Las Condes major, Francisco de la Maza, moved forward in his intent to criminalize sex workers imposing a city ordinance to fine sex workers who work on the streets.
People from Independent Labor Union of Sex Workers Angela Lina, focal point in Chile of TraSex Network, along with Amanda Jofré Organization, made a protest in front of the city hall on July 4th.
This wasn’t his first try. In may, sex workers were able to stop fines from being imposed, with the support of several organizations in a meeting held at Christian Churches Social Aid Foundation.
“City major wants to profit from street sex workers, asking them to pay over $ 150.000 chilean pesos ($ 300 US dollars), an amount equivalent to what a regular worker gets for a month’s salary, as a fine applied both to the sex worker and her client” explained the leaders of the organization.
Executive Secretary of TraSex network sent a letter addressing this subject:
TraSex network wants to express their support to our friends form Labor Union Angela Lina in their fight to stop persecution and harassing against sex workers in Chile.
Once again authorities try to mistreat our fellow sex workers by taking unilateral decisions instead of calling them to reach appropriate solutions that won’t put sex workers at risk.
We demand sex workers opinions to be considered and also that authorities call sex workers to discuss issues that affect them.
as a region network
we will not stop denouncing any decision
that may violate human rights
of latin american and caribbean sex workers
The original piece: Mas intentos de multar a las trabajadoras sexuales
En el mes de julio, el alcalde de la municipalidad de Las Condes, Francisco de La Maza, avanzo en su intento de criminalizar a las trabajadoras sexuales con una ordenanza municipal que multa a las trabajadoras sexuales que trabajan en las calles.
Ante esta situacion, las companieras del Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadoras Sexuales Angela Lina, punto focal en Chile de la RedTraSex, en conjunto con la organizacion Amanda Jofre, realizaron un acto de repudio el miercoles 4 de julio frente al municipio.
Esta no fue la primera arremetida del alcalde. Ya en mayo, las companieras lograron detener la imposición de multas con el apoyo de diversas organizaciones en un encuentro realizado en la Fundación de Ayuda Social de Iglesias Cristianas.
“El alcalde quiere lucrar con las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales de las calles, a quienes quiere hacer cancelar más de $150.000 pesos chilenos, suma similar a lo que gana una persona asalariado en un mes de trabajo, traducido en una multa aplicada a la compañera y al cliente”, explicaron las dirigentes de la organizacion.
La Secretaria Ejecutiva de la RedTraSex envio una carta el respecto:
La REDTRASEX quiere hacer expreso su apoyo a las companieras del Sindicato Ángela Lina, en la lucha que están llevando adelante por la persecución y hostigamiento que están sufriendo las trabajadoras sexuales de ese país.
Porque una vez mas las autoridades se empeñan en maltratar a nuestras companieras con disposiciones unilaterales, en vez de convocarlas para llegar a soluciones adecuadas sin volver a ponernos en situación de desprotección.
Exigimos que la palabra de las trabajadoras sexuales sea tenida en cuenta, y establecer una convocatoria para discutir las distintas problemáticas que perjudican a nuestro sector.
En nuestro carácter de Red Regional Mas intentos de multar a las trabajadoras sexuales
En el mes de julio, el alcalde de la municipalidad de Las Condes, Francisco de La Maza, avanzo en su intento de criminalizar a las trabajadoras sexuales con una ordenanza municipal que multa a las trabajadoras sexuales que trabajan en las calles.
Ante esta situacion, las companieras del Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadoras Sexuales Angela Lina, punto focal en Chile de la RedTraSex, en conjunto con la organizacion Amanda Jofre, realizaron un acto de repudio el miercoles 4 de julio frente al municipio.
Esta no fue la primera arremetida del alcalde. Ya en mayo, las companieras lograron detener la imposición de multas con el apoyo de diversas organizaciones en un encuentro realizado en la Fundación de Ayuda Social de Iglesias Cristianas.
“El alcalde quiere lucrar con las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales de las calles, a quienes quiere hacer cancelar más de $150.000 pesos chilenos, suma similar a lo que gana una persona asalariado en un mes de trabajo, traducido en una multa aplicada a la compañera y al cliente”, explicaron las dirigentes de la organizacion.
La Secretaria Ejecutiva de la RedTraSex envio una carta el respecto:
La REDTRASEX quiere hacer expreso su apoyo a las companieras del Sindicato Ángela Lina, en la lucha que están llevando adelante por la persecución y hostigamiento que están sufriendo las trabajadoras sexuales de ese país.
Porque una vez mas las autoridades se empeñan en maltratar a nuestras companieras con disposiciones unilaterales, en vez de convocarlas para llegar a soluciones adecuadas sin volver a ponernos en situación de desprotección.
Exigimos que la palabra de las trabajadoras sexuales sea tenida en cuenta, y establecer una convocatoria para discutir las distintas problemáticas que perjudican a nuestro sector.
En nuestro carácter de Red Regional
NO CESAREMOS DE DENUNCIAR CUALQUIER DISPOSICION
QUE VIOLE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS
DE LAS TRABAJADORAS SEXUALES DE LATINOAMERICA Y EL CARIBE
Filed under: Activism, Allies, Announcements, Clients, Economics, Featured Bloggers, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Injustice, International, Law Enforcement, Legal, Prohibition, Protests, Sex Worker Bloggers, Sex Worker Rights, Sexual Assault, Taking the Pledge, The Biz, Trans Workers, Violence | 2 Comments »
Farley has published more than 25 peer-reviewed publications on sexual violence, prostitution and trafficking. She has spoken with a thousand women, men, and the transgendered in prostitution in 10 countries on 5 continents. She talks about the psychological harm of prostitution, her expertise based upon interviewing 1,000 women men and transgendered prostitutes. Ms. Farley presents herself as a strong advocate for prostitutes. Perhaps she is. But there are also actions and alliances from her past which challenge the credibility of her understanding of the psychology of prostitutes. In 1996 Ms. Farley along with Nikki Craft wrote “Why I Made The Choice to Become a Prostitute“. Perhaps they felt it was comical and amusing to insult the intelligence of prostitutes, to imply that prostitutes are motivated by sexual desires for their step fathers, even comparing prostitutes to being grade A ground beef and the cow simultaneously. Many women that identify as survivors of prostitution have written to Ms. Farley stating their concerns about this piece. These women in prostitution’s viewpoints were ignored or perhaps not pertinent because she was not studying them or already had. Why would a researcher with more than 25 peer-reviewed publications on sexual violence, prostitution and trafficking feel that such a piece below, after being reviewed by survivors of prostitution, sex workers, advocates of sex workers and strongly opposed continue to stand behind such a condescending and insulting literary publication?
Ms. Farley maintains a strong alliance to activist Nikki Craft, sharing publication credits, by Craft’s definition being close colleagues of thirty years. Ms. Craft in her website Always Causing Legal Unrest advocates the firebombing of porn stores, promising to publish the pictures of porn stores that have been the target of radical feminist arsonists guaranteeing confidentiality. While they and others oppose pornography, is arson a valid method of opposition? What if there were people inside? Whether they be employees, customers, even porn actresses themselves, do they deserve to be injured or killed in a firebombing? Is it ethical to publicize this type of action guaranteeing the confidentiality of the criminal? Would that confidentiality extend even if there were deaths? It does not state otherwise in the Always Causing Legal Unrest website which Ms. Craft owns, Nikki Craft and other radical feminists support through their publication of literary works upon. See “One Hot Shot, Burn Baby Burn, Madison Wisconsin Porn Shop Burning and further states in red “WANTED ONE HOT Shot! Large Detailed (!) Picture of Porn Shop Burning! The website proclaims “There are visitors to the ACLU website who have hot fantasies about burning porn stores down. If you have any pictures let us know and we’ll post them on this site for your viewing enjoyment. Privacy will be Protected”
Chilean Sex Worker Rights Advocate and SWOP East Latin America’s advisory board member Beatriz Mercado stated upon reading “Why I Made the Choice to Become A Prostitute” that she could not believe women would write such a piece instead expecting that kind of mockery and vitriol towards prostitutes be the work of junior high school boys. Instead, much to Beatriz’ shock it is the work of a prostitution expert who proudly states her understanding of the psychology of women in prostitution and her ally.
Ms. Farley in her recent study in Nevada stated “30% of her funding was from the Trafficking in Persons Office of the US State Dept” which if the case represents an important question of whether the US State Department is aware they are giving grant money to researchers collaborating openly with an activist advocating felony criminal actions that could easily lead to serious injury or death openly proclaiming she would obstruct justice in the event her invitation to arsonists is taken at face value.
These are important facts to consider when pondering the expertise, ethical basis and independence of the studies
Nikki Craft and Melissa Farley
co-authored the following article
1. I saw Pretty Baby and it reminded me of my stepfather and I thought I could get paid for it.
2. I saw Pretty Woman and I liked the clothes.
3. I saw a Demi Moore movie and I thought, Wow, what an easy and fun way to make a million dollars.
4. I like getting fucked by the football team, the fraternity brothers, and law students at graduation parties. I realized that gang rape could be a transcendental experience.
5. I figured that laying on my back and getting fucked by hundreds of men, and getting on my knees and sucking thousands of dicks, was the most profound empowerment a woman could have.
6. My vocational counselor and I discussed a whole lot of possibilities: doctor, lawyer, women’s-studies teacher, legal secretary. I was offered a four-year scholarship at Stanford, but frankly, prostitution seemed the most rewarding job option available.
7. I worship the goddess and she told me, “Fuck mankind.” I misunderstood her spiritual message and found myself in lifetime sexual servitude instead.
8. I came to appreciate the depth of Hugh Hefner’s, Larry Flynt’s, and Bob Guccione’s understanding of my sexuality.
9. My boyfriend wanted me to do it. He said that being part of a stable of whores who worked for him could help me learn how to get along with other women.
10. My father wanted me to do it.
11. I met a nice man on alt.sex.prostitution.
12. Camille Paglia told me it was the feminist thing to do.
13. I felt coerced by my landlord, the day-care center, the utility companies, the grocer, my dealer and my plastic surgeons to pay my bills every month.
14. I didn’t want to work at Red Lobster.
15. I wanted to be treated like a lady.
16. I went to COYOTE’s Halloween extravaganza, the Hookers’ Ball, and found out just how glamorous prostitution could be.
17. It’s complicated, but I thought that working in the sex industry would increase my self-esteem. It’s sort of like saying to the world, “I am the best Grade A ground beef” and being the cow.
18. And then, ya know, even though it all sounded really good, and selling fucks and blow jobs sounded really empowering, I realized that talking about it and writing books defending it would be even more empowering.
Filed under: Academia, Allies, Announcements, End Demand, Faith, Farley, Feminism, Human Rights, International, Law Enforcement, Legal, Legal Brothels, LGBTQ, Neighborhoods, Politics, Prohibition, Sex Worker Rights, Taking the Pledge | 31 Comments »
Question 1. Both Ren Ev and I have repeatedly asked radical feminist anti prostitution activists three questions and never get answers to them. Question 1 is if you advocate abolishing the sex industry what is your plan to do this, how will you achieve it, what happens to the sex workers that are currently in the sex industry and when will it be accomplished? To be this dedicated to the concept of abolition someone must have a strategic plan. What is it?
Question 2, I have made repeated requests to radical feminists that we try to drop the acrimony and work on issues we both can agree on. Is it so awful to work with actual sex workers that you can’t work with us? Wouldn’t it be more prudent and helpful to all if you found out what we really advocate rather than obsessing on Larry Flynt, Nevada Brothels and abusive pimps, issues that the vast majority of swr activists are actually working on? Why fight us when there are actual abusers and abuses we could ally with each other to combat.
Question 3. Why does everything have to be analyzed for faults if relayed by sex worker rights activists? I discussed the very anti prostitution org in Minneapolis called Women’s Recovery Center as one I have worked with in the projects development and support and send referrals even now. And all that came was condemnation of this program from radical feminists with factual misrepresentations of WRC not offering psychological assistance to exiting sex workers. Which is perhaps a weakness in their website because they do offer it. Why are they considered a poor resource even though the project is radical feminist? Is it just because they don’t hate SWOP East and still work with us thus they are collaborators with the enemy? If this is the case it is a very sad statement. That some/many rad fems are far more interested in politics and war with sex worker rights activists than actual work. This is 2007, not 1967. Militancy had a very important place in the sixties and seventies. Without it feminism wouldn’t have been successful. But this is 2007. Times have changed. Methods need to also.
Please, I would like answers to my questions. Ren would too.
Brenneman
Filed under: Academia, Allies, Clients, Economics, Farley, Featured Bloggers, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, International, Law Enforcement, Legal, Legal Brothels, LGBTQ, Liveblog, Media, Politics, Prohibition, Taking the Pledge, The Biz, Trans Workers | 24 Comments »
I found the following statement in Bob Herbert’s editorial titled “City as Predator” to be so xenophobic:
“Huge numbers of foreign women are trafficked into
Vegas. The legions of Asian women in the massage
parlors and escort services did not come flocking to
Vegas from suburban U.S.A.”
Here’s the comment I wrote to challenge this:
“The above statement is xenophobic. Despite the
stereotypes, not all Asian women who work in massage
parlors or for escort services are trafficking
victims. Amidst this xenophobia, migrant workers in
the sex industry, many of whom are of Asian descent,
are being subject to raids, arrests, and mass
deportations. This does nothing to advance the status
of sex workers rights or decrease forced labor in any
industry. If these raids are mainly about rescuing
trafficking victims and fighting forced labor, then
why are sex workers being arrested and deported?
In response to Herbert’s comment that these women
aren’t ‘flocking to Vegas from suburban U.S.A.,’ I say
that the U.S.A. is a very diverse country and there
are people of Asian descent who live in ‘suburban
U.S.A.’ Even if these women don’t come from the
suburbs or from the U.S.A., that doesn’t mean that
they are all trafficking victims.
Filed under: Academia, Allies, Farley, Feminism, International, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legal, Politics, Prohibition, Taking the Pledge, The Biz, Workers of Color | 18 Comments »
I would like to invite people to view a video which interviews sex workers and advocates around the world about the results of the policies Farley promotes. The US has a policy, an ‘anti-prostitution loyalty oath,’ which prohibits organizations from receiving funds from the US government unless they explicitly sign a statement that they oppose prostitution. Although real progressive organizations around the world (about 200 of them) have protested this, and Soros sued the government over this policy, Farley wrote an amicus brief IN SUPPORT of the Bush administration policies. Now with her close relationship with ‘Ambassador’ John Miller, darling of Bush’s religious right wing constituency, and with her federal funding, she has found her niche. Human rights advocates are quite aware of the harms of this type of zealotry, but this Bush administration tactic of focusing on knee jerk and simplistic moralism masks the true damage of US imperialism. Farley is yet another ‘Ambassador’ of this moralism in the guise of feminist concerns, while promoting xenophobia. Watch the video.
The video:
http://sexworkerspresent.blip.tv/file/181155/
This link discusses the issue:
http://www.genderhealth.org/loyaltyoath.php?TOPIC=PRG
Another video made by sex workers in Thailand challenges the type of imperialism that Farley promotes in her support for the Bush admin. policies:
http://sexworkerspresent.blip.tv/file/310429/
Filed under: Announcements, Farley, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, International, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legal, Politics, Prohibition, Taking the Pledge, The Biz, Video | 14 Comments »
Author of post is Jill Brenneman
Melissa Farley presents herself as an expert in the field of prostitution. Her basis of expertise is her research interviewing women she selected for her studies. She talks often about the feelings of women in prostitution speaking of their feelings as the basis of her message of being their messenger, their potential messiah, struggling to free them from her self described “systems of prostitution” which she states “In order to understand prostitution, it is necessary to understand: stripping, exotic dancing, nude dancing, table dancing, phone sex, trafficking, child and adult pornography, lap dancing, massage brothels, and peep shows as prostitution”. Yet in 1996, this self proclaimed expert in prostitution co-authored a piece entitled “Why I Made the Choice to Become a Prostitute”.
The piece below co-authored by Farley is a blistering statement on her perceptions of prostitutes and their motivations. As you read through the list below consider the following. This expert on prostitution implies prostitutes are attracted to their stepfathers and so compelled by this attraction they further find a way to make money for it. She states that women base their decision to work as a prostitute because they saw movies and liked the clothes or believed they could easily make a million dollars while having fun doing it. She mocks prostitutes that are gang raped, insults their intelligence, career choices, educational choices and relationship decisions.
She conflates a decision to do sex work for the purpose of earning a living in the same sentence as being an illegal drug user and needing vast amounts of money for plastic surgery. Perhaps number 17 states her actual feelings about sex workers in the most graphic context “It’s complicated, but I thought that working in the sex industry would increase my self-esteem. It’s sort of like saying to the world, “I am the best Grade A ground beef” and being the cow.” A statement such as the one from the previous sentence makes it hard to fathom that Melissa Farley is an expert in the psychology, lives or feelings of those she researches, claims to represent and postures that she is trying to liberate.
Filed under: Academia, Farley, Feminism, HIV/AIDS, International, Labor, Law Enforcement, Liveblog, Media, Prohibition, Taking the Pledge | 39 Comments »
Bound, Not Gagged 