audaciaray:

(via youarepriceless | Young Women’s Empowerment Project)

We are so excited to release our NEW RESEARCH on our BAD ENCOUNTER LINE which shows how and why young people in the sex trade and street economy are being TURNED AWAY from social services and helping systems!

This interactive, multi media event will tell you about our findings, our healing justice work, and about how YWEP is organizing young people to change the way Chicago see’s and treats it’s homeless, home-free and street based youth who do what they have to do to survive!

 THERE ARE 2 OPTIONS TO LEARN ABOUT THIS GROUND BREAKING RESEARCH

LIVE RELEASE in CHICAGO MAY 31, 2012

Time: 3pm-5pm CST

HULL HOUSE 

800 South Halsted Street  Chicago, IL 60607

or for our out of town allies and all media

you can attend our WEBINAR 

on May 29th, 2012

Time: 3pm-4pm CST/4pm-5pmEST/1pm-2pm PST

RSVP & Questions: RSVP@YOUAREPRICELESS.ORG

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!

Certainly I love reading articles where real sex workers are quoted on their experiences (instead of others piecing together skewed representations, like they have any understanding of what it means to do the work…).  But there are times when I cringe a little reading the positive pieces also…when I hear only the stories of empowerment, of providing “healing touch”, and of the noble service to providing an outlet of sexual expression to those with disabilities…  Why do I cringe?  Because not everyone is empowered, not everyone is engaging the healing powers of intimate touch, and not everyone is providing service to clients that are easy to think compassionately about…  That is not the full truth of sex work, just as the framing around exploitation is not the full truth either. 

It reminds me of how the pro-choice movement dropped the ball when late term abortion bills started getting debated.  Instead of focusing on the point that government should not have a right to control a woman’s body under any circumstances, and how it is no one else’s business except the mother and her doctor to decide what is right for her, in whatever situation she is in, pro-choicers defended the procedure as being “rare” or due to fetal abnormalities instead…a point that left so many doors wide open for continued attack.  That was not the full truth, and that lack of truth hurt the pro-choice movement greatly IMO.  

Similar to the manner in which the late term abortion issue was handled, focusing only on the pendulum swing to the positive parts of sex work leaves those stories ripe to be beaten back down.  Male, female and trans workers are not always empowered, are not always seeing clients they like or can feel empathy for, and are not always doing the work to put themselves through school.  Regardless of WHY someone is doing the work, the focus should always be squarely on WHY all humans deserve the right to choose what labor they do, and under what circumstances, and that we all deserve to be free from violence and protected from harm, no matter how pretty or not someone’s life may be.

For those writing, blogging, and engaging the public about what it means to be a sex worker: make sure you keep it real.  Share your stories, as you are entitled to talk about your experiences, for sure!  But don’t forget to share the stories of others that are not like you, as best you can.  Remind those interviewing you that your story is not the only story…that there is a vast diversity of experiences out there.  Make sure not to ignore the challenges of our profession, even if they are ones you don’t personally struggle with, as this does not make them go away, and will work against the contributions you may offer (as well as the movement as a whole). 

In solidarity,

MM

Yes, we still have a ways to go… :-/

“Women just feel like it’s O.K. to read it,” she said. “It’s taboo for women to admit that they watch pornography, but for some reason it’s O.K. to admit that they’re reading this book.”

Other interesting quotes from this NYT article also discuss the positive effects this book has had on sexual relationships at home.  It stimulates so much thought for me…like how do we continue to get more women turned on like this so that they then can use that energy for their own sexual expression?  What other options do we need for erotica and fantasy stimulating material that helps women develop and connect with their own interests??  Is embracing the book format of erotica (as done here), vs. the hesitation stated regarding watching porn movies a result of women only being comfortable with something that feels more “proper” or more intelligent/academic, therefore ok for a “good girl” to consume?  And I’m not saying written erotica is better then porn, on any level, but reading can give that illusion of being “smarter” in some ways when comparing the two mediums, and I wonder if there is an underlying component for validation in women…  Will women ever be able to fully embrace porn movies, no matter how “feminist” or female centered we make them, due to the stigma that still surrounds the industry as a whole, or the early established notions that porn is a guy thing?  Or do women have a preference for erotic writings because of how it engages our brains and our creative process in our own fantasies??          

Porn isn’t the problem. You can live a long and happy life working in porn if that’s what you’re meant to do, but you can’t if you’re constantly running from your emptiness and trying to find the next ‘quick fix’ to feel good.

I think some of what Jason Sechrest talks about in this blog post resonates in other areas of sex work also.  It’s easy to feel like that void is getting filled by the ego stroking, “celebrity” (or pseudo-celebrity as is the case with the message board community sometimes…), money, etc.  I think this is also true of other performance/entertaining based professions (musicians, actresses/actors, models, etc.) so should not be looked at as ONLY an issue for sex workers.  People are drawn to performance based professions for a reason-some navigate it well, some learn to navigate it through trial and error, others not so well…  How do we expand this conversation more to help everyone navigate those complexities?   

audaciaray:

I know the call to action below is super-specific and will only apply to a small number of people. But if you do live in one of these districts, please call or write your NYS Senator. Hearing from constituents makes a difference! 

The New York state No Condoms as Evidence bill (S323/A1008) is on the agenda for the NYS Senate Judiciary Committee for this Thursday, March 1. State level bills need to make their way through several committees in both the Senate and Assembly before they can go to a vote, and frequently in past years, this bill has “died in committee,” which means that it was referred to a committee and then the members never put it on an agenda to get voted on. So it didn’t get voted against, it just didn’t get a chance. So this could be a step forward! And its an advocacy opportunity for us - but only those of us who live in senate districts where the Senator is part of the Judiciary Committee. I have a list of those relevant Senators in NYC below. Please write or call before Thursday!

Find your Senator here: http://www.nysenate.gov/senators

Here’s a sample letter:

Subject: Bill S323 No Condoms as Evidence

Dear Senator XXX,

I am a constituent of yours, and I am a resident of [neighborhood]. I am writing to encourage you to support bill S323, which would make it illegal for condoms to be used as evidence of prostitution. This bill is on the Judiciary Committee agenda for this Thursday, March 1.

Many people, particularly people of color and transgender women, have become afraid to carry condoms with them for fear of condoms being used as evidence of prostitution if they are stopped and arrested. The fear that the NYPD has created in this community around this issue is at cross purposes with the Department of Health, which has been distributing condoms for free to the public, and particularly to high risk populations, for many decades.

This issue is of personal importance to me because… [insert some stuff about why this is important to you, and if you are a current/former sex worker or an ally this is a great place for a personal story, which could be your story or a friend’s]

I hope to see S323 make it out of the Judiciary Committee and to the floor for a vote in this legislative session, and encourage you to vote to pass S323 in Committee this week.

best regards,
[NAME]
[ADDRESS including zip code - this is very important as it confirms that you live in the district]

Here’s a sample phone script:

I am a constituent of yours, and I live at [ADDRESS AND ZIP]. I am calling to encourage the Senator to support bill S323, which would make it illegal for condoms to be used as evidence of prostitution. This bill is on the Judiciary Committee agenda for this Thursday, March 1. This is a serious public health issue that impacts populations at high risk for STIs including HIV. This issue is of personal importance to me because…

If your Senator is both on the Judiciary Committee and is a co-sponsor of the bill, as is the case for Adams (my senator!) and Perkins, please thank them for their co-sponsorship of the bill. They will definitely be voting yes, so you don’t have to be all persuasive - but let them know you support the bill and look forward to seeing it move along with their continued support.

Here’s a list of Senators on the JC:
Brooklyn

Eric Adams (D) - parts of Greenwood Heights, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Wingate, Weeksville, Prospect Lefferts Gardens
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/eric-adams/contact

Martin M. Dilan (D) - parts of Bushwick, Cypress Hills, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/martin-malave-dilan/contact

Daniel Squadron (D) - Lower Manhattan, also parts of Williamsburg, Sunset Park, and the Navy Yard
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/daniel-l-squadron/contact

Manhattan

Adriano Espaillat (D) - parts of the (northern) West Side, Northwest Bronx
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/adriano-espaillat/contact

Liz Krueger (D) - parts of Murray Hill, Tudor City, Sutton Place, Yorkville, Midtown
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/liz-krueger/contact

Bill Perkins (D) - parts of Harlem, Upper West Side, Washington Heights
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/bill-perkins/contact

Jose Serrano (D) - parts of South and West Bronx, also parts of East Harlem, Roosevelt Island, North Yorkville, Upper Washington Heights
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/jose-m-serrano/contact

Daniel Squadron (D) - Lower Manhattan, also parts of Williamsburg, Sunset Park, and the Navy Yard
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/daniel-l-squadron/contact

Queens

Michael Gianaris (D) - parts of Astoria, Long Island City, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Bayside, Flushing, Bay Terrace
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/michael-gianaris/contact

Toby Ann Stavisky (D) - parts of Flushing, Bay Terrace, Forest Hills, Rego Park
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/toby-ann-stavisky/contact

Bronx

Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D) - parts of the South Bronx including Morrisania, West Farms, and Concourse Village
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/ruth-hassell-thompson/contact

Adriano Espaillat (D) - parts of the (northern) West Side, Northwest Bronx
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/adriano-espaillat/contact

Jose Serrano (D) - parts of South and West Bronx, also parts of East Harlem, Roosevelt Island, North Yorkville, Upper Washington Heights
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/jose-m-serrano/contact

Staten Island

Andrew Lanza (R)
http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/andrew-j-lanza/contact

audaciaray:

The Issue: In New York, as in other places, condoms are often confiscated by police and then used as evidence of intent to engage in prostitution. This spring, people in the sex industry and our allies are putting pressure on elected officials in Albany to demand that they pass Bill S1289/A1008, which would stop police from using condoms as evidence of prostitution.

The Red Umbrella Project is offering a free, full day legislative advocacy training on Sunday, April 15 at the Urban Justice Center (123 William Street, 16th floor.) in NYC to prepare for our Albany lobby day on Tuesday, April 17. Learn from a veteran staffer of the state legislature how bills become law, how to monitor bills as they make their way through the process, and how to talk to your elected representatives about your concerns. We will be joined by NY State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried for an hour during the training. The training is from 10 am to 4 pm, and lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided. 

To RSVP or ask questions, email audaciaray@redumbrellaproject.org. We have limited capacity for both the training and the free lobby day bus, so please RSVP early. We highly encourage you to attend both the training and the lobby day, however, it’s not required to do both. Please indicate in your RSVP if you plan on attending both or just one.

Also, if you would like to distribute postcards to promote this training in your community, let me know and I can get some to you.