The good news is, you don’t have to be a sex worker hater forever. You can choose to write something new, interesting, relevant, and original about what happened in this situation. You can choose to listen to this criticism and reframe your argument. You can choose to acknowledge that some of the people affected by the PornWiki might possibly be reading your column. You might even choose to apologize. At the very least you can acknowledge that you didn’t add anything to the argument by climbing up onto a moral high horse and wagging your finger at the whores down below to remind them that they shouldn’t expect the same kind of privacy that any other public figure expects. Don’t worry, including sex workers and talking about them ethically and honestly won’t turn you into one. It won’t even make you an ally. It just makes you less of a hating asshole. Anywhere you choose to go from there is up to you.

Link

Join us for a vigil and community speak out

Where: Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Sanctuary (2nd floor), 446 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018 btw 9th & 10th Aves
Who: Current & former sex workers, our allies, friends, families, and communities. This event is free and open to the public.

Join us in remembering those we’ve lost to violence, oppression and hate, whether perpetrated by clients, partners, police or the state.

We stand against the cycle of violence experienced by sex workers around the world. Recently in Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights Council looked at the human rights record of the United States during their Universal Periodic Review. Uruguay’s recommendation to the Obama Administration – to address “the special vulnerability of sexual workers to violence and human rights abuses” – is the moral leadership we have been waiting for! We come together each year to show the world that the lives of marginalized people, including those of sex workers, are valuable.
Speakers:

* Audacia Ray, Red Umbrella Project & Sex Work Awareness
* Chelsea Johnson-Long, Safe OUTside the System Collective of the Audre Lorde Project
* Michael J. Miller, The Counterpublic Collective and PROS Network
* Andrea Ritchie, Peter Cicchino Youth Project and Streetwise & Wafe (SAS)

Readings

* Reading of the names of sex workers we have lost this past year
* Memorial for Catherine Lique by her daughter Stephanie Thompson and read by Sarah Jenny Bleviss
* Speak out: Bring poetry, writings or just speak your truth.

Light snacks, beverages, and metrocards will be provided.

This event is co-sponsored by: Audre Lorde Project, Babeland, Counterpublic Collective, FIERCE, MADRE, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Peter Cicchino Youth Project, The Queer Commons, PONY (Prostitutes of New York), PROS Network, Red Umbrella Project, SAFER, Sex Work Awareness, Sex Workers Project, SWANK (Sex Workers Action New yorK), SWOP-NYC (Sex Workers Outreach Project), the Space at Tompkins, and Third Wave Foundation.

• Facebook RSVP
• International Day toEnd Violence Against Sex Workers
• Cory Silverberg’s article about International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

by Mark Fass

A Manhattan judge has ordered the New York City Police Department to shine a light on the hazy legal line separating bondage, domination and sadomasochism from prostitution.

In a decision last week, Supreme Court Justice Carol R. Edmead directed the NYPD to provide the Urban Justice Center’s Sex Workers Project with documents regarding police investigations of several Manhattan bondage, domination and sadomasochism clubs between 2006 and 2008.

The judge, however, ruled that the police department is not required to turn over a copy of a confidential Vice Enforcement Division manual, which sets forth the procedures used by undercover agents to identify, engage and arrest suspected prostitutes.

“Disclosure of this information…would ‘furnish the safecracker with the combination to the safe,’ as it would alert the potential violators of the prostitution laws to the unique factors and methods the undercover police officers are likely to use to communicate with the other members of the team,” Justice Edmead wrote in Urban Justice Center v. New York Police Department, 400988/2010 (Subscription reqd).

The Sex Workers Project, which provides legal services and policy advocacy for people who work in the sex industry—exotic dancers, dominatrices and pornography actors, among others—considers the contested documents essential to understanding how the NYPD interprets and enforces New York Penal Law 230.00, the single-sentence statute that prohibits engaging in “sexual conduct” for a fee, but fails to define “sexual conduct.”

Since NYPL 230.00 was enacted in 1969—”prostitution” had previously been treated as a form of vagrancy, according to the annotated McKinney’s Penal Law—the definition of “sexual conduct” has slowly been teased out by the courts. Homosexual intercourse is “sexual conduct,” courts have ruled, though “lap dancing” is not—so long as the person providing the lap does not touch the dancer’s naked breasts or buttocks.

The case law provides scant guidance regarding bondage, domination and “fetish for a fee” services. Only a single reported opinion, the 1994 Brooklyn Criminal Court decision People v. Georgia A., 163 Misc.2d 634, addresses whether such acts constitute prohibited “sexual conduct.”

Read more

Time: 12:00-8:00 PM
Location: Washington Square Park

This month, if you see seven shipping containers in Washington Square Park, that’s the Journey project, sponsored by the Helen Bamber Foundation:

The aim of Journey is to bring the reality of the sex trafficking industry to the forefront of social consciousness and empower people to take action. Shackles bind perpetrators to victims, and victims to the punters who exploit them. The links extend to every level of society even to the organisations that care for the victims. They extend down the halls of government who pledge to act and pass laws to stamp out trafficking. The links form an invisible chain that binds us all together. It is the chain of modern day slavery.

It takes the audience on her journey of transformation from a childhood full of hopes and dreams into the harrowing reality of sex slavery, void …of freedom and self.

Each stage of this brutal journey has been interpreted and created by a different artist, titled Hope, Journey, Uniform, Bedroom, Customer, Stigma and Resurrection.

There will facilitators after you tour the installation…you might even meet Bamber Foundation trustee and actress Emma Thompson.

Journey exhibit slideshow
Emma And Elena, Exposing The Sex Trade (NPR)
Bondage from Freedom’s Facebook page

Photo from the Trafalgar Square installation of the Journey Project, courtesy of Bondage for Freedom.

SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT-CHICAGO PRESENTS-
An intriguing exploration of the Asian massage parlor industry in Providence, RI

“HAPPY ENDINGS?”
in support of SWOP-Chicago
presented by Clarisse Thorn
and hosted by the Leather Archives & Museum
Film Screening and Post-Screening Discussion

Friday, June 12, 7PM
Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N. Greenview (at Devon)
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 761-9200
$5-10 suggested donation to SWOP-Chicago

Rhode Island: the only state where prostitution is decriminalized. It had been over 25 years since five prostitutes sued the state of Rhode Island for selective prosecution and prostitution laws were removed from the books, when documentarians Tara Hurley and Nick Marcoux turned their cameras on the underbelly of “The Renaissance City”.

Watch the drama unfold in Asian massage parlors across Providence as Mayor David Ciccilline pushes to close the prostitution “loophole”. Follow Heather, a Korean immigrant, over two years as she manages the
massage parlor. Learn about the women who work in the spas. Hear from the police who arrest them. Watch the fight for and against the legislation. The film includes subtitled interviews with Korean women
who work in the spas, clients who frequent the spas, police, politicians from 1980 and today, local news footage, local radio call-in shows, and “voiced” reviews from internet escort review boards. Read more, watch the trailer, and see clips from the film at http://happyendingsdoc.com.

Just recently — May 2009 — prostitution is in the process of being criminalized again in Rhode Island. Come out, watch the documentary, and talk about it afterwards. What do you think about sex work? Is the change in Rhode Island law fair or unfair? Delicious snacks will be served, and discussion will follow! This is a benefit for the Sex Workers Outreach Project, and we’re requesting a $5-10 donation from attendees.

NCSF has been contacted by over a dozen concerned members of the BDSM community in New York about the arrests of dozens of professional Dominatrices in Manhattan that started in early 2008. The pro-Domme community in New York City, which has been a vibrant part of the BDSM community for decades, has been ravaged by these prosecutions for prostitution and for promoting prostitution, resulting in the closure of a number of pro-Domme houses.

NCSF contacted the Manhattan DA’s office in order to clarify what sort of “for-pay” BDSM activities are considered legal in New York State. On February 5th, Susan Wright, along with outside counsel, met with ADA Leroy Frazer and Lisa Friel, head of the Sex Crimes Unit, to get their legal opinion.

Pro-Dommes have traditionally considered their BDSM-for-pay to be legal. One case decided by a local misdemeanor court, People v. Georgia A., 163 Misc.2d 634 (Crim. Ct. Kings Co. 1994), supports this position, holding that “sado-masochistic acts such as domination, foot licking, spanking and submission” are not “sexual conduct” prohibited by the prostitution statute. However, that decision is not binding even on other misdemeanor courts, and Ms. Friel described it as “not worth the paper it was written on.” Also, as stated in Georgia A.:

“The term sexual conduct is not defined in the statute but has since been described in various cases. That conduct includes acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact of the person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, buttocks or a woman’s breast. ( People v Block, 71 Misc 2d 714 [1972].)”

According to ADA Frazer, their office does not make prosecution of pro-Dommes a priority. However, according to their interpretation of the law, any form of “payment in exchange for touching in an intimate place either over clothing or nude” would constitute prostitution. This includes any touching of the genitals, anus, and breasts.

Under Georgia A, certain BDSM activities such as humiliation, role-play, foot worship, D/s, service activities, and bondage were found to be exempt from the prostitution statute, as long as no other sexual activities were involved.  Ms. Friel opined Georgia A is based on a misunderstanding of the scope of the prostitution statute and that “sexual conduct” should be defined as what is arousing to the participants, not what is arousing to the outside “vanilla” observer.

Therefore, activities such as flogging, CBT or genitorture, spanking, body worship and nipple torture, in addition to more overtly sexual activities, would fall within the Manhattan DA’s understanding of prostitution when they are done for pay and either party is aroused by them.

NCSF opposes the prosecution of pro-dominants under prostitution laws. Consenting adults engaging in safe, sane, consensual SM, fetishes, and cross-dressing services do not pose legitimate health or safety issues for local communities. What these adults agree to do in private is no one else’s business.

NCSF is currently exploring ways to cooperate with other sex-positive activist groups in New York City to protest these arrests, as well as the alleged entrapment and arrests of gay men for prostitution. If you have been arrested for prostitution for doing BDSM activities, or if you would like more information, please contact: susanw@ncsfreedom.org

February 11, 2009

NYC Vigil to End Violence Against Sex Workers

December 17th, 7-8pm in the center of Washington Square Park (Google Maps).  Fore more events around the country, go here.

. . . Mr. Garcia’s approach is at odds with a growing global awareness of the harms of prostitution, including its adverse effects on the safety of nonprostituting women as well as those in it. Prosecuting johns does make a difference, as Sweden has discovered. Sweden levies serious legal penalties against johns whom the Swedish law rightly views as predators, while decriminalizing the person being purchased. Since the Swedish law on prostitution was passed in 1999, prostitution there has been reduced by more than 40 percent, according to a conservative estimate by the Swedish police. Women in prostitution are now offered exit services instead of arrest. And trafficking of women for prostitution into Sweden has precipitously declined since the law was passed. Sweden now has the lowest rate of sex trafficking in the European Union.

Mr. Garcia’s serious error reflects the unjust approach of the Justice Department toward the most vulnerable among us. His decision is a gift to human traffickers everywhere. Its message is: men, you can buy a woman for sexual use as long as you’re not caught and as long as she has had her 18th birthday. If by some mistake you get caught, then quit your job, say you’ve sinned, and we’ll give you a get-out-of-jail-free pass.

Opinion: Why Spitzer Should Be Prosecuted | Newsweek National News | Newsweek.com.

By EVELYN NIEVES

SAN FRANCISCO AP — In this live-and-let-live town, where medical marijuana clubs do business next to grocery stores and an annual fair celebrates sadomasochism, prostitutes could soon walk the streets without fear of arrest.

San Francisco would become the first major U.S. city to decriminalize prostitution if voters next month approve Proposition K — a measure that forbids local authorities from investigating, arresting or prosecuting anyone for selling sex.

The ballot question technically would not legalize prostitution since state law still prohibits it, but the measure would eliminate the power of local law enforcement officials to go after prostitutes.

Proponents say the measure will free up $11 million the police spend each year arresting prostitutes and allow them to form collectives.

“It will allow workers to organize for our rights and for our safety,” said Patricia West, 22, who said she has been selling sex for about a year by placing ads on the Internet. She moved to San Francisco in May from Texas to work on Proposition K.

more. . .

I saw this on the Chemistry list and have permission from the casting director to repost this notice. Here’s a post from Cinematical with a little more background.

-Viviane

========

Steven Soderbergh is directing an independent film that will explore expanded ideas of intimacy and relationships and is looking for non-actors to interview to play fictional characters. The drama is set in the world of high-end prostitution. We do not need people who have experience with escorts, but rather people who have a broader sense of a discussion about modern relationships. The roles include, among other things, a client out for a fancy dinner on the town; a heterosexual couple that engages her in a threesome (nudity required); and a man who she ultimately falls in love with outside of her profession. Other roles will include women who share the same occupation as the lead character. Ages range from 28-50.

As the film will be improvised from a detailed outline of the fictional story, there is only an interview to be done in person with the Casting Director Carmen Cuba, and nothing to prepare. She will be in town beginning September 8th and hoping to meet people starting that week. If you are interested in being interviewed, please send a photo and a brief introduction of yourself to gfecastingATgmailDOTcom. Please include your occupation and any of your outside interests.

Aren’t we past this, yet? Is this even a question? Are journalists so incompetent, so incapable of carrying out the most basic research, that they can only assume that sex, for us, is intolerable? Or are these journalists really just uninterested in sex themselves and can’t resist transferring their sex-is-gross attitudes to the women who do it by choice? And why aren’t they capable of parsing the differences among sex workers, between those who have financial leverage and those who do not, those who are trafficked and those who act out of choice, those who have options and those who do not, and so on? This isn’t rocket science. This isn’t even advanced sociology.

Link

Empowering Sex Workers to Ensure Safety, Health and the Protection of Human Rights
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
52nd Session
Parallel Event Sponsored by
Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center &
International Women’s Health Coalition
February 27, 2008
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Church Center
(Across the street from United Nations, 44th and 1st)
Hardin Room (11th Fl.)
777 United Nations Plaza
NY, NY 10017

As leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS and trafficking, sex workers are integral to educating their clients, their communities and the public about safe sex practices and to helping prevent forced sex work. Panelists will discuss how sex workers rights must be protected to ensure access to health, legal, educational and social services.
Taking the Pledge, a short film about USAID funding restrictions in regards to sex workers, will also be shown.

Moderator:
Supriya Pillai, Program Officer, International Women’s Health Coalition

Panelists:
Sapna Patel, Staff Attorney, Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center
Elaine Pearson, Deputy Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
Melissa Ditmore, Ph.D., Coordinator, Network of Sex Work Projects; Editor, Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work

Video:
Taking the Pledge

December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This event was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe.

Originally thought of by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington. International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence. During the week of December 17th, sex worker rights organizations will be staging actions and vigils to raise awareness about violence that is commonly committed against sex workers. The assault, battery, rape and murder of sex workers must end. Existing laws prevent sex workers from reporting violence. The stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by the prohibitionist laws has made violence against us acceptable. Please join with sex workers around the world and stand against criminalization and violence committed against prostitutes.

December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This event was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe.Originally thought of by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA in 2003 as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington. International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over 30 cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence.

During the week of December 17, 2007, sex worker rights organizations will be staging actions and vigils to raise awareness about violence that is commonly committed against sex workers. The assault, battery, rape and murder of sex workers must end. Existing laws prevent sex workers from reporting violence. The stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by the prohibitionist laws has made violence against us acceptable. Please join in drawing attention to this around the world with the 5th annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

We would like to add your event to our new DEC 17th website please check out our work in progress and please send pictures.

If you or your organization are holding an event please email your info.

If your organization would like to help sponsor an event in your local area please send your contact info.

Please go to the website for Dr. Annie Sprinkle’s ’10 Things You Can Do for International Day to end Violence Against Sex Workers.

We encourage participants to carry red umbrellas on Dec 17th as a symbol of international solidarity for sex workers’ rights!

***Please post widely***

[via Amber Rhea]

This is the official call for submissions for the 2008 SWAS tour! Anyone who has worked in the sex industry is encouraged to apply: porn stars, strippers, escorts, dommes, webcam girls (and boys), hookers, etc. Spread this around, post it on your blog, tell everyone you know. And feel free to contact us with questions!

THE SHOW:

The Sex Workers’ Art Show is a cabaret-style evening of visual and performance art created by people who work in the sex industry to dispel the myth that we are anything short of artists, innovators, and geniuses! The artwork and performances offer a wide range of perspectives on sex work. The show hopes through its diversity of viewpoints to move beyond “positive” and “negative” into a fuller articulation of the complicated ways sex workers experience our jobs and our lives. You can read more about the show at www.sexworkersartshow.com.