Naked Music Monday: Caty’s Top 5 Sex Worker Songs of 2015

Rihanna playing X-Box. (Photo by Gamer Score Blog, via Flickr)

2015 was a year in which hip hop and R+B continued to produce excellent soundtracks for the hustle. Here’s my shortlist of the cream of that crop, in no particular order: Trap Queen-Fetty Wap Fetty Wap’s infectious “Trap Queen” was technically first released in 2014 online and independently, but only really blew up this year… Continue reading Naked Music Monday: Caty’s Top 5 Sex Worker Songs of 2015

Activist Spotlight: The Migrant Sex Workers Project On Borders and Building Movements, Part Two

I interviewed Toronto’s Migrant Sex Workers Project co-founders Elene Lam and Chanelle Gallant as well as Migrant Sex Workers Project member Kate Zen over video chat. The first part of that conversation, edited and condensed for posting, is here. The group’s vital representation of a population often absent from sex worker activism inspired me. I… Continue reading Activist Spotlight: The Migrant Sex Workers Project On Borders and Building Movements, Part Two

Activist Spotlight: The Migrant Sex Workers Project On Borders and Building Movements, Part One

The Migrant Sex Worker Project's members. (Photo by MSWP)

Toronto’s Migrant Sex Workers Project, “a grassroots group of migrants, sex workers, and allies who demand safety and dignity for all sex workers regardless of legal status”, was co-founded last May by Elene Lam, Chanelle Gallant, and Tings Chak. Lam, who moved to the area from Hong Kong two years ago, saw a gap in local activism… Continue reading Activist Spotlight: The Migrant Sex Workers Project On Borders and Building Movements, Part One

Activist Spotlight: Pye Jakobsson On the Amnesty International Vote and Holding Allies Accountable

Pye Jakobsson. (Photo courtesy of Pye Jakobsson.)

As the vote this weekend at the Amnesty International General Council Meeting in Dublin approaches on whether the human rights organization will adopt a draft proposal supporting the decriminalization of prostitution as policy, I spoke, via e-mail, to Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) President Pye Jakobsson on NSWP’s petition to Amnesty urging them… Continue reading Activist Spotlight: Pye Jakobsson On the Amnesty International Vote and Holding Allies Accountable

What the hell is going on with Backpage? Part II

(Screenshot of Backpage's July 10th email to users)

Update: Backpage filed a federal suit today against Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart for violating its free speech and equal protection rights after the Sheriff successfully pressured credit card companies to break with the company this month. In the suit, Backpage requests a preliminary injury, so that credit card processing will be restored to the… Continue reading What the hell is going on with Backpage? Part II