June 2 marks International Sex Workers Day, commemorating a 1975 sit-in staged by French sex workers and allies at a church in Lyon. How do we celebrate this, exactly, and what can we expect from it? Holidays like this can be a good way to start a conversation or rejuvenate your own commitment to activism, but other… Continue reading It’s International Sex Workers Day
Tag: violence against sex workers
The Week in Links: May 27
A Stockholm sex worker was kicked out of school—meaning banned from taking classes, not banned from teaching—because of her (legal) work. This on top of the news that European students are increasingly entering into or considering entering into the sex industry. Kristen Davis aka the Manhattan Madam is claiming that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the (former) IMF… Continue reading The Week in Links: May 27
Assault, Consent, and Silence
Here’s the story: A well-to-do Virginian businessman takes needy women under his financial wing on the condition that they follow the rules of his “scholarship plan.” If they break these rules, which consist of limits on alcohol and drug intake, and requirements to stay in contact with their benefactor, they receive a spanking. (He’s inspired… Continue reading Assault, Consent, and Silence
The Week in Links: May 20
400 South Korean sex workers rallied against police crackdowns, with some protestors even attempting to set themselves on fire. (Thankfully, none were successful.) This charming article reveals groundbreaking research from the University of Arkansas. Apparently, it’s big news that some prostitutes are educated, make a “rational decision” to go into the biz, and aren’t spending… Continue reading The Week in Links: May 20
The Week In Links: May 13
Police are now suggesting more than one serial killer has been using Long Island’s Gilgo Beach for hiding (female, often sex worker) victims’ remains. Pictures have been released of two men wanted for questioning about the assault and robbery of two different prostitutes working in midtown Manhattan. (Yes, the article is tone deaf and offensive—yet… Continue reading The Week In Links: May 13