Amanda, this is a quote from http://www.codepublishing.com/az/phoenix/frameless/index.pl?path=../html/Phoenix23/Phoenix2352.html

” Is in a public place, a place open to public view or in a motor vehicle on a public roadway and manifests an intent to commit or solicit an act of prostitution. Among the circumstances that may be considered in determining whether such an intent is manifested are: that the person repeatedly beckons to, stops or attempts to stop or engage passersby in conversation or repeatedly, stops or attempts to stop, motor vehicle operators by hailing, waiving of arms or any other bodily gesture; that the person inquires whether a potential patron, procurer or prostitute is a police officer or searches for articles that would identify a police officer; or that the person requests the touching or exposure of genitals or female breast; ”

From a conversation I had with Dominique Roe-Sepowitz on this in September, I think it is being more widely applied then this definition suggests in sweeps… If I remember our conversation, it goes something along the lines of anyone that is “known” and out on the street engaging in any level of conversation can have this used against them. This is what local LE is doing, and she indicated she does not like this law, but her seeming aversion to conflict I think keeps her from taking action to prove that point. The same ol’ same ol’ lack of funds to fight bogus or broad interpretations of the law continue to allow to allow this type of BS to continue…workers with no funds for proper defense can’t do much about it. I don’t know the details surrounding Monica’s case, but I hope if this is what happened to her, she finds the proper support, financial or otherwise, to bring light to how this law is really being used.

This blog has given me the impression that sex workers are very diverse in their economic position, from very poor, to struggling but getting by, to doing pretty well, to doing VERY well. That being so, I would expect Obamacare to affect different sex workers differently just as it does with the general population. Medicare for all some other type of true universal health plan would have been better. Even failing that, it is a shame that this plan sticks so many with high deductibles, co-pays and out of pocket. It leaves many behind. The Supreme Court made sure it leaves many more behind than it would have in other states, but even without that, it was always guaranteed to leave many behind. And in some cases it leaves people worse off, which I find really unforgivable.

BTW, I make sure only to comment when a post intersects an area where I have some depth of knowledge. But even so, if this is intended to be a safe space, and non-sex worker comments disrupt that, please let me know – and I won’t post again.

Actually. the SWOP Phoenix member we interviewed about their Project Rose protests answered this question in a comprehensively detailed fashion, so stay tuned for that after the weekend. Also, you’ve given me an idea–maybe a pro/con argument among sex workers as to whether Obamacare will benefit us as a Tits and Sass feature?

Obamacare is not something I support, BTW. I fall through the cracks with it (as far as I can tell) and I suspect plenty of sex workers do. I also suspect it’s going to make it really hard for those of us who pay cash for doctors to find doctors willing to work with cash patients. I see an even greater divide of health care accessibility on the way.