While it is important to raise awareness of exploitation and violence experienced by some individuals involved the sex trade (just as it is crucial to do so for any industry), it is important that this messaging does not add to the sense of stigmatization and discomfort individuals involved in the sex trade frequently feel. “The Ugly Truth” fails to do this.

We do not mean to single out this individual ad campaign. Rather, we intend to spark a conversation about a genre of public awareness campaigns that ultimately ignore the feelings, reactions, and complex lives of the target group the ad campaign is about.

Like so many abolitionist campaigns, “The Ugly Truth” directs messaging at individuals with no connection to the sex trade and overlooks the fact that sex workers, like everyone else, use public transportation and public spaces. It is disheartening when direct service providers who follow a non-judgmental approach in their work fail to consider the potential impact of very strong, likely triggering, likely traumatizing public messaging on the very population they are trying to ‘help’. And ultimately, sensationalist, costly campaigns both fails to educate the public about issues they can actively do something about and alienate individuals with direct contact to the sex trade.

Further, the message of this campaign and others, which ignore the complexity of sex work and sex trafficking, are misleading… perhaps with serious, detrimental consequences. It is imperative that public awareness campaigns about the sex trade recognize that many, many individuals can and do choose to engage in sexualized labor; and that discrimination, systematic inequality, criminal records, barriers to legal migration into the US, and stigma related to sex trade work, are at the root of forced and survival sex work. Recognizing the complexity of the sex trade is imperative, because simplification leads to policies that will ultimately harm sex workers, individuals engaged in survival sex, and sex trafficking victims.

Ultimately, “The Ugly Truth” campaign and others like it are a misallocation of resources, particularly when services that sex workers, individuals in the sex trade, and trafficking victims desperately need — things like targeted outreach, supportive housing, substance abuse recovery, and harm reduction services — are so underfunded. Perhaps more important, these campaigns compound stigma and trauma individuals involved the sex trade face, without producing any tangible benefits.

In brief, we hope that in the future, service organizations working directly with stigmatized and marginalized populations think critically about their public awareness campaigns, and — recognizing that their target population will likely be exposed to and impacted by their public messages — use the same approach in both.

SWOP-Chicago is not the only group disappointing by this ad campaign. We encourage you to also read the following responses:

• Good Intentions Are Not Enough: On Community, Voice, and the Ethics of Inclusion/Exclusion (Mona Shattell, DePaul University)
• “The Ugly Truth:” Ad Campaigns about the Sex Trade Will Always Fail… (Adil Habiba, Prison Culture)

“Scarlet Road” follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disabilities

.

Date- Saturday, April 6, 2013

Time- 7pm

Location- Jane Addams Hull House Museum (dining hall)

800 S. Halsted st.

Chicago, IL

For more SexFest 2013 events, go to- http://www.thedeviantminds.org/

The purpose of the PROS Network is to connect individuals that by choice, circumstance or coercion, engage in sexual activities in exchange for money or other survival needs to non-judgmental and culturally appropriate services and resources.

• a list of network members, network member profiles and a map of member locations.
• answers to frequently asked health & safety questions from workers, as well as external resources.
• a list of resources for helping professionals.

International Sex Worker Rights Day was started in 2001 in Calcutta by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a Sex Worker Rights group comprised of more than 50,000 sex workers and members of their communities. In 2002, Durbar invited organizations from around the world to join them in commemorating Sex Worker Rights Day on March 3rd.

We felt strongly that that we should have a day what need to be observed by the sex workers community globally. Keeping in view the large mobilization of all types of global sexworkers [Female,Male,Transgender], we proposed to observe 3rd March as THE SEX WORKERS RIGHTS DAY.

Knowing the usual response of international bodies and views of academicians and intellectuals of the 1st world [many of them consider that sex workers of third world are different from 1st world and can't take their decision] a call coming from a third world country would be more appropriate at this juncture, we believe. It will be a great pleasure to us if all of you observe the day in your own countries too…We need your inspiration and support to turn our dreams into reality.

On Sunday, March 3rd, SWOP-Chicago invites sex workers, allies, and their communities to join us for an informal potluck brunch to celebrate local, national and international struggles to secure human rights for individuals in the sex trade, as well as the strength, resiliance and creativity of sex worker communities in Chicago and around the world.

Schedule

12-1:20 – mingling, eating, laid-back music + silent projection of sex worker activism photos & film footage

1:20-1:25 – Speech about the history of Sex Worker Rights and International Sex Worker Rights Day

1:25-1:50 – Mingle and eat, or take part in an open mic / talk-circle

2:00-2:30 – Mingling, or take part in a Healing Circle led by Cassandra A.

When

Sunday, March 3rd from 12-2:30 p.m.

What

Potluck Brunch + Coffee

Open Mic + Healing Circle

We will be projecting photos and film-footage from local, national, and global sex worker marches, protests, and actions on silent throughout the event.

Where

At a 3000 square-foot loft-coop near the Southport Brownline stop.

 RSVP to meg@swop-chicago.org or via facebook for address!

Deets

We ask attendees to bring a desert, casserole, pastry or beverage, or make a small donation to SWOP-Chicago at the event.

For the “open mic/talk circle,” we invite attendees to share a 1-3 minute statement, speech, poem, etc. about why sex worker rights is important to them, support from the sex worker community, a victory they are inspired by, or a powerful moment as a sex worker or sex worker activist.

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/international_sexworkerrights_day_2013/feed/ 0 maraleighmidwest Picmonkey for newspletter Sex Worker Rights Day Brunch http://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/tell-us-a-few-of-your-favorite-things/ http://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/tell-us-a-few-of-your-favorite-things/#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:13:54 +0000 Meg http://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/?p=2170 ]]>

We DEFINITELY like gender-queer men & women, we love brown-paper gift packages, and snowflakes that stay on our nose & eye-lashes…

But

• Non-Judgmental STI testing…
• Free HIV testing…
• Supportive & Informed Doctors in our neighborhoods…
• Easy-Access Free Condom Baskets…
• Culturally Appropriate Social Services…
  
  Those are some of the things at the top of our list when we sing about our ‘Favorite Things.’

What about you? What are your favorite places & things?

This form will help us research & be in contact with service providers, whom might be interested in joining the PROS Network Chicago.

PROS Network Chicago is the city’s first network & resource guide of helping professionals devoted to offering affirming, non-judgmental services to folks engaged in the sex trade!!

Looking towards the New Year, SWOP-Chicago wants your input on when, where, and what we should be doing in 2013.

We sincerely appreciate your feedback!

Over 70 individuals involved in the sex trade internationally were documented as falling to violence in 2012.
This year these persons were honored in a video memoriam, played during the vigil event in Chicago.

Song is Deep Red Bells, by Neko Case.
Video editing by John Rodriguez

“Veneration of Whores” was a truly beautiful, moving event.

Hannah, you did such an amazing job of organizing everything — Thank you!

Thank you to Phaedra Black, Helena Handbasket, Alec Lehrman and Eric Seligman for really outstanding performances!

Thank you Crash & DJ All the Way Kay for MC-ing and putting together music!

Thank you to Emily, Ru, & Sam for helping Meg organize the silent art auction on-the-fly!

Thank you, Emily, Ru, Wei, Samantha, Katherine, Debbie, Dove and others for donating art!

Thank you, Angela for coordinating and finding such a great performance line-up!

Thank you, Cassie for writing about December 17th on Inourwords

Thank you Mike, Nicole, Crash, Cassandra, Serpent, Cassie, and everyone else who helped decorate and table!

Thank you, SWOP-LA and SWOP-NYC for compiling names for the event!

Thank you, Serpent for giving a really great speech!

Thank you, Tara for organizing an international web-presence for December 17th!

***

Over 70 individuals involved in the sex trade internationally were documented as falling to violence in 2012.

Over 70 people came together in solidarity in Chicago on December 17th.

On December 17, SWOP-Chicago collected $285 in donations and art auction bids for a sex worker in our community who was assaulted this fall.

***

SWOP-Chicago wishes you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Fruitful New Year.

We sincerely looks forward to working with you all and to continue to fight against violence, oppression and stigma and for humanization and rights for all individuals involved in or impacted by the sex trade in 2013.