Moral High Ground

Gay Pride! And Sex Worker Pride!!!!!

SWANK and SWOP-NYC had a strong contingent (leathered, feathered, glittered and gartered) at the Pride March. We patiently waited until almost 3 pm for our section of the march to get moving but then we leafletted hundreds of onlookers as they gasped at our campy, spanking and whipping antics. It sure is tiring marching in those high heels. Next year we need a float with a large luxurious bed so that we can lie down and show them how we work it.

We were sandwiched between the Metro Bears and transgenders from Latin America. Cosy. Furry.

Current Projects (Brazil!), SW film festival

Okay so I feel pretty bad that the sex worker film festival deadline is upon us this month and I only have one puny video submitted.

But I should not feel bad because I had a chance to travel to Brazil in January to be a real live film maker. I was employed by the Karnataka Sex Workers Union to document their meetings about sex work and unionism with my friend Dawn Passar. The video below is the very first snippet that I have forced myself to put together as an opening intro to this film. But what should this movie be called, need something snazzy… need help. Help…

Stop the (false) arrests

Sex worker organizing with the support of allies is taking off in NYC. Yesterday ten members of SWOP-NYC and friends came out to support the rally to stop the false arrests of gay men in porn stores in NYC. Maybe these arrests seem mind-blowing (undercover cops approach men browsing literature in the stores, negotiate sex, at the last moment say “and I’d like to pay you $50” then the handcuffs are out…) to your average person on the street, but sex workers are no strangers to illegitimate policing. Police can pick up sex workers when they are walking home (false arrest), going to the store (false arrest) or when they are working (technically an “okay” arrest but we protest this).

Speakers at the rally organized by a coalition to stop the arrests, came out against the arrests of young people, trans people and people of color. SWOP-NYC cheered in approval when Robert Pinter asked us to keep fighting for sexual liberty in NYC.

Sex workers placards were the most colorful and arousing. We asked the police to keep their laws “out of our ass.”

Support from the community

In DC at the brunch the day after the First National Sex Worker Rally, someone I very much respect (Serpent Libertine of Red Light District Chicago) told me that she really appreciated the Sex Workers Do Harm Reduction video. She liked the style and the sound. Thanks Serpent and I look forward to collaborating with you in the future!

Sex workers do harm reduction II: Barcelona!

What is the harm in sex work? Sex workers explain that criminalization and wrong-headed policy approaches are the problem. Sex work is positive, it’s the policy framework that causes harm. What is “harm reduction” for sex workers then? Health services, needle exchange, distribution of condoms… along with fighting against the laws that oppress sex worker communities. These interviews were recorded in May 2008 at the International Harm Reduction Conference in Barcelona Spain.

$pread Magazine

I received the latest issue in the mail and to my (pleasant) surprise my photos were used.

Big step backwards?

We’ve hardly put our Obama headlined newspapers in our memorobilia piles, when we find out that our battles are clearly not over. I spent the day filming at a Public Safety  meeting at DC City council. Local pollies Mendelson and co discussed plans to introduce mandatory HIV testing for sex workers, explored the efficacy of introducing felony charges and strengthening the rights violating prostitution free zone policy. “Let’s keep pushing these prostitutes from block to block until they end up in Maryland,” said one up-beat council member. Sharmus (a local sex worker activists) let her feelings be known in her testimony.