#SurvivorsAgainstSESTA
Philadelphia PA Sex Work Lobby Day 6/1
1. Schedule your meeting. The sooner the better. Enclosed is contact info for different Reps/Senators in your area. Choose your targets (who’s your actual rep?) and call their office to ask for the scheduler, or the staffer who handles issues related to LGBT communities, criminal justice reform, women’s health – however you think is best to talk about the issue.
Find Your Legislator – PA General Assembly www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/county_list.cfm
en email them:
When you email, it’s a straight forward form letter, so please adapt it to your voice and background.
Subject, Meeting Request, ((Date))
Dear Mx. ((Staffer)),
I am writing on behalf of a group of advocates to request a meeting to discuss the challenges and issues of those who trade sex on Friday, June 1.
On that day, advocates from across the country are meeting with their Representatives to share this information, especially the recent impact on our communities since the passage of FOSTA/SESTA, and we invite your office to be part of this dialogue.
We are a group of advocates working from the perspectives of harm reduction, LGBTQ communities, and economic justice to address issues which compromise the health and well being of individuals impacted by the sex trade. I will be joined in this meeting by other constituents from your district ((are you guys repping orgs? how do you relate to this issue?))
We would welcome the opportunity to sit down for a meeting on June 1. I will be in touch to see if this is possible. In the meantime, I can be contacted at this email (Yours!) or by phone at ((Yours!))
Sincerely,
Name
2. Get the basics on lobbying. We’ll be doing a webinar in the week leading up to June 1 to cover the basics of lobbying and advocacy meetings. It’ll cover what that meeting looks like, what is helpful for staffers, and some tips on how to prepare. It’ll be up online the night of May 29, so as soon as we have that link we’ll blast it out.
https://survivorsagainstsesta.org/
3. Who are you going with? Meet and plan! If you’re going with a group of local folks (my favorites are teams of 3-5), get together and practice. For a lot of staffers this will be the first meeting on sex workers’ needs and concerns. For most meetings, the general structure (make it your own) is:
– What is sex work (There’s a handout!)
– What are the major issues sex workers face (there’s a few handouts!)
– What was SESTA/FOSTA (your rep voted for it), and what has the impact been (there WILL be a handout)
– What is our major ask? Reach out to us moving forward and know that talking to sex workers means talking to the experts on the sex trade. (Leave your contact info, cards, palm cards if you’re with an org)
4. Practice! Who’s going to say what, who’s going to facilitate, who wants to share their story? Get to know each other and have a few practice meetings sharing the information and give each other feedback. It’ll be so much easier when you know everyone’s style.
4. Have your meeting on June 1! You’ll sit down with a staffer, run through your stuff, and go over the documents you’re leaving behind. Expect about a half hour, answer their questions, and leave on a good note. Leave your contact info, any reports/documents you brought, thank them for their time, and follow up immediately with an email. If they asked for anything (other contacts, more info, research, an invite to June 2), send that along.
5. Post about it! If you had a great meeting with a Rep, tell Twitter, tell Switter, and tell us! We’ll be collecting info on how it went, what was helpful, and if you’d like to stay up on these conversations moving forward.
#SurvivorsAgainstSESTA
Enclosed: Leaving behind documents may be helpful or may get thrown out. It depends on the staffer, but it helps you look prepared and ready to share. Enclosed are the range of documents that we’ve used on the Federal level. Take what works, cite stuff you want to make prettier, and don’t worry about the rest.
HOW DID MY REP VOTE?
We know from the vote our representatives do not understand how this impacts the lives of actual survivors so it is up to us to help educate them and protect each other.
Alabama:
Sen. Jones (D-AL), Yea
Sen. Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska:
Sen. Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Sen. Sullivan (R-AK), Yea
Arizona:
Sen. Flake (R-AZ), Yea
Sen. McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
Arkansas:
Sen. Boozman (R-AR), Yea
Sen. Cotton (R-AR), Yea
California:
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Sen. Harris (D-CA), Yea
Colorado:
Sen. Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Sen. Gardner (R-CO), Yea
Connecticut:
Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea
Sen. Murphy (D-CT), Yea
Delaware:
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Coons (D-DE), Yea
Florida:
Sen. Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Sen. Rubio (R-FL), Yea
Georgia:
Sen. Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Sen. Perdue (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii:
Sen. Hirono (D-HI), Yea
Sen. Schatz (D-HI), Yea
Idaho:
Sen. Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Sen. Risch (R-ID), Yea
Illinois:
Sen. Duckworth (D-IL), Yea
Sen. Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Indiana:
Sen. Donnelly (D-IN), Yea
Sen. Young (R-IN), Yea
Iowa:
Sen. Ernst (R-IA), Yea
Sen. Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Kansas:
Sen. Moran (R-KS), Yea
Sen. Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky:
Sen. McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Sen. Paul (R-KY), Nay
Louisiana:
Sen. Cassidy (R-LA), Yea
Sen. Kennedy (R-LA), Yea
Maine:
Sen. Collins (R-ME), Yea
Sen. King (I-ME), Yea
Maryland:
Sen. Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Sen. Van Hollen (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts:
Sen. Markey (D-MA), Yea
Sen. Warren (D-MA), Yea
Michigan:
Sen. Peters (D-MI), Yea
Sen. Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Minnesota:
Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Sen. Smith (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi:
Sen. Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Sen. Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Missouri:
Sen. Blunt (R-MO), Yea
Sen. McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Montana:
Sen. Daines (R-MT), Yea
Sen. Tester (D-MT), Yea
Nebraska:
Sen. Fischer (R-NE), Yea
Sen. Sasse (R-NE), Yea
Nevada:
Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV), Yea
Sen. Heller (R-NV), Yea
New Hampshire:
Sen. Hassan (D-NH), Yea
Sen. Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
New Jersey:
Sen. Booker (D-NJ), Yea
Sen. Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico:
Sen. Heinrich (D-NM), Yea
Sen. Udall (D-NM), Yea
New York:
Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea
Sen. Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina:
Sen. Burr (R-NC), Yea
Sen. Tillis (R-NC), Yea
North Dakota:
Sen. Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea
Sen. Hoeven (R-ND), Yea
Ohio:
Sen. Brown (D-OH), Yea
Sen. Portman (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma:
Sen. Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Sen. Lankford (R-OK), Yea
Oregon:
Sen. Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Sen. Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Pennsylvania:
Sen. Casey (D-PA), Yea
Sen. Toomey (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island:
Sen. Reed (D-RI), Yea
Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina:
Sen. Graham (R-SC), Yea
Sen. Scott (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota:
Sen. Rounds (R-SD), Yea
Sen. Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee:
Sen. Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Sen. Corker (R-TN), Yea
Texas:
Sen. Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Sen. Cruz (R-TX), Yea
Utah:
Sen. Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Sen. Lee (R-UT), Yea
Vermont:
Sen. Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Sen. Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Virginia:
Sen. Kaine (D-VA), Yea
Sen. Warner (D-VA), Yea
Washington:
Sen. Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Sen. Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia:
Sen. Capito (R-WV), Yea
Sen. Manchin (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin:
Sen. Baldwin (D-WI), Yea
Sen. Johnson (R-WI), Yea
Wyoming:
Sen. Barrasso (R-WY), Yea
Sen. Enzi (R-WY), Yea
