#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