Author: mgd777

Press Release: Under The Red Umbrella    Monday, December 17, 2018 will mark the 15th annual observance of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. As people gather around the globe to celebrate the holidays, some mourn the loss of those close to them. In Philadelphia, the observance features two connected community events: … Continue reading Press Release: Under The Red Umbrella   

NSWP announces an important Norwegian court decision in all respects as a precedent for similar cases for sex workers who are in a similar situation and conveying to employers that persons selling sex have the same legal protection as other workers. Congratulation to Lilith for the good work and having the strength and courage to bring the case to court

Ø Date of Workshop: Friday, October 5th, 2018 Ø Time: 10:45-11:55 Ø Title of Workshop: Instrument of Crime: Condoms, Prostitution, Prosecutors and Public Safety in Pennsylvania Ø Workshop Location: The Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th & Arch Streets (West Concourse Entrance) Ø Room # : 106ab Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your workshop … Continue reading Beyond The Walls: Reentry Summit and Prison Healthcare

"I have always thought that prostitution should be legal, and speaking with numerous sex workers affirmed that," Simonetti said. "The descriptions they provided of the manner in which they are treated were deeply troubling. Writing the piece was actually quite difficult for me. It felt pertinent that I piece together these narratives in a way that does justice to voices that often go unheard." SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 Penn student's op-ed makes case for legalizing prostitution in Pennsylvania Michael Tanenbaum PhillyVoice Staff

SWOP Behind Bars will be attending, presenting and tabling at the International Human Trafficking Conference in Toledo ‪on September 20‬ and 21st

“I want safety of women, yes. I don’t want prostitution.” In the District of Columbia, City Council member David Grosso introduced legislation in 2017 to decriminalize all forms of sex work. The bill is backed by pro–sex worker groups including Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive, one of the nation’s oldest sex worker advocacy groups, and activists say they are hopeful the City Council will take up the measure later this year. Whether or not it passes is in some ways beside the point. Given the stigma associated with the industry, getting a major metropolitan government to seriously consider decriminalization would be a major coup for a constituency that has largely operated in the shadows.

Julia Salazar, who is running for a New York state Senate seat representing north Brooklyn, arrived a few minutes later to send them off. She said sex workers—“my constituents”—are disproportionately criminalized in her district. Bushwick, for example, was among the top five New York City neighborhoods where police made “loitering for prostitution” arrests as of 2015. She referenced the Brooklyn courts, where 94 percent of those facing loitering for prostitution charges were Black. “That should disturb all of us,” she said. Salazar argued that sex work policing was a central part of a bigger problem with Brooklyn’s approach to criminal justice.

“As with most other data related to human trafficking, there are huge gaps between estimates of prevalence or populations at risk and individuals actually identified as trafficking victims or enrolled in government programs.  Better data and research are needed to begin distinguishing among possible reasons for the gaps between prevalence estimates and administrative data.”

AASECT distinguishes consensual sex work, which is undertaken by consenting adults by choice, from sex trafficking, which is undertaken as forced or coerced labor. Sex trafficking is a result of force, coercion, or the threat of force, and often involves children. Moreover, AASECT recognizes that sex workers, including sexological bodyworkers, surrogate partners, professional dominants, and lifestyle educators sometimes facilitate the work of sex educators, counselors, and therapists by providing hands-on adjunctive treatment services.