The Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP-USA) also hosted an institute, “Justice and Change: A Sex Worker Institute,” focused on the building blocks of social justice organizing: facilitation, organizing across differences and confronting privilege, political advocacy, decriminalization and decarceration, and coalition building.
ESPU Press Release
Presidential candidates clarify your position! espu-press-release-June-27-2019
Meet The Face Behind PA Workers Survivors
Updated 7/8/2019 HELLO! Thank you for your interest in my discussions on survival sex, sex work and sex trafficking. This post contains strong content not appropriate for all environments.
Whores Day Weekend NYC
NYC #IWD2019 TWO EVENTS Fri 5/31 FRIDAY PM @mehanata #mehanatabulgarianbar SUNDAY DAY Lorimer and Diggs #McCarrenPark is a public park in Brooklyn, New York City. It is located in both Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Greenpoint, Brooklyn and is bordered by Nassau Avenue, Bayard Street, Lorimer Street and North 12th Street. #decrimnow #makeallwomensafe #strongertogether #sexworkersagainstsextrafficking #sexworker #sexworkers … Continue reading Whores Day Weekend NYC
NEW: Pennsylvania Project
Torturing Sex Workers, with Melanie Dante: Ken’s guest is Melanie Dante, a self-identified active consensual adult sex worker, discussing various issues surrounding the sex trades, badly needed decriminalization, and holes in the law that create “viminals”, i.e., making criminals out of victims of sexual abuse.
SWOP Behind Bars Legislative Update
The Good News - California Senate Passes Bill to Advance Sex Worker’s Rights and Safety! Sacramento, CA – The California Senate passed SB 233 (Wiener), taking a historic step towards improving the health and safety of individuals involved in the sex trade. SB 233 provides immunity from arrest for individuals engaged in sex work when … Continue reading SWOP Behind Bars Legislative Update
Support: Amending PA SB 337 To Protect Sex Workers
Support: Amending PA SB 337 To Protect Sex Workers & Survivors
Live On The Mainline
On the air with The Pennsylvania Project at the 555 Building on the Main Line. Link to live cast coming soon!
NACDL’s Webcast: HIV Criminalization Webinar
U=U is Undetectable = Untransmittable: M Dante sat in on the National Association Of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDL) Criminalization Webinar to see how this topic addresses and affects sex workers, and how the Positive Justice Project helps.
Sex Workers Are Human Resources
JAN 10 • Thank you so much for your fair and balanced coverage of the 15th Annual IDTEVASW. Since 2012 SWOP and SAFE have strived to stand up and speak out in Philly on issues specific to stigma and gratuitous violence against sex workers. Folks are always amazed at how hard and painful this event is to do, yet in the end how truly blessed we are to be able to come together to do it. Many households in most areas of Greater Philadelphia, if not all of PA, are touched somehow by this issue. Talking about sex work and prostitution is hard. Living in shame and silence is harder. D/17 is not fun, though it is full of love. Truly. We are here because we have been there, and we care. Our voice is their voice. Thank you for covering the memorial. Words cannot even express the gratitude I feel right now. Philly is proving we got LOVE!
Instrument of Crime: Condoms, Prostitution, Prosecutors and Public Safety in Pennsylvania
Instrument of Crime: Condoms, Prostitution, Prosecutors and Public Safety in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Convention Center 106AB
Presentation: Friday 10/5/2018 10:45 AM
Outlawed in California, New York, and Washington D.C., since 2012 Pennsylvania prosecutors have been using Comstock Act era tactics in an effort to detain prostitutes to combat trafficking. Is charging individuals for Instruments of Crime (IOC) effective policing tactic in ending human trafficking; or is contributing to challenges in addressing important public health risks surrounding HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases? Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are combining forces for important advocacy work to draw attention to these practices.
NSWP On: Including Sex Workers In Diversity Protocol
NSWP has created an assessment tool for Including sex workers in your organization’s diversity protocol
Advocates for Sex Workers Send Open Letter to Allegheny District Attorney Stephen Zappala Opposing Criminalization of Condom Possession
The letter notes that criminalizing condoms “has a chilling effect on Pittsburghers' willingness to carry and use condoms, especially those who are most vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS and other STIs including women and men of color, LGBTQ people, young people, victims of trafficking, and people in the sex trades.”
PHL Sex Work Lobby Day
#survivorsagainstsesta, Sex Work Lobby Day June 1st Philadelphia, PA
Illegal to Legal: SBB In Wayne County, PA
SBB In Wayne County PA
M Dante SWOP Behind Bars (SBB) visiting Loose Leaf Pages, a bookshop and tea parlor, in Honesdale, Wayne County, PA discussing SWOP Behind Bars, Re/Entry for Women, FOSTA & SESTA, and DECRIM for Safety.
M. Dante seen here with Bob Pelshaw’s book and workbook Illegal to Legal, a re/entry support guide for starting new legal business, along with a postcard for USPROS DECRIM for SAFETY. We thank the Libertarian caucus for inviting us to speak!
Support Safety: Oppose SB 1204
Support Safety: Oppose Bill SB 1204 that criminalizes sex workers associating with each other or with supporters for safety, information and support.
Pa Sen. Bob Casey’s letter for Workers/Survivors to understand the FOSTA/SESTA facts
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio introduced S. 1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017, on August 1, 2017. The legislation amends Section 230 to ensure that those who run sites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking can be held accountable for their actions in civil or criminal court. Representative Ann Wagner of Missouri introduced H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) on April 3, 2017. This bill imposes criminal penalties on a person who facilitates sex trafficking in interstate commerce.
Why Sex Workers are Fighting the Anti-Sex Trafficking Bill
Guest post by collaborators: M. Dante, Lola Li, and Heather Berg. On March 12th, the Senate votes on SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act. SESTA would criminalize the online advertising, information sharing, and support networks that sex workers use to do their jobs safely. Readers can support the #LetUsSurvive campaign by calling their Senators. WE ARE: #SurvivorsAgainstSESTA
3/12 EMPOWER Collective Visiting Philadelphia
3/12/2018: EMPOWER Thailand in Philly: MORNING - U Penn event Mon March 12 from 8-9am sponsored by the Nursing school, with co-sponsorship from School of Social Policy and Practice thanks to Dorothy Roberts and TJ Ghose. EVENING - Crossroads Women's Center Mon March 12 at 6pm
Stop SESTA/FOSTA
Hybrid FOSTA/SESTA Hinders Law Enforcement, Hurts Victims and Speakers | Center for Democracy & Technology
HIV & Solitary Confinement: CJ Palmer
On the 19th of January, 2018, CJ Palmer, a trans woman and former sex worker was charged with causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the alleged transmission of HIV to her ex-partner. CJ has been remanded in a maximum-security male prison in Western Australia where she has already spent over 9 months while awaiting her trial. Her sentence will also be served in a male prison. As a woman in a maximum security male prison, CJ is forced to stay in isolation in a cell by herself in the Crisis Care Unit.
Fuck the Sabbatical
Trump Campaign Co-Chair Sentenced to 20 Years for Trafficking Minors and Sexual Abuse Some of his criminal behavior occurred during the campaign. ByTom Boggioni / Raw Story
Today we trade fear for sanctuary
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner Inauguration: Today we start the long road towards empowering and protecting some of our most vulnerable witnesses and survivors: immigrants that lack legal status so that they like other vulnerable groups - young people, elderly people, sex workers - can participate in the criminal justice system that is
there to protect them. Today we trade fear for sanctuary.
Human Trafficking Report: 700 Illicit Massage Parlors Operate in Our Area | NBC 10 Philadelphia
Police say approximately 100 illicit massage businesses operate throughout Philadelphia.
“I’ve been a cop for 30 years and I had no clue,” said Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Gary Ferguson. “No idea that human trafficking and prostitution was this big a problem in Philadelphia.”
2018 Women’s March Rhode Island Includes Sex Workers
2018Women March Rhode Island Includes Sex Workers. COYOTE had a 60 people sign up for our email list, and over 100 people stopped at our table. Bella shared that, "We had strippers from Westerly, and we had students from 3 universities and several communities members asking how they can volunteer with Coyote RI. Most importantly we got to educate our community and explain how Uncle Sam is the biggest pimp in the USA."
