Yesterday I posted about the upcoming Sex Worker Literati on March 4, but there is a whole lot more stuff happening over the next two weeks and change, both in NYC and elsewhere, that I thought might be of interest. And so:
March 1: Deadline for Desiree Alliance Conference Call for Proposals
The Desiree Alliance conference is a conference put on by and for sex workers – this year’s theme is “Working Sex: Power, Practice, and Politics.” It will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 25th to 30th, 2010. This year there are five different tracks. Check out the call for proposals here, and get yours in before the March 1 deadline. I will not be going to the conference this year, though I’m planning on supporting the media team in different ways – one of the media team members will be attending Speak Up, and I’m planning to make a donation to support their efforts at documentation and media coverage during the event itself.
March 3: International Sex Worker Rights Day – Potluck in NYC
International Sex Worker Rights Day is celebrated in different ways all over the world, but here in NYC, we have a potluck dinner. Join local organizers from SWOP-NYC, SWANK, and the PROS Network on Wednesday, March 3 at Judson Memorial Church, 239 Thompson Street, btw Washington Square South and West 3rd St., Manhattan, NY. The event is from 7-10 pm and though it’s great if you can bring food, there will also be plenty provided by volunteers. Please email Bhavana at bhavana.nancherla@gmail.com to let us know what you are bringing in advance.
The event is also an informal open mic, so bring your ideas, stories, poems and songs to share. Metrocards will be available for those who need them.
March 10: Lecture by Laura AgustÃn on Trafficking, Migration and the Sex Industry: Framing the Questions, Providing the Proofs
Laura’s lecture is part of the Pugwash series of conferences ‘examining the relationship between science and society, to ensure that research benefits humanity.’ This is a good opportunity to consider what social-justice advocates and social scientists consider to be evidence of a problem and what it means when proofs conflict. So many trafficking conversations consist of ideological battles that most people probably feel confused about what’s going on.
The event takes place on Wednesday, March 10 at Rockefeller University in the Weiss Building Room 305, at York Avenue at 66th Street (enter the campus at 66th Street). Refreshments at 6.45 pm, lecture begins 7 pm, questions at 8 pm.
I’m definitely going to this event – whether or not you can be there, Laura’s book Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry is a great, thought-provoking (and not too long/dense) piece of writing.
HIPS (in DC) is looking for volunteers
The mission of HIPS is to assist female, male, and transgender individuals engaging in sex work in Washington, DC in leading healthy lives. Utilizing a harm reduction model, HIPS’ programs strive to address the impact that HIV/AIDS, STIs, discrimination, poverty, violence and drug use have on the lives of individuals engaging in sex work.
The HIPS Spring 2010 Volunteer training is coming soon! There are opportunities to work on the Outreach Van, the Hotline, and to serve on the Crisis Response Team. Our HIPS volunteers impact the lives of DC individuals by providing a listening ear, a pack of condoms, a steaming cup of hot chocolate, a smile, a hand to hold on to through a tough night.
If you live in the DC area, and are interested in volunteering with HIPS, please contact our new Outreach Manager, Jenna at jenna@hips.org for more information and to register. Volunteer training starts on March 6.
Sex Workers’ Human Rights Violations in Central Europe
Last but certainly not least, an impressive effort from the Sex-Workers Forum of Vienna, who have produced a “shadow report” for the United Nations Convention Against Torture. A shadow report is a commentary document produced by a non-governmental organization or other advocacy group as a supplement to official governmental reports – it’s a way of responding to and engaging in dialogue with official documents, especially reports by UN agencies.
This particular document, which you can download as a 13-page PDF in English, is a critical piece about the ways that state regulations and policies to control sex work cause human rights violations. Worth a read, and a good model for the possibilities of advocacy at the international level.
5:35 pm
[...] Wednesday is International Sex Worker Rights Day. There’s an event happening in New York and other stuff happening around the [...]