Your chance to help fund a sex worker's right billboard

I've written before about Furry Girl's sex worker's rights group SWAAY.

Right now the organization is running a campaign to fund America's first sex worker's right billboard in Los Angeles. The billboard was created as a response to the Ashton and Demi human trafficking media parade and the need to educate the public on what actually defines a sex worker.

The running design looks like the one presented above and has until August 17th to be funded. The project is being funded through EpicStep.com which is essentially a Kickstarter for billboards.

Click here to learn more about the project and to donate.

Is it weird?

Is it weird that the more I hear people talk about how damaging porn is and how everyone in the sex industry is abused/manipulated/unhappy/etc., the more I really want to go into porn?

It just seems like my personal "Fuck you" to everyone who says shit like that. Of course it's obvious that the people who say stuff like that have never actually talked to people in the sex industry so I'm not sure how many opinions I'll change but damnit it'll make me feel better!

How do you SWAAY?

Hello sexylings

Last month a new organization was launched aiming to educate others about sex work and sex workers. SWAAY stands for Sex Work Activists, Allies, and You and is run by Furry Girl who also runs Feminisnt.

The website offers a wealth of information, videos, and other general sex work related resources. The SWAAY website can be found HERE and I highly urge you to visit. Regularly even!

Love sex, love your sex workers.

Reading Materials

Hello loves,

I apologize for my absence. Yours truly has been off exploring England. So far it's consisted of lots of chocolate, walking, and sex. It's a terrible existence. I leave for Paris tomorrow. I'm expecting even more chocolate, walking, and sex in addition to gorgeous lingerie and crêpes.

I wanted to pop in an let you all know what I've been reading of late. I started devouring Whores And Other Feminists a few months ago but was unfortunately unable to finish it. A quick trip to the local library remedied it for me. Although a tad dated, Whores is still an excellent collection of articles and interviewers from sex workers and female pioneers in the sex industry on what it is to be a sex worker and feminist. Published back in 1997, women have come a long way but the relevance of so many of the articles proves that we still have so far to go. This book is incredibly empowering and I recommend it to anyone, female or male, sex worker or not.

Take care darlings. And drink your tea. It's good for you. x

Ireland Poster Campaign Aims To Humanize Sex Workers

A recent ad campaign launched by Turn Off The Blue Light aims change the ways sex workers in Ireland are perceived. A series of four ads features women of all types from different backgrounds describing their every day lives (dropping kids off, going to school, planning to run a business, etc.). It concludes with the line, "And I'm a sex worker."

Turn Off The Blue Light is an Irish organization that is run by sex workers and was started in response to organizations pushing for the criminalization (and in their mind eradication) of prostitution. With their current campaign TOBL is trying to give a more realistic face to sex workers in the country. Most people think of sex workers as either victimized women in horrible conditions or as the "happy hooker" who lives a lavish lifestyle with glamorous clients a la Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. It would seem that few understand or realize that sex workers are mothers, lovers, sisters, daughters, and a million other things. Their job is just that, a job.

Before the posters were released they were shown to the TOBL committee and met with very positive responses. Turn Off The Blue Light

Sex Worker Amnesty

A little while ago I wrote about the murders of several sex workers in Long Island. So far they police are still not cooperating. There's a petition making the rounds that I really am urging anyone reading this to sign. I haven't been able to add the petition directly here but clicking the link below will take you to more info about what's going on and the petition.


Click Here To Sign The Petition

Amnesty For Long Island Sex Workers

Another reason why we need to decriminalize sex work in America.

So far up to 10 women have been murdered by a serial killer(s) in the Long Island area targeting prostitutes. To a big part of American society, these women were dispensable. Whores who lived in the shadows who knew what could happen to them. Wrong. They were human beings. Friends, sisters, daughters, mothers, and so many more things.

Along with decriminalizing sex workers, we need to remember that sex workers are people too. They aren't dispensable and they deserve to be treated as actual humans. Their murders need to be solved and treated with the same importance as anyone else's murder.

The Police Commissioner of Suffolk County has asked for anyone in the sex industry who might have information to step forward. However, sex workers working in an illegal industry have no guarantee that if they come forward they won't be prosecuted for illegal sex work. The Red Umbrella Project is calling for those in the Suffolk County area to contact the office of the Suffolk County Police Commissioner and District Attorney and demand that amnesty be granted to sex workers allowing them to freely step forward to help solve these murders.


These sample letters come from the Red Umbrella Project website:

Here is a sample letter, which can be emailed to SCPDINFO@suffolkcountyny.gov and infoda@suffolkcountyny.gov:

Dear Commissioner Dormer and District Attorney Spota,

I am a sex worker / ally to sex workers who lives in Suffolk County / the greater New York City area and I am writing to express concerns my community has about the lack of protection police are offering to sex workers. During this time of extreme anxiety following the discovery of the remains of at least 10 people, it is important for you to extend goodwill to our community.

We appreciate that you have invited sex workers to come forward with information that may help in the investigation of these crimes, but we are requesting that you formally establish amnesty for prostitution related offenses until the killer has been apprehended. Declaring amnesty would go a long way in demonstrating that the police are serious about prioritizing the lives of sex workers.

Sincerely,
NAME
Organizational affiliation (if any)
Email
City/state/zip code

Sample phone script - you can call (631) 852-2677 (SCPD) and (631) 852 – 2575 (DA’s Homicide Bureau):


Hello, I am a sex worker / ally to sex workers who lives in Suffolk County / the greater New York City area. I am calling to request that DA Spota formally establish amnesty for prostitution related offenses until the serial killer is apprehended. If the police motto is to protect and serve, you must work harder to extend this to sex workers.


I am also, with my modest blog, urging those in the area to get involved. If you're not in the immediate areas you can still do your part by spreading the word and educating those around you.

-Athena

The Red Umbrella Project

Sex Worker Bingo

via Feminisnt

Independence and the life

Is it wrong that despite having someone offering to pay for me to travel, I'd still prefer camwhoring so I can do it on my own?

I've never been comfortable with other people taking care of me. Even when I was on crutches I insisted on doing things on my own. Growing up I learned to stand on my own to feet so now that I have someone willing to help me and take care of me, it's hard to accept it. I'm trying to swallow my pride but I'd much rather go on a vacation that I can contribute to (or completely finance) than be taken out.

Am I trying to keep a distinct separation of the two things, being paid for my company vs wanting to treat me because my own company is a gift? We love each other so who am I to deny him having me around. I love him and I'd love to spend that time with him. Maybe he thinks that if he does this I won't be so interested in sex work anymore. That's not the issue. I'll still be interested in the things I'm interested regardless of the time and money he spends. Work won't change my feelings for him. He's a separate entity.

A job is a job. You just separate the two.