*2007 International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers** *

December 17th 2007 marks the 5th Annual International Day to End Violence
Against Sex Workers. This event calls attention to hate crimes committed
against sex workers.  Originally conceived by the Sex Workers Outreach
Project as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River murders
in Seattle Washington, International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
empowers workers, clients, and our supporters to come together to organize
against criminalization, discrimination and to remember victims of violence.

*At 11:30 am on Monday, December 17th, 2007 *on the steps of San Francisco
City Hall, the Erotic Service Providers Union Sex Workers will join the Sex
Workers Outreach Project and Supervisor Jake McGoldrick’s press conference
to raise awareness about the violence committed against this unprotected
workforce.

Following this public speak out, ESPU will hold a public vigil at *3pm on
Monday, December 17th, 2007 *at Bancroft and Telegraph in Berkeley,
California to call attention to a recent incident of violence against a sex
worker while attending a UC Berkeley event hosted by the Ethics Department
that depicted sexually violent graphic images of sex workers as normal.

We will be asking the universities to host forums to ensure that students
and teachers have access to facts from actual sex industry workers and our
supporters about what forced labor actually looks like in the sex industry.
All Erotic Laborers must be supported in accessing our own agency to report
theft, assault, battery, rape, coercion and murder. Existing laws that
criminalize prostitution and immigration as well as other forms of
regulations of erotic labor prevent workers from reporting violence.   Please
join us by calling attention to hate crimes against sex workers, namely
prostitutes.

“By demanding the end to anti-prostitution laws and regulations, we will end
the stigma, discrimination and violence against us and the stigma against
our clients”, says Starchild.   The Erotic Service Providers Union demands
that all workers and clients, female and male alike, have the ability to
negotiate for our labor and work conditions irregardless of our legal
status, country of origin, or government documentation.

Hey Jamie, thanks for posting. It was very interesting to see what you have to say. If you ever read my books you’ll see that I’m extremely opposed to third party management. I believe in ONLY independently working. I’m sorry to hear that the managers of the Nevada brothels can be pimpish… but I’m not surprised. On the other hand, though, do you think it’s right for people like Melissa Farley to be trying to TOTALLY END prostitution?? Why aren’t they trying to HELP US ESCAPE the pimps instead???