She Works Hard for the Money: Decriminalization and changing public attitudes makes sex work safer for everyone
She Works Hard for the Money: Decriminalization and changing public attitudes makes sex work safer for everyone (Motif) DSW’s Ariela Moscowitz is quoted: “We’re always pushing sex work to be seen as work … and to improve the health and safety of sex workers and communities at large. We know full decriminalization leads to a…Continue reading She Works Hard for the Money: Decriminalization and changing public attitudes makes sex work safer for everyone
Podcast: New York Gritty
Episode 9–Pandemic Sexposure (“New York Gritty” podcast) (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon) DSW’s Melissa Broudo is featured.
Welcome, Rebecca Cleary!
DSW is thrilled to welcome Rebecca (Becca) Cleary, J.D., to the team! Cleary joins DSW as a staff attorney. She is guided by the belief that a more equitable society is possible through comprehensive policy reform that creates access to justice and abolishes barriers to well-being. As a legal intern with the Legal Aid Society’s…Continue reading Welcome, Rebecca Cleary!
Brooklyn DA: Outstanding prostitution warrants from past 4 decades dismissed
Brooklyn DA: Outstanding prostitution warrants from past 4 decades dismissed (News 12) DSW’s Melissa Broudo is featured: “This is not just symbolic. It is meaningful for those over 857 people whose lives were directly impacted by criminalization who either had warrants hanging over their heads or pending court cases hanging over their heads. The criminal…Continue reading Brooklyn DA: Outstanding prostitution warrants from past 4 decades dismissed
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise
PornHub invited DSW’s legal director, Melissa Broudo, to share her expertise on legal issues related to sex work in their two-day “Sex Worker Survival Guide.” The event brought together a diverse group of presenters for a “how-to,” appropriate for individuals with any amount of experience in sex work. PornHub promised, “presentations, panels and conversation ……Continue reading DSW Staff Share Their Expertise
DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications
Ariela Moscowitz is joining DSW as the director of communications. We are thrilled to welcome an incredible nonprofit professional with years of experience advocating for social equity on behalf of marginalized communities to our team. Ariela is committed to changing hearts, minds, and ultimately, laws to protect sex workers and trafficking survivors. For the past…Continue reading DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit
DSW’s J. Leigh Brantly and Melissa Broudo spoke on a panel entitled “Fighting for Decriminalization in the Era of COVID and Black Lives Matter” at the Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s (WFF) 11th annual Sexual Freedom Summit. The event featured human rights advocates, educators and researchers, professionals, movement leaders, and organizational partners all “working towards a time…Continue reading DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit
‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns
DSW’s Kaytlin Bailey will be departing the organization at the end of the month to more directly focus her energy on her burgeoning production company, Old Pro Productions, Inc., which aims to “tell better sex worker stories.” This month Bailey is relaunching her podcast, “The Oldest Profession,” which she originally created in 2017. By the…Continue reading ‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns
DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National Trans Visibility March
DSW’s Melissa Broudo received the Lou Sullivan Award from the National Trans Visibility March (NTVM) for her outstanding commitment to defending the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals and communities throughout her legal career. The NTVM Torch Awards is an annual event that “recognizes distinguished achievements and honors individuals whose work has impacted…Continue reading DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National Trans Visibility March
DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT
DSW partnered with The Ishtar Collective (TIC), a local sex worker rights organization in VT, to host a luncheon in Montpelier that brought together state legislators, advocates, sex workers, and trafficking survivors from around the northeast U.S. The event, “Sex Work vs. Trafficking,” centered on a recent VT bill (H.568), which TIC and DSW collaborated…Continue reading DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT
Hero(es) of the Month: Honoring the Dancers of the Lusty Lady
In 1996, the Lusty Lady in San Francisco became the first strip club in the country to successfully unionize, making history for the entire informal labor sector, including sex work. Despite the club’s closure in 2013, “Lusties,” as the dancers call themselves, remain a symbol of resilience and empowerment in an industry so often criticized…Continue reading Hero(es) of the Month: Honoring the Dancers of the Lusty Lady
DSW’s Melissa Broudo Featured in Film Series on Inspirational Women
DSW’s Melissa Broudo was featured in “As a Woman,” an interview-based film series diving into the lives of six inspirational, female-identifying New Yorkers. Written and produced by Majella Productions, the documentary explores how these individuals relate to their womanhood, and the ways this identity impacts their lived experience. The production is a beautiful examination of…Continue reading DSW’s Melissa Broudo Featured in Film Series on Inspirational Women