Judge orders temporary delay of Robert Kraft video release ‘to avoid tainting the jury pool’ | The Washington Post
Sex Workers and Allies To Hold Press Conference in Orlando, FL — Monday, April 22, 2019
Sex Workers and Allies To Hold Press Conference in Orlando, FL — Monday, April 22, 2019
We, SWOP (Sex Worker Outreach Project) Tampa, SWOP Orlando, SWOP Behind Bars, Sex Worker Solidarity Network, Decriminalize Sex Work, Florida NOW, and more, have gathered together today to ask our lawmakers to listen to sex workers and stop these arrests.
All eyes are on Florida because of Robert Kraft’s high-profile hand job, but the raids that targeted 10 massage parlors in South Florida are part of a growing national trend. We are standing here today to raise awareness about the terrible consequences of siccing the police on vulnerable people. We are here today to offer solutions to this country’s trafficking problem.
We must stop the arrests.
Handcuffs do not help. The police are not protecting people in the sex trade; they are hunting them. All of the women that Florida police claimed that they “rescued” are facing multiple felony charges. Each and every one of them was handcuffed, their money confiscated, their license and legal residency threatened; over half of them are still in police custody. If any of these women were in a bad situation before, they are even worse off now.
We are asking lawmakers, the media, and the citizens of Florida to listen to sex workers.
Sex workers from all over the state are organizing against a proposed Prostitution Registry. We know that this law will not help victims of sex trafficking, it will not punish violent offenders, it will only make sex work harder and more dangerous for everyone by pushing it further underground. Lawmakers should listen to us. No one is more motivated to stop violence and exploitation within the sex industry than sex workers.
Sex workers, survivors, and allies are organizing all over the country. We are all asking for decriminalization.
Decriminalizing sex work will stop these arrests. Police departments will be able to focus on violent criminals, and it will give sex workers and trafficking victims the ability to advocate for themselves without fear of arrest.
If you want to help victims, stop arresting people in the sex trade and instead start listening to them.
Sex Workers and Allies To Hold News Conference in Orlando, FL
Decriminalize Sex Work www.DecriminalizeSex.Work Contact Kaytlin Bailey, Director of Communications [email protected] NEW YORK, NEW YORK April 18, 2019
Sex Workers and Allies to Hold News Conference in Orlando, FL
Responding to the escalation of police stings targeting minority-owned massage parlors, sex workers and their allies will be holding a news conference on April 22 in Orlando. To illustrate that this is a statewide problem, the news conference is being held in the center of the state during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
WHO: Kaytlin Bailey, a former sex worker from Decriminalize Sex Work; Kim Porteous, Vice President of Greater Orlando NOW; Maya Moreno, an undocumented immigrant and sex worker from Honduras; and advocated for harm reduction and victims rights will join SWOP Behind Bars, SWOP Orlando, and SWOP Tampa Bay. (“SWOP” stands for “Sex Workers Outreach Project”.)
WHAT: Holding handcuffs and standing in front of the courthouse, holding signs protesting the arrest and incarceration of people in the sex industry.
WHEN: 12:00 to 12:45 on Monday, April 22, 2019
WHERE: Front of City Hall at 400 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32703
WHY: Laws targeting sex workers are a war on women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and immigrants. The vulnerable communities impacted by overzealous policing are demanding to be heard in Florida.
Those speaking at the protest will highlight that people who are charged with prostitution are not being “rescued” when they’re arrested, detained, imprisoned, and given lifelong criminal records. This stigma then follows them for the rest of their lives, often making it harder to find jobs, obtain housing, or report abusive situations to the police.
“Sex work should be decriminalized, because our government has no right to police our bodies,” said Kaytlin Bailey, the communications director for a new national organization called Decriminalize Sex Work. “Arresting sex workers isn’t a way of protecting them. It’s a way of protecting societal patriarchy.”
If you are unable to attend the press conference, a live stream will be available here: livefeed.decriminalizesex.work
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Conflategate: Robert Kraft Is Not a Monster | Stacey Pearson, MCJ, Retired Law Enforcement Professional
Florida’s Proposed Anti-“Trafficking” Registry Will Harm Sex Workers | The Intercept
Florida Sex Workers Demand Decriminalization After Massive Raids | Truthout
Sex Workers Are Organizing Against Proposed Prostitution Registry in Florida
Decriminalize Sex Work www.DecriminalizeSex.Work Contact Kaytlin Bailey, Director of Communications [email protected] NEW YORK, NY March 26, 2019
Sex Workers Are Organizing Against Proposed Prostitution Registry in Florida
Half a dozen sex worker rights activists traveled from all over Florida to fight a proposed law that will target them and their clients. They are building a coalition of organizations to fight efforts to increase surveillance and policing of the oldest profession, including a new prostitution registry which would permanently and publicly list anyone arrested for prostitution-related offenses.
Florida Senate Bill 540 and House Bill 851 falsely claim to be trying to help victims of human trafficking, but sex workers know that these laws will only make violence and exploitation within the sex industry worse. Alex Andrews from SWOP Behind Bars has been fighting for people incarcerated for prostitution for 11 years, she’s seen up close the devastating effects of criminalization.
Andrews said, “These lawmakers think they’re helping but they won’t listen to us. We know how to stop trafficking, we can start by stopping the arrests for prostitution.”
Grace Taylor, who traveled from Tampa, told legislators that “They need to listen to sex workers. I’ve been a sex worker for over 15 years, I’m in my 50’s. Listen to me.”
Christine Hanavan traveled from Orlando to explain to her elected officials that policing prostitution doesn’t help anyone, least of all victims of trafficking. Hanavan said, “Our concerns are for survivors and current victims of human trafficking in the sex industry, adult consensual sex workers, and people who don’t fit neatly into one category. All of us share the goal of ending human trafficking. All of us want better services for victims and survivors.”
Six brave women are speaking to their elected representatives in Florida today. Let’s see if their legislators can hear them. They are joined by Florida National Organization for Women (NOW,) the National Center for Transgender Equality, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Restorative Justice Coalition, Sex Worker Solidarity Network, Sex Worker Outreach Program (SWOP) Behind Bars, SWOP Tampa & SWOP Orlando.
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