NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020

In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking While Trans” ban. They also passed Resolution 1444, which allows for convictions for LPP to be sealed. Part of the penal code for almost 40 years, LPP allowed NYC law enforcement to profile and target individuals simply for who they are and what they look like. Black and Brown trans and cisgender women have been disproportionately arrested and affected. People with LPP convictions face discrimination as they apply for jobs, housing, and other basic needs.

DSW applauds these historic decisions and now looks to Albany to end this discriminatory law that has negatively impacted the lives of so many statewide. DSW’s Crystal DeBoise shared: “The New York City Council voted to pass a resolution calling on the state of New York to repeal the racist, antiquated, and deeply harmful Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in a Prostitution Offense. As a social worker for survivors of human trafficking and sex workers, I have seen up close the damage this charge has caused. I have worked with several individuals arrested for their dress, for standing outside a gay bar, for their history, and for their appearance as a member of the LGBTQ community. Thank you, city council, for standing up for all New Yorkers.”

(Photo: DSW)

DSW Newsletter #21 (December 2020)

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020 Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020 The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially...
Read More
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to...
Read More
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020 G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in...
Read More
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020 In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking...
Read More
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

Mark Your Calendars for December 17

December 17, 2020 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers We’ve gathered a small sampling of the events taking place around the world to mark the International Day...
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for December 17
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden...
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of...
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’...
Mark Your Calendars for December 17 Mark Your Calendars for December 17

DSW Newsletter Archive

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020

Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and bias at a time when you are feeling exceptionally vulnerable. Mataoe Aiden James Nevils is open with almost everyone about their former and current sex work and that they are a queer, nonbinary, transmasculine person. Nevils has spoken publicly for years about sharing their identity and history with medical professionals, and about the responses and reactions they have received in turn. Nevils believes a shift in the treatment of marginalized populations in medical spaces is possible, but not without speaking up and speaking out.

Nevils attended the University of Michigan and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and learning development. During that time, Nevils had no family to turn to for financial support, and didn’t want to be burdened with student loans. They worked a full-time job but still found it difficult to make ends meet.

Nevils first engaged in sex work while in college. Growing up AFAB (assigned female at birth), Nevils had frequently heard advice to “use what you have to get what you want.” Sex work allowed Nevils to meet financial needs, but at that time, engaging in sex work made them feel uncomfortable and ashamed. As an assigned female, they had been socialized to feel prudish and vulnerable, and they were also scared of the legal consequences.

Nevils began their transition during college. Having felt marginalized as a Black femme, they now experienced privilege as a Black man. They stopped doing sex work. Because they were “in community,” surrounded by a supportive group with overlapping experiences, Nevils started to advocate on behalf of transgender individuals and was often asked about their experiences. Constantly sharing in informal spaces and not having their emotional labor validated led Nevils to decide to reclaim their time and energy through sex work. They started off doing videos and sharing photos; it felt incredibly empowering to reclaim their position and their body.

Nevils was used to navigating the medical system as a Black person — something they describe as inherently difficult — but now they had to navigate the medical system as a Black, transgender person who is open about doing sex work. Nevils was constantly disappointed and frustrated by their interactions with medical professionals, even in spaces that claimed to be welcoming of nonbinary and transgender individuals. They would be asked about having engaged in sex work, respond honestly, and then be shamed for their choices. They knew they were not being offered medications and treatment that could be lifesaving. Nevils was, and remains horrified that PrEP medication, which can prevent HIV infection, was never offered to them and is typically only offered to men who have sex with men. They worried about their less educated and less outspoken friends — how would these individuals get access to the care they need?

Nevils worries that the fear of judgment by medical professionals and a generational mistrust of the healthcare system causes many Black and Brown people to go without necessary medical care. This issue is especially critical now, while the COVID-19 pandemic is killing people of color at a much higher rate than others. Nevils recalls talking with a group of friends about whether or not they would take a COVID vaccine when it is released, and everyone saying, almost in unison, “Absolutely not, remember Tuskegee?” Nevils believes that this trauma is encoded in their DNA, and regularly witnesses friends turning to each other for medical advice to avoid seeing a professional. Nevils worries about the health of the community and is desperately calling upon the medical field to do better so that individuals can comfortably seek the care they need.

Though Nevils has been an advocate for years, COVID has been a catalyst for increasing their advocacy around the physical health of their community members. It has not always been easy to talk so openly about who they are, but Nevils has grown and thrived by pushing through the discomfort, saying that “on the other side of discomfort is liberty.”

Inspired by the model created by SisTersPGH, Nevils started a program within SisTersPGH called BroThersPGH that provides support and critical resources to the transmasculine community in Pittsburgh, PA, including housing, career development, and reproductive health education. Nevils continues to lead support groups virtually, and looks forward to the time when the community can gather in person again. Nevils relishes being a support to others, and seeks to be the person that they needed while they were learning to live fully and truthfully.

Nevils is available for speaking engagements. Contact them at: [email protected]

Mataoe Aiden James Nevils speaks openly and powerfully about their own experiences in an effort to improve healthcare for others. (Photo: Courtesy of Mataoe Aiden James Nevils)

DSW Newsletter #21 (December 2020)

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020 Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020 The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially...
Read More
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to...
Read More
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020 G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in...
Read More
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020 In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking...
Read More
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

Mark Your Calendars for December 17

December 17, 2020 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers We’ve gathered a small sampling of the events taking place around the world to mark the International Day...
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for December 17
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden...
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of...
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’...
Mark Your Calendars for December 17 Mark Your Calendars for December 17

DSW Newsletter Archive

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020

The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially those who seek to prohibit prostitution. Human trafficking is a horrible human rights violation and exists in many labor sectors. Trafficking in agriculture and the hospitality industry is much more common than trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, yet much of the world’s concern is focused on “sex trafficking.” Treating adults who freely engage in sex work as victims and over-relying on criminal justice to end trafficking have led to disastrous outcomes for sex workers.

The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children was one of three Palermo protocols adopted by the United Nations to supplement the 2000 Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the Palermo Convention). Sex workers have been targeted under this protocol from its inception. With 20 years of data to consider, it is clear that the criminalization of sex work causes immeasurable harm and makes it more difficult to identify and assist actual victims of trafficking.

In “Missed opportunities and exclusion: sex workers reflect on two decades of anti-trafficking,” the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) writes: “Sex workers and their organisations continue to challenge punitive anti-trafficking policy frameworks that target their workplaces and clients, rather than traffickers. Over the last twenty years, sex workers have not only had to combat the criminalisation of sex work, but have also endured global crises such as the 2008 financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They have also been faced with the erosion of human rights, shrinking civil society spaces, and volatile political environments.”

“Prostitution prohibitionists claim that trafficking increases in times of public crisis, but the reality is that poverty, precarity, and the need to cross borders to obtain a better life are the key factors leading people to sell sex,” the ICRSE says. “The post-COVID recession will be a crucial time to determine which approach is best suited to protect those most at risk in our society. Do we want a punitive approach that denies the root factors making people vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking? Or a community-led approach, where sex workers engage with policymakers and other marginalised communities to shape the decisions that will affect their lives?”

Artwork by Carys Boughton. All rights reserved. (Photo: Open Democracy)

DSW Newsletter #21 (December 2020)

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020 Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020 The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially...
Read More
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to...
Read More
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020 G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in...
Read More
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020 In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking...
Read More
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

Mark Your Calendars for December 17

December 17, 2020 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers We’ve gathered a small sampling of the events taking place around the world to mark the International Day...
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for December 17
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden...
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of...
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’...
Mark Your Calendars for December 17 Mark Your Calendars for December 17

DSW Newsletter Archive

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020

The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to remember those whose lives were lost, the summit was filled with informational, powerful, and inspirational panels and presentations, such as the transmasculine panel "What's the T: Transmen Talk Trauma, Sex Work, and Tina" and a presentation on "Environmental Justice: Advocating for Our Environment in a Post COVID-19 World.”

Many notable individuals were in attendance, including Sen. Brad Hoylman, co-sponsor of the bill to repeal the “Walking While Trans” ban (SB 2253/AB 654). Activist and civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo presented and Samuel Nemir Olivares, a progressive activist running for State Committee, also joined the event. Jumaane Williams, the public advocate of NYC, also spoke.

Ceyenne Doroshow, founder and executive director of G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) and DSW consultant, was one of the 2020 recipients of the Marsha P. Johnson Community Leader Award. Upon acceptance, Doroshow exclaimed, “I value you. I value your push. I value your stamina. … You are all capable of building the utopia you want.”

The New York State Division of Human Rights provided a Know Your Rights presentation to attendees. (Photo: DSW)

Ceyenne Doroshow was one of the 2020 recipients of the Marsha P. Johnson Community Leader Award. (Photo: DSW)

DSW Newsletter #21 (December 2020)

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020 Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020 The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially...
Read More
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to...
Read More
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020 G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in...
Read More
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020 In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking...
Read More
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

Mark Your Calendars for December 17

December 17, 2020 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers We’ve gathered a small sampling of the events taking place around the world to mark the International Day...
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for December 17
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden...
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of...
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’...
Mark Your Calendars for December 17 Mark Your Calendars for December 17

DSW Newsletter Archive

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020

G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in NYC. The building has 11 apartments and is located in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens. Ceyenne Doroshow, founder and executive director of G.L.I.T.S., plans to have each apartment lovingly decorated by a designer. The basement will hold an educational and learning center.

“Thirty years of a dream, of doing something like this,” Doroshow said at the opening ceremony. “But not just doing it; putting us in an area, in a location where we don't have to run.”

G.L.I.T.S. addresses the stigmatization and criminalization of trans people due to laws prohibiting sex work. Doroshow is a prominent leader in the Black Trans Lives Matter movement and has been featured in national news outlets such as Vogue, GQ, and The Wall Street Journal.

Ceyenne Doroshow and DSW’s Melissa Sontag Broudo celebrate the opening of the housing complex. (Photo: Melissa Sontag Broudo)

Ceyenne Doroshow’s dream becomes reality. (Photo: CNN)

DSW Newsletter #21 (December 2020)

Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

December 8, 2020 Seeking medical care can be scary and stressful for anyone. Now imagine that you know you need medical attention but also know that you’ll confront stigma and...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils

The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

November 24, 2020 The conflation of consensual adult sex work and human trafficking remains a harmful paradigm that continues to be promoted by a number of organizations and individuals, especially...
Read More
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later

Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

November 19, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20. In addition to providing a space to...
Read More
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit

G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

November 18, 2020 G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) unveiled their brand new housing complex — the first housing program run by transgender individuals for transgender individuals in...
Read More
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind

NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

December 10, 2020 In a historic vote, the NYC Council unanimously voted to repeal Resolution 0923: Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution (LPP), commonly known as the “Walking...
Read More
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

Mark Your Calendars for December 17

December 17, 2020 – International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers We’ve gathered a small sampling of the events taking place around the world to mark the International Day...
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for December 17
Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden James Nevils Hero of the Month: Mataoe Aiden...
The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later The Palermo Protocol: 20 Years Later
Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit Transgender Day of Remembrance Summit
G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of its Kind G.L.I.T.S. Opens First Housing Complex of...
NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban NYC Council Repeals ‘Walking While Trans’...
Mark Your Calendars for December 17 Mark Your Calendars for December 17

DSW Newsletter Archive

Mark Your Calendars

November 19-20, 2020

The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST. You can register for the event here.

December 17, 2020

The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is observed annually on December 17. Stay tuned for how we will commemorate this important day. For more information on the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, click here.

(Photo: NYTAG)

DSW’s Crystal DeBoise (front row, second from the right) and Frances Steele (front row, far right) pose with fellow advocates and community members at last year’s December 17 event. (Photo: DSW, 2019)

DSW Newsletter #20 (November 2020)

Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

November 9, 2020 For a group too often overlooked and discounted in the political sphere, sex workers more than fulfilled their civic responsibility this election season. Rolling Stone magazine recently...
Read More
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

October 15, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

October 21, 2020 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a research brief entitled “Is Sex Work Decriminalization the Answer? What the Research Tells Us.” Developed in consultation with local...
Read More
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

Mark Your Calendars

November 19-20, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting...
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s...
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive

Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

November 9, 2020

For a group too often overlooked and discounted in the political sphere, sex workers more than fulfilled their civic responsibility this election season. Rolling Stone magazine recently released an article highlighting the work of dominatrixes who capitalized on their sizable and growing online influence to encourage their clients to get to the polls in 2020. Jet Setting Jasmine, a licensed psychotherapist, fetish trainer, performer, and co-creator of the adult film production company Royal Fetish Films, is one of this movement’s drivers. She has an Instagram following of 72,000, most of whom are women of color between the ages of 25 and 45.

Jasmine has long fought to amplify the voices and experiences of women of color in politics and culture. Ten years ago, along with her partner King Noire, she set out to address the lack of equitable representation in adult entertainment. The couple hosted “fantasy flight parties” to help their clients, mostly young Black women, explore their fetishes and desires and quickly noticed a trend. “There was a resounding experience, where it would start out fun, and by the end of the night, there would be these group discussions about how Black and brown people are not represented sexually well in adult entertainment,” Jasmine shared in a HuffPost interview. Additionally, women of color in the porn industry are often paid 50-75% of what white performers make. Jasmine and King now produce content to combat decades of stereotyping, tokenism, and dehumanization of people of color in porn. They also offer sex-positive parenting classes and engage performers in activism campaigns.

When sex workers assumed an increasingly public role in the political discourse leading up to the 2020 election, it’s no surprise that Jasmine was at the forefront. Along with about 20 other performers, she joined I Only Date Voters, a sex-worker-led registration campaign with Bigtent Creative in which sex workers use their influence on Instagram and OnlyFans to encourage their subscribers to vote.

Some sex workers involved in the campaign offered free or discounted content in exchange for proof of voting. Dominatrixes, in particular, are in a unique position of power in their ability to influence their clients. King Court, a financial dominatrix based in Ohio, described her motivation to join the campaign after tweeting to ask her clients to vote for Biden: “As a black woman, I would like to see a change in office … having the power I do have over different submissives, I thought it would be best to use that power to affect change.”

Sex workers are not new to political organizing for presidential races. Hookers for Hillary was a 2016 campaign spearheaded by Nevada brothel workers. The movement provided a platform for young working mothers to speak out about their priorities, including better access to healthcare and increased attention to domestic violence. This year, a group of Atlanta pole dancers shotGet Your Booty to the Polls,” a music video to inspire engagement. Cherie Deville, a famous porn performer, published ErectionSeason.com to help citizens find their state’s voting info.

Ysiad Ferreiras, the CEO of Bigtent, a digital organizing firm, said that “this collaboration is a way to embolden and legitimize [sex workers’] contributions to the political discourse.” Ferreiras told Rolling Stone: “Sex workers have already been working to get out the vote, not just this cycle, but every cycle. Yet their work and contributions have been marginalized — treated as a curiosity at best.”

This movement’s influence cannot be overlooked, particularly highlighting the resilience of sex workers, who have always harnessed their power in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. “[We] are constantly fighting for rights,” says Real Cobra Cummander, another dominatrix organizing on social media. “I describe it as we’re polar bears on ice, and the ice is shrinking. We don’t have many places to go to voice our opinions.” Instagram deleted some of the content she had posted, even though she had edited it to avoid being explicit. “Things like that make it very difficult for us to organize, and that’s why we’re constantly evolving and being creative and resourceful in new ways.”

Polls reflect that the mobilization of the Black vote was decisive in many of the battleground states this year, including Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The voices of those who make up such a critical backbone of President-elect Joe Biden's base must be heeded.

The parallel between Jasmine’s work highlighting the sexual experiences of minorities and uplifting marginalized voices in politics is unmistakable. She and King hope that by changing people’s understandings of adult entertainment, that impact will spread into other sectors. “When Black and brown people are able to represent themselves or have a primary part of the dialogue in how they’re represented, we wind up diversifying the content in so many ways,” she says. Based on the success and profitability of Royal Fetish Films, it seems to be working.

Jet Setting Jasmine is a psychotherapist, fetish trainer, and co-founder and creator of Royal Fetish Films. (Photo: @jasminejetsetting/Instagram)

Jet Setting Jasmine pictured with her life and business partner, King Noire. (Photo: Tarrice Love/HuffPost)

Dominatrix Real Cobra Cummander published a JOI (Jerk-Off Instruction) video on Pornhub to encourage her followers to vote. (Photo: Real Cobra Cummander/HuffPost)

DSW Newsletter #20 (November 2020)

Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

November 9, 2020 For a group too often overlooked and discounted in the political sphere, sex workers more than fulfilled their civic responsibility this election season. Rolling Stone magazine recently...
Read More
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

October 15, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

October 21, 2020 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a research brief entitled “Is Sex Work Decriminalization the Answer? What the Research Tells Us.” Developed in consultation with local...
Read More
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

Mark Your Calendars

November 19-20, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting...
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s...
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive

ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

October 21, 2020

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a research brief entitled “Is Sex Work Decriminalization the Answer? What the Research Tells Us.” Developed in consultation with local advocates and sex-worker-rights affiliates, the report reviews existing evidence on the impact of sex work decriminalization and criminalization, and what this data tells us about the development of public policy. Growing evidence points to the potential benefits of full decriminalization.

The ACLU has advocated for the decriminalization of sex work for more than 40 years. The organization bases its position on the empirical health and safety outcomes of decriminalization, as well as qualitative evidence from the experiences of sex workers themselves. As the issue grows in national and local recognition, this research brief is intended to consolidate conclusive findings on the impact of different legislative models. The report ultimately finds that “research points to negative impacts of criminalization on the physical safety, health, and financial well-being of sex workers.” These indicators are amplified when looking at the impact of criminalization on marginalized communities such as lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender/gender-nonconforming individuals, people of color, immigrants, and those without adequate financial resources.

We hope that policymakers will heed the ACLU’s expert recommendations: fully decriminalizing consensual adult sex work, limiting police presence within the sex work community and ensuring consequences and accountability for those who physically and sexually abuse sex workers, repealing laws and policies that prevent sex workers from safely screening their clients online, and removing barriers to HIV prevention and other healthcare. We cannot overstate the implications of this report for the holistic safety of our communities. Sex worker rights are human rights.

(Photo: ACLU)

The ACLU has long been one of the nation’s leading advocates for the full decriminalization of sex work. (Photos: @aclu_nationwide/Instagram)

DSW Newsletter #20 (November 2020)

Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

November 9, 2020 For a group too often overlooked and discounted in the political sphere, sex workers more than fulfilled their civic responsibility this election season. Rolling Stone magazine recently...
Read More
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

October 15, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

October 21, 2020 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a research brief entitled “Is Sex Work Decriminalization the Answer? What the Research Tells Us.” Developed in consultation with local...
Read More
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

Mark Your Calendars

November 19-20, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting...
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s...
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive

DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications

October 15, 2020

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 seven years, Ariela has worked at Americans for Immigrant Justice as the director of community relations. Americans for Immigrant Justice is a nonprofit law firm based in Miami, dedicated to protecting the human and legal rights of immigrants through a combination of direct service, advocacy, and impact litigation. As director of community relations, she managed all of the organization’s development- and communications-related activities.

Ariela has a long history of working with marginalized groups and “a particular interest in working to promote access to justice for those who might otherwise be denied it.” She has previously worked as an advocate at domestic violence shelters and at an organization providing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing to unhoused women and children. Ariela currently lives in Miami, FL, with her son.

Ariela Moscowitz

Ariela Moscowitz will be DSW’s director of communications. (Photo: Courtesy of Ariela Moscowitz, 2020)

DSW Newsletter #19 (October 2020)

Hero of the Month: Henri Tolbert of The Ishtar Collective

October 14, 2020 DSW’s sex worker Hero of the Month is Henri Tolbert, co-founder and co-director of The Ishtar Collective (TIC), the first Vermont-based anti-trafficking and sex worker rights organization....
Read More
Hero of the Month: Henri Tolbert of The Ishtar Collective

‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns

October 5, 2020 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...
Read More
‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns

DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications

October 15, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications

DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National Trans Visibility March

October 2, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National Trans Visibility March

DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT

September 22, 2020 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,...
Read More
DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT
Hero of the Month: Henri Tolbert of The Ishtar Collective Hero of the Month: Henri Tolbert...
‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns ‘The Oldest Profession’ Podcast Returns
DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications DSW Welcomes New Director of Communications
DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National Trans Visibility March DSW’s Melissa Broudo Honored by National...
DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT DSW Co-Hosts Anti-Trafficking Event in VT

DSW Newsletter Archive

DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

October 15, 2020

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 when sexual freedom is fully recognized as a fundamental human right.” This year, the summit took place online, bringing attendees together virtually to explore the intersection of sexual and human rights, identify policy goals, and craft strategies moving forward. The panel contextualized the path toward decriminalization within the pandemic and a national focus on Black Lives Matter and racial justice.

Broudo and Brantly were joined by Monica Jones, a transgender and sex-worker-rights advocate and leader whose activism has shed light on the profiling of trans women of color by law enforcement across the country. The panelists highlighted the unprecedented political context that we are now operating within, and what this means for decriminalization advocacy. Broudo gave an overview of the national initiatives to support the health, safety, and human rights of sex workers. She noted that for the first time politicians are paying attention to decriminalization across the U.S.

Brantly discussed specific legislation being proposed in New England resulting from collaborations between harm-reduction organizations and sex-worker-rights advocates. The bills include the repeal of Loitering for the Purpose of Engaging in a Prostitution Offense (S.2253/A.654), also referred to as the Walking While Trans ban in NY, to combat racist and transphobic stereotyping by law enforcement; the expansion of vacatur laws protecting survivors of human trafficking; immunity from arrest for witnesses and victims of crime who are participating in sex work; and legislation to ensure that all people, regardless of profession, have access to safe healthcare.

Jones talked about her impressive work in Arizona and compared U.S. policies to places like New South Wales, Australia, and New Zealand, where sex work is decriminalized. She highlighted the incredible strides these countries have made in terms of safety and health outcomes, combating trafficking, and aiding collaboration between sex workers and law enforcement.

DSW looks forward to continuing to collaborate with WFF and others to combat the criminalization and stigmatization of sex workers and related communities. You can watch the full panel on WFF’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

(Photo: Woodhull Freedom Foundation)

Left to right, from top: Monica Jones, J. Leigh Brantly, Melissa Broudo, and a sign language interpreter presented at the Sexual Freedom Summit via Zoom. (Photo: DSW)

DSW’s J. Leigh Brantly holds up a sign reading “Sex Work is Essential Work” as the panel comes to a close. (Photo: DSW)

DSW Newsletter #20 (November 2020)

Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

November 9, 2020 For a group too often overlooked and discounted in the political sphere, sex workers more than fulfilled their civic responsibility this election season. Rolling Stone magazine recently...
Read More
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote

DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

October 15, 2020 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...
Read More
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit

ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

October 21, 2020 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a research brief entitled “Is Sex Work Decriminalization the Answer? What the Research Tells Us.” Developed in consultation with local...
Read More
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization

Mark Your Calendars

November 19-20, 2020 The New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Summit on November 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting Jasmine and Other Sex Workers Get Out the Vote Hero(es) of the Month: Jet Setting...
DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s Sexual Freedom Summit DSW Featured at Woodhull Freedom Foundation’s...
ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization ACLU Research Brief Points to Decriminalization
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive