Category: DSW Newsletters

Following years of advocacy and organizing, Strippers Are Workers, based in Washington, is celebrating a major victory. SB6105, known as the Stripper’s Bill of Rights, was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee. The bill provides the most comprehensive statewide protections in the country. Previously the state with the most stringent restrictions, including a complete ban on alcohol sales in clubs, will become the most progressive in terms of ensuring the health and safety of dancers and patrons.

“Strippers are workers, and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force,” bill sponsor Sen. Rebecca Saldaña of Seattle, said in a news release. “If they are employed at a legal establishment in Washington, they deserve the safeguards that every worker is entitled to, including protection from exploitation, trafficking, and abuse.”

The Stripper Bill of Rights will:
• Allow clubs to sell alcohol
• Eliminate back rent practices (indebting dancers to clubs)
• Regulate high dancer house fees
• Mandate training for club employees
• Require clubs to hire adequate security staff
• Require panic buttons
• Provide anti-discrimination protections
• Limit fees clubs can charge dancers

Strippers around the country, including in New York and California, have organized to fight for their rights and fair labor practices. Despite their advocacy, Illinois is the only other state that has enacted protections for workers in adult entertainment.

Listen to a piece from NPR’s All Things Considered on the bill here. DSW Communications Director Ariela Moscowitz provided background and commentary.

It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Cecilia Gentili, a beloved transgender actress, author, activist, and icon who passed away at the age of 52 on February 6, 2024. Cecilia, an asylum seeker from Argentina, dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of those often marginalized and overlooked, including undocumented immigrants, sex workers, people living with HIV, and the LGBTQ+ community. In her passing, she leaves behind a legacy of resilience, activism, and unapologetic self-expression.

Cecilia was born in Argentina on January 31, 1972. Due to her lived experiences, she joked that she had a master’s degree in being an immigrant, a sex worker, a trans woman and an addict. Much of her early life was fraught with hardship, adversity, and trauma. As a child, she was sexually abused by a neighbor. When she emigrated from Argentina to the United States, the only work she could find as an undocumented, trans woman was sex work. Due to the criminalization of prostitution in the United States, she was arrested. Even though she was a trans woman, she was frequently placed with male inmates while she was incarcerated and suffered sexual and physical violence. Her early years in the United States were defined by drug addiction, exploitation, and incarceration. Yet, through sheer determination and resilience, she persevered, emerging as a beacon of hope for countless individuals facing similar challenges.

Cecilia’s activism was effective and far-reaching. She worked at The LGBT Center, the NYC Anti-Violence Project, and the Apicha Community Health Center in New York, and then she became the Director of Policy at the GHMC in 2016, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention. Cecilia was a legislative powerhouse, playing a critical role in enacting life-saving legislation in New York. During her time at GHMC, she championed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) which was eventually signed into law in 2019. GENDA added gender identity and gender expression as protected classes under New York’s human rights and hate crime laws. Cecilia was also a founding member of Decrim NY, a coalition working to decriminalize, decarcerate, and destigmatize the sex trade in New York. With her help, Decrim NY successfully repealed the “Walking While Trans Ban” in New York, a loitering law that disproportionately targeted trans women and women of color in prostitution arrests. In 2018, she founded her own company, Trans Equity Consulting, that sought to center and uplift trans women of color, immigrants, sex workers, and incarcerated people.

But Cecilia's impact extended far beyond the confines of traditional advocacy. She was a storyteller, a performer, and a source of inspiration for all who had the privilege of knowing her and bearing witness to her art. Through her one-woman, off-Broadway shows, her acclaimed book Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist, and her breakthrough performance in the groundbreaking FX drama Pose, Cecilia challenged stereotypes, shattered stigma, and paved the way for greater visibility and acceptance for transgender individuals and sex workers alike.

Even in the midst of her remarkable achievements, Cecilia remained humble, grounded, and fiercely devoted to her community. She was a mentor, a friend, and a mother figure to many, offering support, guidance, and unconditional love to all who crossed her path. Her compassion, even more than her indomitable presence, is what the people closest to her will remember her by.

Though Cecilia's life was celebrated by many, her funeral stirred controversy within the Catholic Church, highlighting the ongoing struggle for acceptance and inclusion. Despite being a beloved figure within the LGBTQ+ community, Cecilia’s funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was met with condemnation from church officials, who labeled the proceedings as “scandalous” and “sacrilegious.” This response reflects a broader disconnect between institutionalized religion and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, underscoring the need for greater understanding and acceptance within religious communities.

In the face of such criticism, it is important to remember Cecilia’s unwavering commitment to justice and equality. She lived her life with courage, authenticity, and compassion, challenging societal norms and advocating for the rights of those often marginalized and overlooked. While her funeral may have sparked controversy, Cecilia’s legacy will endure as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations to come.

As we remember Cecilia Gentili, let us honor her legacy by continuing the fight for justice, liberation, and the acceptance of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or background. Cecilia’s spirit will live on through the lives she touched and the movements she led. May she rest in power, forever remembered for her strength, resilience, and compassion.

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) gathered elected officials, advocates, sex worker rights activists, and survivors of trafficking to urge the New York State Legislature to pass S1966 (Sepulveda) / A7471 (Kelles), an act to amend the penal law in relation to individuals engaged in prostitution who are victims of or witnesses to a crime. S1966 / A7471 (Kelles) is common-sense legislation that would encourage sex workers and trafficking survivors who are crime victims and witnesses to report their experience to law enforcement, receive medical care, and seek help. People involved in commercial sexual activity, whether by choice or because they are being trafficked, are often targeted by predators who know they are unlikely to report victimization or seek medical attention for fear of their own arrest. When abusers are not reported to law enforcement, they are able to continue their acts of violence and exploitation with impunity. Similar legislation has recently passed in a number of states around the country.

The group of advocates included representatives from a variety of organizations from across New York State, including ECLI-VIBES, Equality NY, the Caribbean Equality Project, the Ali Forney Center, and the Free to Be Youth Project, among others. Advocates met with 25 legislators throughout the course of the day to share their stories and educate them on this critical policy. In the weeks since, the bill has gained four co-sponsors in the Senate and nine co-sponsors in the Assembly!