Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked With Intersectional Pride Series

June 1, 2021

Each of the panels presented as part of Tulsa 100: Remember, Activate, Heal was impactful, educational, and transformative. If you missed them or want to rewatch them, they are available at the links below. J. Leigh Brantly-Oshiro, DSW’s research and project manager, conceived of the Intersectional Pride Series. Along with NY-based, national, and Tulsa-based organizations, they brought together individuals with a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to participate in the three-day event.

June 1: The Legacy of Black Art in Oklahoma | WATCH NOW

A virtual panel discussion featuring “Transcend” artists Nathan Lee, Brenna King-Sabbi, Suzanne Thomas, and Skip Hill, and moderated by “Tulsa 1921” filmmaker Marlon Ladd about the legacy of Black art in Oklahoma. Introduction by “Transcend” filmmaker J. Leigh Oshiro-Brantly, Consultant for New York Transgender Advocacy Group and Research and Project Manager for Decriminalize Sex Work.

June 2: Sex Work Decriminalization and Incarceration in Oklahoma | WATCH NOW

Live-streamed panel celebrating International Sex Workers’ Day co-presented by Decriminalize Sex Work and moderated by sex worker advocate and Decriminalize Sex Work Legal Director Melissa Broudo, featuring filmmaker and former police officer, Marlon Ladd, sex worker and advocate Mistress Mia Darque, former Tulsa DA and former public defender Chase Overstreet, and Still She Rises criminal defender Janay Clougherty discussing the current state of sex work decriminalization and incarceration in Oklahoma.

June 3: “Healing With Pride” | WATCH NOW

Virtual panel co-presented with Oklahomans for Equality, moderated by healing justice facilitator and LGBTQ+ ally, Quraysh Ali Lansana, featuring LGBTQ+ advocate and board advisor for Oklahomans for Equality, Dani Byrd, licensed therapist and co-chair of the Central Oklahoma Two-Spirit Society, Kelley Blair, Latinx Outreach and Library Services Coordinator at Oklahomans for Equality, Donovid Sekulits, and other Oklahoma-based LGBTQIA2S+ leaders discussing the ways the LGBTQIA2S+ community finds healing and resilience within our community.

Learn more about the significance of the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the history of Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Oklahoma.

Watch a Virtual Film Screening

Tulsa 1921, directed by Marlon Ladd

These films were discussed during the June 1 panel, “The Legacy of Black Art in Oklahoma.”

Presented in collaboration with:

The CODE Foundation
Inclusion in Art
Living Arts of Tulsa
New York Transgender Advocacy Group
OSU Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation
Diversity Center of Oklahoma
Still, She Rises Tulsa
Oklahomans for Equality

Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked With Intersectional Pride Series

Courtesy of New York Trangender Advocacy Group.

DSW Newsletter #27 (June 2021)

Hero of the Month: Elisa Crespo

June 13, 2021 Elisa Crespo is fighting for a world where all people feel “included, safe, seen, and heard.” Right now, she is focusing on the rights and dignity of...
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Hero of the Month: Elisa Crespo

DSW Staff Featured in Documentary on Decriminalization

June 17, 2021 DSW’s J. Leigh Oshiro-Brantly, Melissa Broudo and Ceyenne Doroshow are featured in “Sex Work is Work,” a powerful short-film that explores the push for the decriminalization of...
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DSW Staff Featured in Documentary on Decriminalization

Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked With Intersectional Pride Series

June 1, 2021 Each of the panels presented as part of Tulsa 100: Remember, Activate, Heal was impactful, educational, and transformative. If you missed them or want to rewatch them,...
Read More
Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked With Intersectional Pride Series

DSW’s Ceyenne Doroshow Is Grand Marshal of NYC Pride

June 27, 2021 The New York City Pride Parade, one of the most famous celebrations of Pride Month and historically the largest parade in the world, canceled its in-person festivities...
Read More
DSW’s Ceyenne Doroshow Is Grand Marshal of NYC Pride

The Charge of Soliciting Prostitution

In this comprehensive guide to the charge of soliciting prostitution, DSW answers the most frequently asked questions about solicitation and other prostitution laws. Is soliciting prostitution defined differently in every...
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The Charge of Soliciting Prostitution
Hero of the Month: Elisa Crespo Hero of the Month: Elisa Crespo
DSW Staff Featured in Documentary on Decriminalization DSW Staff Featured in Documentary on...
Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked With Intersectional Pride Series Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Is Marked...
DSW’s Ceyenne Doroshow Is Grand Marshal of NYC Pride DSW’s Ceyenne Doroshow Is Grand Marshal...
The Charge of Soliciting Prostitution The Charge of Soliciting Prostitution

DSW Newsletter Archive

What It Is Like to Be a Sex Worker | The Common Reader

DSW’s Frances Steele is quoted:

“Even well-intended laws can get in the way. Frances Steele, a Wash.U. alum who is now a project coordinator for Decriminalize Sex Work, points out that in many states, possession of a condom counts as evidence in a prostitution charge — a serious disincentive for safe sex. When sex workers band together for safety’s sake, with one person managing or driving them to appointments, that person can be arrested for human trafficking. A 2019 study showed that online sex work sites had decreased the female homicide rate by seventeen percent, but now those sites have been censored, making it impossible to screen clients or compare notes with other sex workers online. Shutting down Craig’s List to thwart the trafficking of minors was a popular political move, Steele says, but ‘there was coded language online that law enforcement could tap into, and now they’ve actually lost a lot of leads.’“

The Common Reader
DSW

Mark Your Calendars

June 1-3, 2021

New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) and many other advocacy partners from across the country are gathering in Tulsa, OK, for Tulsa 100, An Intersectional Pride Series. DSW and NYTAG’s J. Leigh Oshiro-Brantly conceived of the event on their journey to “REMEMBER, ACTIVATE, and HEAL.” Join the myriad different events taking place over the three days in person in Tulsa or virtually from anywhere in the world!

What: Three days of in-person and virtual events will honor the memory and legacy of Black Wall Street and Oklahoma's BIPOC LGBTQIA+ and Art Communities. Taking place over the first week of Pride Month 2021 and the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, as well as International Whore’s Day, the events will include streamed conversations with Oklahoma Black artists, advocates in criminal legal reform, leaders in the BIPOC community, trans, queer, and sex work community, and will feature healing and art therapy for BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and Tulsa residents.

When: June 1-3, 2021

Where: Living Arts of Tulsa Gallery, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK and live on Zoom.

Register here: www.bit.ly/nytagtulsa100

Among the important discussions taking place is “Sex Work Decriminalization and Incarceration in Oklahoma,” moderated by Melissa Broudo, DSW’s legal director. The panelists include Marlon Ladd (Langston University professor, Black filmmaker, former Oklahoma VICE police officer), Chase Overstreet (former Tulsa assistant DA and former public defender), Mistress Mia Darque (black queer sex worker/‍advocate), and Janay Clougherty (criminal defender from Still She Rises, Tulsa).

Mark Your Calendars

Courtesy of NYTAG.

DSW Newsletter #26 (May 2021)

Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

May 15, 2021 A relentless activist for justice, truth, marginalized groups, and simple human decency, Norma Jean Almodovar is a force of nature. With incredible courage, grace, and a great...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

NY Senate Passes the START Act

May 24, 2021 The New York State Senate passed the Survivors of Trafficking Attaining Relief Together (START) Act (S.674/‍A.459), which would provide greater protections for survivors of human trafficking by allowing them...
Read More
NY Senate Passes the START Act

DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

April 28, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted their annual advocacy day on April 28. The full day of programming included appearances from elected officials, a conversation with former...
Read More
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

Remembering Margo St. James

May 1, 2021 DSW was thrilled to sponsor the online international memorial for legendary sex worker rights activist, Margo St. James. In addition to sponsoring the event, DSW’s Melissa Broudo...
Read More
Remembering Margo St. James

Mark Your Calendars

June 1-3, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) and many other advocacy partners from across the country are gathering in Tulsa, OK, for Tulsa 100, An Intersectional Pride Series....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar Hero of the Month: Norma Jean...
NY Senate Passes the START Act NY Senate Passes the START Act
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise DSW Staff Share Their Expertise
Remembering Margo St. James Remembering Margo St. James
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive

NY Senate Passes the START Act

May 24, 2021

The New York State Senate passed the Survivors of Trafficking Attaining Relief Together (START) Act (S.674/‍A.459), which would provide greater protections for survivors of human trafficking by allowing them to clear convictions related to their exploitation, known as vacatur. Currently, survivors of trafficking can only petition the court to clear convictions for prostitution but not other offenses their traffickers forced them to commit. The START Act now awaits the Governor’s signature. It had previously passed the New York State Assembly five times.

The START Act is vital legislation as a criminal record imposes life-long, detrimental effects, including limiting access to employment and educational opportunities, financial resources, and housing. A criminal record can also result in severe immigration consequences, including the threat of deportation and the inability to adjust immigration status or become a citizen. Over 100 organizations, including groups that advocate for racial justice, gender justice, immigation justice, survivors of violence, and LGBTQ+ rights, signed a letter of support for the START Act.

Decriminalize Sex Work is one of nearly twenty anti-trafficking organizations that comprise the START Coalition, a group of attorneys, social workers, and advocates who work directly with and on behalf of criminalized survivors of human trafficking. The Coalition, which is part of the New York Anti-Trafficking Network (NYATN), worked tirelessly for over five years to make the START Act law.

“This expansion is a true win for survivors, who should not be burdened with lifelong criminal records due to crimes they were forced to commit at the hands of their traffickers,” said DSW’s legal director, Melissa Broudo. Broudo filed and won the nation’s first ever vacatur motion in NY in 2010 and has since advised attorneys and legislators throughout the state and nation on vacatur.

NY Senate Passes the START Act

Courtesy of the START Coalition.

DSW Newsletter #26 (May 2021)

Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

May 15, 2021 A relentless activist for justice, truth, marginalized groups, and simple human decency, Norma Jean Almodovar is a force of nature. With incredible courage, grace, and a great...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

NY Senate Passes the START Act

May 24, 2021 The New York State Senate passed the Survivors of Trafficking Attaining Relief Together (START) Act (S.674/‍A.459), which would provide greater protections for survivors of human trafficking by allowing them...
Read More
NY Senate Passes the START Act

DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

April 28, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted their annual advocacy day on April 28. The full day of programming included appearances from elected officials, a conversation with former...
Read More
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

Remembering Margo St. James

May 1, 2021 DSW was thrilled to sponsor the online international memorial for legendary sex worker rights activist, Margo St. James. In addition to sponsoring the event, DSW’s Melissa Broudo...
Read More
Remembering Margo St. James

Mark Your Calendars

June 1-3, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) and many other advocacy partners from across the country are gathering in Tulsa, OK, for Tulsa 100, An Intersectional Pride Series....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
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Remembering Margo St. James Remembering Margo St. James
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DSW Newsletter Archive

Vermont Governor Approves Law Combating Crime & Exploitation

NEWS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Ariela Moscowitz, director of communications
[email protected] |
(212) 368-7874

Vermont Governor Approves Law Combating Crime & Exploitation

Montpelier, VT (May 17, 2021) — Today Governor Phil Scott approved legislation that will provide limited criminal immunity to people who report a crime committed against them, or which they witnessed, while voluntarily involved in sex work or while a victim of human trafficking.

Sex workers and advocates for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence testified in support of H.18, an act relating to sexual exploitation of children and limited immunity from liability for a person reporting a crime, commonly referred to as a “Good Samaritan Law.” The bill was sponsored by Republican Rep. Tom Burditt and Democratic Rep. Maxine Grad. The provision on limited criminal immunity was added to the bill as an amendment without controversy and with minimal debate.

“As insiders of the sex industry, we are often the first line of defense against trafficking. … We can spot signs of exploitation or coercion that are subtle and easy to miss, but we cannot report that or intervene safely in a criminalized or fear-based stigmatized environment,” noted J. Leigh Oshiro-Brantly, research and project manager at Decriminalize Sex Work.

“Passing this bill means that a pimp or an abuser could no longer threaten arrest to exploit a sex worker or survivor of trafficking, which is a common tactic of exploitation,” said Henri Bynx, co-founder and co-director of The Ishtar Collective, a Vermont-based nonprofit organization serving sex workers, survivors of violence, and trafficking. They continued saying, “It shows lawmakers care about us, as people. They are taking action to protect our safety by giving us equal protection under the law.”

H.18 is critical to protecting the human rights, health, and safety of all Vermonters. Kelly Arbor, Testing and Education Manager at Vermont CARES, says, “If I’m in a dangerous situation, I need all the tools in my tool belt … if I need to call the police … if I need that tool, I should have the right to make that call. And until we [had] a Good Samaritan Law, sex workers [didn’t] have that right.”

### 

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual adult prostitution in the United States. DSW works with local organizations, advocates, and lobbyists to build community support and convince legislators to stop prostitution-related arrests. Evidence shows that decriminalizing sex work will help end human trafficking, improve public health, and promote community safety.

Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

May 15, 2021

A relentless activist for justice, truth, marginalized groups, and simple human decency, Norma Jean Almodovar is a force of nature. With incredible courage, grace, and a great sense of humor (she made Joan Rivers laugh hysterically), Almodovar has changed laws and the public perception of sex workers — both critical in reducing exploitation in the sex industry and improving the health and safety of sex workers. Almodovar’s website, where she compiles extensive research and analysis of arrests and police corruption, is called simply, PoliceProstitutionandPolitics. Until you know her story, it might be hard to imagine that any single person could be a traffic officer, a prostitute, and a politician, but Almodovar was all three. The title of her book, “Cop to Call Girl,” also sounds more likely to be fiction than fact, but Almodovar was a cop and a call girl and has based her advocacy on one simple premise — give people the facts.

“Don’t take my word for it,” says Almodovar. “Look at the numbers.” Almodovar launched “Operation Do The Math” in 2012 and has continued to release a new report on the government’s arrest data each year since. Her meticulous analysis continues to show that abolitionist and prohibitionists feminists greatly overestimate the numbers of minors and others coerced into the sex trade to the detriment of sex workers and victims of crimes. Almodovar, along with others working to improve the rights of sex workers and to decrease the rate of exploitation and trafficking in the sex industry, knows that the way to do this is to decriminalize sex work — and the proof is in the numbers. Almodovar is outraged by the “patronizing” views of abolitionists, who assume that sex work is inherently exploitative and that sex workers can’t “think for themselves.” Aside from this assumption being incorrect, it does nothing to reduce exploitation and increase safety for sex workers.

Operation Do The Math is only the most recent iteration of Almodovar’s fierce pursuit for justice and truth. In 1982, after ten years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Almodovar decided to become a call girl. She “wanted to make a social statement about the moral hypocrisy of our society — a society which seemed completely untroubled by the police corruption that permeated the LAPD, and yet demanded that law enforcement spend a significant portion of its resources to set-up and arrest women whose sole ‘crime’ was to accept money from men for acts of sex in which they could otherwise legally engage, even with thousands of men - provided the sex was free. The arrest and subsequent incarceration would brand them forever as a prostitute and destroy their lives — all in the name of protecting them from exploitation.” During this time, Almodovar continued to work on her book, “Cop to Call Girl,” an act of free speech that jeopardized her freedom and nearly her life.

For exposing the corruption she witnessed while on the LAPD, Almodovar was arrested for “pandering” after a former LAPD colleague expressed a fantasy of being a call girl as well to her. She testified that she said she set up Almodovar in an attempt to stop her book from being published. Almodovar had never been arrested before. To this day, in California, pandering still carries a minimum three to six-year prison sentence. Ira Reiner, the Los Angeles District Attorney at the time of Almodovar’s arrest said what she did, which did not result in harm to any individual was "worse than rape or robbery" and even more shocking that she had compounded her "crime" by writing a book which would cause "disrespect for law and order." Almodovar feared for her safety while incarcerated and again once she was released. She felt that the only way to protect herself was to be as public and vocal as possible and so that is exactly what she did.

Almodovar appeared on numerous national television shows, including Oprah and 60 Minutes, filmed during her eighteen months in jail, no doubt influencing public perception of sex workers and prostitutes. As she says, activism runs in her blood. In addition to the work she has done to expose corruption, Almodovar has had tremendous success in her formal advocacy for sex workers’ rights. After becoming close with Margo St. James, Almodovar revived the LA Chapter of Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics (C.O.Y.O.T.E.), which she continues to lead. In 1995, she traveled to the UN Fourth World Women's Conference in Beijing as a representative of C.O.Y.O.T.E and an official delegate of the US.

At the conference, Almodovar, along with colleagues from Thailand, Australia, Malaysia and England fought to add a single word to the Platform for Action. Almodovar points out that, “Every ten or so years, this document-which sets the course for legislation adopted in UN member countries- must be thoroughly discussed, every word in the document debated and finally accepted for the member nations' delegates to ratify.” Despite going up against well-funded opponents who had been afforded much more time to organize, Almodovar and her peers successfully made the change. Almodovar says, “the original text read, ‘… all prostitution and pornography are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person and must be eliminated.’ The final text in the same paragraph which was ratified by the UN delegates now reads, ‘… all FORCED prostitution and pornography. … ’ The new meaning … makes a world of difference for prostitutes around the world who have chosen their work and refuse to be bullied into believing they are ‘victims’ because they engage in sex work.”

That incredible achievement was almost thirty years ago and Almodovar hasn’t stopped advocating since. She remains a constant in the movement for sex workers’ rights and dignity. She celebrated her seventieth birthday this month and has no plans to slow down. She remains encouraged by younger activists and how far the movement for sex workers’ rights has come. Almodovar has never once regretted or felt ashamed by any of her decisions. She proudly wears the label “whore” and wishes that more people knew that before modern times, whores were revered and beloved for their unique ability to comfort and care for others.

Almodovar continues to research, advocate, appear publicly, and to lead the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education (ISWFACE), which she launched in 1997. Through ISWFACE, Almodovar continues to make her research available to anyone interested in joining the movement. ISWFACE is completely volunteer led. Since COVID began, it has been just Almodovar along with her computers, printers, and servers working to ensure the public has access to the critical information she collects. Please visit ISWFACE to learn more and support Norma Jean’s incredible work.

Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

Norma Jean Almodovar on the cover of her book. Courtesy of Norma Jean Almodovar.

DSW Newsletter #26 (May 2021)

Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

May 15, 2021 A relentless activist for justice, truth, marginalized groups, and simple human decency, Norma Jean Almodovar is a force of nature. With incredible courage, grace, and a great...
Read More
Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar

NY Senate Passes the START Act

May 24, 2021 The New York State Senate passed the Survivors of Trafficking Attaining Relief Together (START) Act (S.674/‍A.459), which would provide greater protections for survivors of human trafficking by allowing them...
Read More
NY Senate Passes the START Act

DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

April 28, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) hosted their annual advocacy day on April 28. The full day of programming included appearances from elected officials, a conversation with former...
Read More
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise

Remembering Margo St. James

May 1, 2021 DSW was thrilled to sponsor the online international memorial for legendary sex worker rights activist, Margo St. James. In addition to sponsoring the event, DSW’s Melissa Broudo...
Read More
Remembering Margo St. James

Mark Your Calendars

June 1-3, 2021 New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) and many other advocacy partners from across the country are gathering in Tulsa, OK, for Tulsa 100, An Intersectional Pride Series....
Read More
Mark Your Calendars
Hero of the Month: Norma Jean Almodovar Hero of the Month: Norma Jean...
NY Senate Passes the START Act NY Senate Passes the START Act
DSW Staff Share Their Expertise DSW Staff Share Their Expertise
Remembering Margo St. James Remembering Margo St. James
Mark Your Calendars Mark Your Calendars

DSW Newsletter Archive