Senators Merkley and Sasse Introduce Bill That Infringes on Privacy Rights

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Senators Merkley and Sasse Introduce Bill That Infringes on Privacy Rights

NEW YORK (Dec. 24, 2020) — U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) introduced the Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act (SISEA) last week. They claim that the bill’s purpose is to protect children, who cannot consent, and adults who have not consented to the sharing of pornographic images of them online. However, forty-six states and Washington, D.C. have anti-revenge porn laws in place and federal law prohibits the production, distribution, importation, reception, or possession of any image of child pornography. This bill is unnecessary and infringes on the rights and income of adults who engage in sex work consensually.

SISEA is like other misguided initiatives such as the EARN IT ACT and SESTA/FOSTA. Proponents of these laws argue that they combat human trafficking, although the laws, as written, fail to punish traffickers. Instead, they undercut the most crucial statute protecting freedom of speech on the internet (Communications Decency Act 230) and endanger the safety, health, and human rights of consensual sex workers and trafficking victims. Far from being a tool to combat sexual exploitation, SESTA/FOSTA ultimately forced websites to close, endangering sex workers and leading to their increased exploitation and financial desperation.

A recent barrage of anti-sex policies, including Instagram’s changes to its terms of service, threatens free speech and harms sex workers. Decriminalize Sex Work’s legal director Melissa Broudo explained, “There is a clear, consistent, and targeted attack on sex workers online under the guise of protecting women and ensuring safety; ironically, all of these measures will ultimately harm those who are the most marginalized. They all fail to target actual trafficking, but instead seek to censor and obstruct people’s ability to work independently and safely.”

Merkley and Sasse claim that this bill is about privacy, but it requires individuals to volunteer sensitive information. The bill calls for people who do not want their pornographic content posted online to enter identifying information into a database. Though the bill mentions that identifying information would be protected, it requires platforms that host pornographic content to cross check their information against the database, with no practical guidance on how to do this without breaching confidentiality. The consequences for an individual whose name is made public and associated with this database could be disastrous. Similarly, individuals who upload videos must trust that online platforms will protect their information.

The bill would create an impossible burden for most platforms. Smaller platforms, especially, will either shut down or ban all pornographic content completely, leaving sex workers who rely on these sites without income. SISEA was introduced as Congress announced Americans would receive $600.00, if they receive anything at all, which many argue does nothing to ease the financial devastation caused by COVID-19. This bill adds injury to insult for the most marginalized workers.

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Decriminalize Sex Work is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual adult prostitution in the United States. We work 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.

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 to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Each year on December 17, sex workers, advocates, and allies call attention to the violence committed against sex workers and the critical need to remove the social stigma, discrimination, and criminalization that perpetuate this violence. We hope you’ll join a gathering to show your commitment to improving health and safety, and ending violence in all forms against sex workers.

SWOP Behind Bars posted: “Join us for a community hosted event from 9 am to midnight [EST] on Thursday, December 17. Drop-in anytime using the zoom link. Names will be read at the beginning of each hour. We have an amazing group of hosts and we can’t wait to see you there!” Join the Zoom meeting here.

♦ Join the New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) and DSW for a community conversation with an incredible panel of sex-worker-rights advocates: Ceyenne Doroshow of Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society (G.L.I.T.S.), J. Leigh Brantly of NYTAG and DSW, Black queer transmasculine advocate Mataoe Aiden James Nevils, and moderator Frances Steele of DSW. The discussion will take place on December 17 from 4 to 5 pm EST via Zoom. Register for the panel and other upcoming NYTAG events here.

SWOP Brooklyn says: “Join us for a Night of Remembrance and a virtual celebration as we launch our Patreon!” All proceeds from the event will fund their weekly street outreach program and mutual aid fund. Tickets available here.

Black Sex Workers of Colorado posted: “We would like to remind CO SWs and allies to save the date for the evening of Thursday, Dec 17th for our virtual IDEVASW event! Final time and performers [TBD]. This event will be donation based for allies and there will be no donation required for SWs. To reserve your spot, SWs please email [email protected] and allies please email us your proof of donation via: Cashapp $rmswc303, gofundme.com/f/b62ay-rmswc-outreach-expansion, or by contributing items through the street outreach wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/612VJ9819JJR/?ref_=lol_ov_le.” Follow blacksexworkersco on Instagram for more information.

(Photo: NYTAG)

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...
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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...
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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

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Read More
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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...
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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...
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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