Sex Workers Pride 2024

Sex Worker Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and share stories of sex worker empowerment and the achievements of the sex worker rights movement. Sex Worker Pride extends to all those marginalized by criminalization, discrimination, and stigma in the sex worker movement and celebrates the diversity within our community.

NSWP members celebrated Sex Worker Pride 2024 on September 14 with physical events, digital events, and sharing achievements through social media and online networking.

Africa

African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) used the run-up to Sex Worker Pride to call for the decriminalization of sex work. On Twitter/X they said: “Let us unite in calling for the 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐟𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 across Africa, and fight for the rights, dignity and safety of all sex workers.”

In Nigeria, the Nigeria Sex Workers Association – Precious Jewels issued a statement:

“The most important things that happened among sex workers in Nigeria is the maternal health program that was supported by Global Health Promise. It helped sex workers who were pregnant to be able to give birth in the hospital, and provided food for the pre- and post-natal women.”

In Morocco, the NGO TALAY’AN issued a statement highlighting oppression in all its forms:

“Today, on Sex Worker Pride Day, we, Talayan, a trans-led organization, stand in solidarity as sex workers committed to justice and liberation for all oppressed communities. We are sex workers and we stand against all forms of violence, including the ongoing genocide and extermination of our people, from trans and LGBT+ communities to sex workers and beyond. We fight for the end of all systems that thrive on our marginalization, exploitation, and death. We cannot remain silent when we witness the violent occupation of Palestine. We unequivocally oppose Zionism in all its forms. The same systems of oppression that criminalize and harm sex workers also perpetuate the violent dispossession and dehumanization of Palestinians. Fighting for sex workers’ rights is fighting for freedom everywhere, and we demand an end to genocide – whether on the streets, in prisons, or in the lands of Palestine. We honor the strength of our community, but we also demand more: justice, liberation, and an end to all forms of colonization and violence against marginalized bodies. We are sex workers. We are trans. We are proudly pro-Palestinian. And we will not rest until every system of oppression falls. #SexWorkerPride #EndZionism #FreePalestine #TransRights #SexWorkersRights.”

Europe

In Armenia, the NGO New Generation Humanitarian shared links to videos about sex workers’ rights and the specific situation and problems in Armenia.

Videos about the myths surrounding sex work and sex workers:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2cgfTUMyzb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QP07SsyXq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Photos from the information campaign in honor of Zero Discrimination Day, with the theme “Protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3-f0hPKW6m/?img_index=2

Video on reducing stigma and discrimination against sex workers:

In North Macedonia, STAR – The first collective of sex workers in the Balkans shared the achievements they are proud of over the past year.

“In order to respond to the needs of sex workers and at the same time contribute together to the exercise of the rights and freedoms of our community, we started documenting cases of discrimination among sex workers as a community intervention that has helped strengthen our collective power and encouragement and motivation to initiate legal processes that will bring about change in the future.

Our campaigns and public appearances in 2023 were in fact powerful voices of justice and solidarity. Our aim with these events was to raise awareness and knowledge among the broader population regarding the needs and issues faced by sex workers and to increase the visibility of the community in the public. On March 3, with a short video focusing on the issues faced by sex workers as one of the most socially marginalized communities in the Republic of North Macedonia, especially when it comes to their access to justice, we marked the International Day of Sex Workers’ Rights.”

The full report of their performance is available on their website.

Latin America

In Peru, Miluska Vida y Dignidad AC spoke about the difficulties they face.

“With regard to the information that is now being shared on the current social media with the activities that the personnel organization has, which propagates the sexual ‘Miluska Vida y Dignidad’ in Peru, regrets and feels that in Peru and other countries of Latin American success, the presence of the mafia from outside as “El Tren de Aragua” and multiple facciones of these ten cobrando-cupos, which use the new espacios of the trabajo, who oppose their attacks or the introduction of a new cupos indefinitely the victims of sexual exploitation and much of the fact that they are with the intention of escaping or escaping or dying and letting die of the despair of our people in our community. It is because the organization identifies many people with sexual relationships who do not identify their exposure to the mafia and can make victims of criminals or against their lives.

Because the organ slides have had a conversation dialogue in one of the largest locations in the current office on the solo salary, 25 people can enter and are more than 100 years registered for these people who want to present one of the local locations as the llegamos and the espacio hemos conseguido para el Lunes, estamos haciendo el Banner visible the organ of sex is sexual and we have one video with our friends.

Regarding the email we want to inform you that from our social networks we share all the activities we do from the organization of people who practice sex work ‘Miluska Vida y Dignidad’ in Peru, unfortunately and as you know what happens in Peru and other Latin American countries, the presence of foreign mafias such as ‘El tren de Aragua’ and multiple factions of these make us charge quotas. Those who oppose leaving their spaces or paying quotas kill us and have introduced an undetermined number of victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and many of them kill and burn them when they try to escape or get sick or complain, to try to make their bodies disappear or bury them in mass graves. That is why from the organization we pay great attention to protecting the identity of our sex workers from exposure, so that the mafia cannot identify them and make them victims of quotas or attempt on their lives.

For Pride Day we are going to have a day of talks in one of the bigger venues because in our office in the hall we can only fit 25 people in and more than 100 have already signed up, so we asked to borrow one of the spaces where we come to and we got the space for Monday, we are making a banner to make the day of pride for sex workers visible and we will make a video.”

North America and the Caribbean

In the United States, the New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance has sent out an invitation to their free webinar in honor of Sex Worker Pride Day.

“Whore Futurism: A Sex Worker Pride Day Celebration” is a free multimedia experience and panel discussion on September 14, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST. For tickets and registration, click HERE.

Since its inception by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) in 2019, Sex Worker Pride Day (September 14) has been an annual celebration of our movement’s achievements and an opportunity for sex workers to share their stories of survival and determination. NJRUA organizers thought there was no better day to explore the concept of Whore Futurism in sex worker art. The presentation will include a screening of a short film and experts in the field of sex worker writing.

Our panel members are:

PJ Starr, Ph.D., filmmaker and co-executive director of the Best Practices Policy Project, a national policy focused on sex worker health and rights. She has founded numerous organizations nationwide focused on sex worker rights, HIV, and rights, and has worked in Latin America and Australia.

Jo Weldon is a performer, author, activist, and educator based in New York City. Weldon’s body of work revolves around stripping and striptease. She founded and runs The New York School of Burlesque and wrote The Burlesque Handbook.

Zee Xaymaca, MA, is a Jamaican-American writer. Zee’s work spans a wide range of styles, including fiction, memoir, poetry, and academic and technical writing. Her work seeks to understand the world by exploring what it means to be Black, queer, and disabled across cultures and experiences.

Moderated by:
N’jaila Rhee, Executive Director of New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance. She has been advocating for the human and labor rights of sex workers since 2005. She is also a journalist, BBW adult web model, PSO, and exotic dancer.”