Sex Worker Pride Day 2024. International celebration

Sex Worker Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and share stories of sex workers’ self-determination and the achievements of the sex worker rights movement. Sex Worker Pride extends to all marginalised by criminalisation, discrimination and stigma across the sex worker movement and celebrates the diversity within our community.

NSWP members celebrated Sex Worker Pride 2024 on 14 September with in-person events, digital events, and sharing achievements across social media and online networks.

Africa

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

In Nigeria, Nigeria Sex Workers Association - Precious Jewels shared a statement:

“The significant things that happened among sex workers in Nigeria is the maternal health program which was supported by global health promise. It helped sex workers who are pregnant to be able to give birth in the hospital,provided food for the Pre and post natal.”

Europe

In Armenia, New Generation Humanitarian NGO shared links to videos related to sex worker rights and the specifics situation and issues in Armenia.

Reels about the myths around 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 dedicated to Zero Discrimination Day, under the theme “To protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights”:

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

Video about reducing stigma and discrimination against sex workers:

https://youtu.be/HJ7OXSKIZNE

In North Macedonia, STAR - The First Sex Workers Collective in the Balkans shared the accomplishments they are proud of from the past year. 

“In order to respond to the sex workers’ needs, while contributing together to the exercise of the rights and freedoms of our community, we have begun a process of documenting cases of discrimination among sex workers as a community intervention that contributed to strengthening our collective power and encouragement and motivation to initiate legal processes that will bring changes in the future.

Our campaigns and public appearances in 2023 were in actual fact powerful voices of justice and solidarity. Our aim with these events was to raise awareness and knowledge among the broader population in relation to the needs and problems faced by sex workers and to increase the visibility of the community in the public. On March 3rd, with a short video focused on the problems 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 Sex Worker Rights Day.”

The complete post of their achievements is available on their website.

Latin America

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

“Con respecto al correo quisiéramos informar que desde nuestras redes sociales compartimos todas las actividades que hacemos desde la organización de personas que ejercemos el trabajo sexual "Miluska Vida y Dignidad" en Perú, lamentablemente y como ya sabrás que sucede en Perú y otros países de Latinoamérica, la presencia de las mafias extranjeras como "El tren de Aragua" y múltiples facciones de esta nos tienen cobrando cupos, apropiándose de nuestros espacios de trabajo, las que se opones a dejar sus espacios o pagar los cupos nos asesinan y han introducido una cantidad indeterminada de victimas de trata para explotación sexual y muchas de ellas cuando intentan escapar o se enferman o se quejan las matan y las queman para tratar de desaparecer sus cuerpos o las entierran en fosas comunes. Es por eso que desde la organización cuidamos mucho la identidad de las compañeras trabajadoras sexuales de su exposición para que las mafias no las identifiquen y puedan hacerlas victimas de cobros de cupos o atentar contra su vida. 

Por el día del orgullo vamos a tener un día de conversatorio en uno de los locales más grandes porque en nuestra oficina en la sala solo pueden entrar 25 persona y ya se han inscrito más de 100 por eso hemos pedido que nos presten uno de los locales a los que llegamos y el espacio lo hemos conseguido para el Lunes, estamos haciendo el Banner visibilizando el día del orgullo de ser trabajadora sexual y haremos un video con nuestras arengas.

 With respect to the email we would like to inform you that from our social networks we share all the activities that 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 like ‘El tren de Aragua’ and multiple factions of this have us charging quotas, Those who oppose leaving their spaces or paying quotas kill us and have introduced an indeterminate number of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and many of them when they try to escape or get sick or complain, they kill them and burn them to try to disappear their bodies or bury them in mass graves. That is why from the organisation we take great care to protect the identity of our sex workers from exposure so that the mafias cannot identify them and make them victims of quotas or make an attempt on their lives.

For Pride Day we are going to have a day of conversation in one of the larger venues because in our office in the room can only enter 25 people and more than 100 have already signed up so we have asked to borrow one of the premises to which we come and we have obtained the space for Monday, we are making the banner making visible the day of pride of being a sex worker and we will make a video.”

North America and the Caribbean

In the United States, New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance extended an invite to their free webinar celebrating 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 pm EST. For tickets and registration click HERE.

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

Our panelists include:

PJ Starr, Ph.D., Filmmaker and Co-Executive Director of the Best Practices Policy Project, a national policy dedicated to the health and rights of sex workers. She has established numerous organizations nationwide focusing on sex worker rights, HIV, and rights, as well as having 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 centers around stripping and striptease. She established and runs The New York School of Burlesque and wrote The Burlesque Handbook.

Zee Xaymaca, M.A., is a Jamaican-American writer. Zee’s body of work features a wide array of styles including fiction, memoir, poetry, and academic and technical writing. Their work attempts to make sense of the world by exploring what it means to be Black, queer, and living with disability across cultures and experiences.

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

Submitted by NSWP on 13th September 2024