International Sex Workers Day in RI- June 2nd 2018

Taking back the neighborhood, Rally Against Criminalization Rally!

A huge thank you to Sophia Wright & Ria Moni & Julianna Brown for helping to organize this event. Thank you to Christopher Johnson for being our  MC, and all our volunteers and speakers. A special thank you to our community who came out to support sex workers rights.

We arrived at Roger Williams Memorial Park, and we were worried because the forecast reported that there was a 66% chance of rain

Then #Flipandroll food truck arrives 

Preparing for the rain, as we set up tents.  We had over a dozen red umbrellas on hand.

Thank You, Steve Ahlquist, for covering our event and writing this terrific article

Bella Robinson, executive director of Coyote RI –  kicked off the event by giving a  speech about the immediate effects that FOSTA- (Fight Online Sex Trafficking act) and Sesta (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) have had on sex workers

Elijah Edelman helped set up the Coyote table, where we gave out drinks- cocktails red umbrellas, henna Coyote tattoos. We also had “What is Fosta & Sesta” flyers, “Know your Rights Cards” and “flyers on the “RI sex worker research as well as flyers on the “US sex worker research”

Slideshow of the documented effects just 2 weeks after FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) was passed.  #FuckFostaandyourrespectabilitypolitics

Elena Shih, an Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, and Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Sociology and Watson Institute, and CSSJ Faculty Fellow. Elena is also the research director of Coyote RI.  Elena gave a speech about the rescue industry and how a local NGO Sojourner House has tapped into TIP funding and received 200k,  to run Rhode Island’s first trafficking shelter.  Elena goes on to explain how they are racist & transphobic because they only provide beds to cis women, leaving out trans women of color,  who are more likely in need of services.

 

Catarina Lorenzo, executive director of AMOR (Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance) who spoke about the effects of separating families and AMOR’s 24-hour support line that provides support to undocumented people at risk of deportation, and those who are victims of hate crimes and police abuse.

Lilah Rose, a legal sex worker, who works as a fetish model, talks about the effects of stigma and discrimination in the sex industry and how FOSTA has even effected legal sex workers.

The PrYsm family  (Providence Youth Student Movement) working the AMOR table- left to right, Daniel Chhum, Steven Dy and Elena Shih

Shanna Wells, working the table for RI Women’s Action Initiative – formerly RI Women’s March

The kid’s zone

Narcan training and supplies were available

The Fang Collective also tabled

Rhode Island Socialists 

 

Event videos

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5