More information about the Rhode Island International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers can be found at the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1012865432111683/
More information about December 17 and worldwide events can be found at http://www.december17.org
Local Contact:
COYOTE RI
Bella Robinson, Executive Director
info@coyoteri.org
National Contact:
Erotic Service Providers Legal Educational and Research Project
Maxine Doogan, Communications Director
info@esplerp.org
415-265-3302
Providence, RI: On December 17, for the first time, Rhode Island will join more than 20 other cities in the Unites States and 40 cities internationally to recognize the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Local sex workers rights group, COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) RI, and other local activists, advocates and allies will gather at the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center at Brown University from 6-8 pm to recognize the everyday violence sex workers experience and to honor those who have lost their lives.
The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers was founded in 2003 by Annie Sprinkle because Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was caught and confessed to killing over 90 sex workers. Ridgway said that because of the social position of prostitutes, he believed he could kill as many as he wanted without getting caught and without anyone caring. Sadly, many Seattle sex workers knew exactly who Gary Ridgway was for years but were afraid of coming forward and being arrested.
Some horrific things that happen to sex workers because they are given no respect in society. In 2009 Phillip Markoff, also known as the Craigslist killer, allegedly murdered Julissa Brisman of Boston. Then he came to RI and tried to rob a escort. The escort was able to dial 911 because she had “equal protection under the law” and the killer was caught quickly. Later in 2009, prostitution became criminalized in Rhode Island and local sex workers are currently fearful of turning to the police for help when they are victims of violent crimes.
In May 2010 Shannan Gilbert went missing. Shortly after 17 bodies were found on Gilgo Beach and are believed to be victims of The Long Island Serial Killer. December 2012, Dr Louis B Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College and serial killer expert, said “the public should not hold its breath waiting for an arrest”. There’s two separate incidents here, he says. “We were searching for Shannan Gilbert and we found another set of circumstances that appear to be totally unrelated”. On December 12, 2015, former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was denied bail on a misconduct case which stymied the FBI investigation into the Gilgo Beach serial-killings for years.
In December 2015, after 5 years the FBI agrees to investigate the Gilgo Beach Murders. We are left asking ourselves, what really happened in Gilgo Beach? Due to criminalization and societal stigma, sex workers experience extremely high levels of violence. At any given time there are 35 to 50 active serial killers in the US. In 2015, there were 120 sex workers murdered. 41 of those sex workers were murdered in the US. This year’s International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers will include speakers and a candlelight vigil where the names of those murdered will be read. One local name will be included this year: Rhode Islander Ashley Masi, a 24 year old mother of 3, who was allegedly murdered by Daniel Tejeda in her Providence apartment in April 2015.
“Criminalization and stigma have created the perfect playground for bad cops and predators to continue to rob, rape and murder sex workers with impunity. That needs to stop and we’re holding this vigil to show that sex workers deserve equal protection under the law,” says Bella Robinson, Executive Director of COYOTE RI. “It’s time to change the social perception that sex workers aren’t people who deserve to live and work with dignity in safe conditions.”
To help support sex worker rights, please make a tax deductible donation to support this historic lawsuit. ESPLER VS GASCON
https://liberatetoemancipate.tilt.com/
More information about December 17 events can be found at the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1012865432111683/
More information about International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers and worldwide events can be found at
Website: http://www.december17.org
RHODE ISLAND RECOGNIZES FIRST INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST SEX WORKERS AT VIGIL HELD AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
Providence, RI: On December 17, for the first time, Rhode Island will join more than 20 other cities in the Unites States and 40 cities internationally to recognize the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Local sex workers rights group COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) RI, and other local activists, advocates and allies will gather at the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center at Brown University from 6-8 pm to recognize the everyday violence sex workers experience and to honor those who have lost their lives in 2015.
Ashley Masi was Providence’s first murder of 2015. The 24-year-old mother of three was strangled in her apartment by Daniel Tejeda, after he responded to an online ad she placed. While he has yet to be convicted of the crime, this incident speaks to the numerous risks sex workers can face on a daily basis. Due to criminalization and societal stigma sex workers experience extremely high levels of violence. According to sex worker’s rights group SWOP-USA, over 100 sex workers were murdered globally in 2014. The largest number of homicides–41–occurred in the United States.
“Criminalization and stigma have created the perfect playground for bad cops and predators to continue to rob, rape and murder sex workers with impunity,” says Bella Robinson, Executive Director of COYOTE RI.
“It’s time to change the social perception that sex workers aren’t people who deserve to live and work with dignity and in safe conditions. We’re holding this vigil to not only honor those who have died at the hands of violence but to draw attention to the fact that sex workers deserve basic human rights and equal protection under the law.”
The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers was founded in 2003, by sex worker activist Annie Sprinkle, in response to the sentencing of serial killer Gary Ridgway. Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, confessed to killing over 90 women, many of whom were prostitutes. In taped confessions Ridgway said: “I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.” Sadly, many Seattle sex workers knew who Ridgway was for years but feared that if they spoke out, they would be arrested.
This kind of violence is shocking, unacceptable and unfortunately all too common. Last week, Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted of 18 counts of sexual assault. The officer purposely preyed on poor, women of color, some of whom were sex workers precisely because he knew that society wouldn’t believe their word over the word of a police officer. In New York, many of the victims of the Gilgo Beach murders were sex workers. However only now–five years after a possible serial killer remains at large, and after local law enforcement has been accused of mishandling the case–is the FBI stepping in. And these are just recent incidents that have made headlines, there are also countless cases that don’t make the news at all.
The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is meant not just to honor those that have been lost to violence, but it’s also about solidarity and the fight for sex workers basic human rights. It’s a chance for sex worker activists and allies to come together to fight for greater rights and visibility while pushing for saner laws that also focus on the decriminalization of sex work.
Ultimately, however, it’s also a day to recognize that sex workers are something other than victims. That beyond anything else it’s also about seeing them as what they are: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters.