Is it time to legalize prostitution in RI [link]
Rhode Island Senators Consider Two Paths To Decriminalizing Prostitution [link] April 5th, 2022
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on S2233, S2617 & S2713 (April 5th, 2020) [video]
RI’s Bella Robinson fights to legalize prostitution, her profession at age 57 [link]

2022 Mentions

Rhode Island rallies in response to leaked Super Court abortion decision 5/3/22 link

Interview with an Activist (Piper Burke)

January 2021

February 2021

March 2021

April 2021

May 2021

June 2021

July 2021

August 2021

September 2021

October 2021

November 2021

December 2021

Coalition condemns Cranston Police charging 11 alleged sex trafficking victims & calling it “rescue. “Arrest is not help. Prostitution stings are exploitive and traumatic, and prostitution charges make it difficult or impossible for the ‘rescued’ arrestee to find work outside of the adult industry.” (June 25th, 2021) Link

COYOTE RI’s Sex Worker Story Telling Series Podcasts-

Carceral ‘Care’ in Rhode Island’s Anti-Trafficking Industry- September 30th, 2021

Recent prostitution raids demonstrate how anti-prostitution rhetoric harms victims– July 8th, 2021

Coalition condemns Cranston Police’s perpetuating anti-Asian violence and whorephobia by charging 11 alleged sex trafficking victims and calling it “rescue” June 25th, 2021

Jocelyn Jimenez Senior Paper

COYOTERI’s chapter “Organizing Under Criminalization: Policing and Sex Worker Rights in Rhode Island” has been published in “Organizing for Power: Building a 21st Century Labor Movement in Boston”

Sex workers fight for Study Commission to examine criminalization of sex work in Rhode Island by Lillian Pickett and Lily Willis- March 12th, 2021

COYOTE CALL TO ACTION

R.I. sex workers seek legislative change- March 7th, 2021

Rhode Island community members turn to mutual aid, direct outreach during the pandemic- March 4th, 2021

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

July 2020

September 2020

October 2020

November 2020

December 2020

Lecture at Rutgers Dec 14th, 2020

Coyote RI opposes H7550 the Human Trafficking Reporting and Prevention Act: COYOTE RI criticizes H7550 for conflating sex work with trafficking, arguing it harms consensual workers and fails to protect victims. They advocate for policies that include sex workers’ voices. (March 3rd, 2020) Link

Celebrating International Sex Workers Rights Day at the Dark Lady with Coyote RI
COYOTE RI hosts an event for International Sex Workers Rights Day, emphasizing the importance of bodily autonomy and the decriminalization of sex work.
Read more (March 4, 2020)

Open Letter to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse- June 30th, 2020

COYOTE RI Stands in Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter

What Are Your COVID Rules?

The fight to decriminalize sex work- May 2020

No Safety Net For RI Sex Workers In Pandemic- March 31st, 2020

Sex workers are stressed, anxious and depressed amid COVID-19 pandemic– March 22nd, 2020

Celebrating International Sex Workers Rights Day at the Dark Lady with Coyote RI– March 4th, 2020

COYOTE-RI Opposes H7550 “Relating To Businesses And Professions – Hotels – Human Trafficking Reporting And Prevention Act”- March 3rd, 2020

Sex Workers Enter The National Landscape As Presidential Candidates Consider Sex Work-Study- March 2st, 2020

Decarceral alliances in the fight to decriminalize sex work- February 10th, 2020

The History of Sex Work Law in Rhode Island– February 14th, 2020

Newsletters

January 2019

February 2019

March 2019

April 2019

May 2019

June 2019

July 2019

August 2019

September 2019

October 2019

November 2019

December 2019

Coyote RI 2019 Fact Sheet – Coyote RI At A Glance

COYOTE RI observes the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Robinson highlights the need for decriminalization and discusses the systemic violence faced by sex workers at the annual observance of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. (December 18, 2019) Link

The History of Sex Work Law in Rhode Island- November 20th, 2019

Royce Presentation Yanhoo Cho November 2019

NERC Amnesty Decrim Policy 2019 presentation 2019

FROM DECRIM TO RECRIM- Ten years of recriminalized indoor sex work in Rhode Island- September 21st, 2019- 10 Years After Re-Criminalization, slideshow

Sex Work Is a Hot and Messy 2020 Political Issue -June 12th, 2019

Critics of criminal prostitution laws urge changes at R.I. House hearing- May 1st, 2019

SESTA-FOSTA: A Year Later May 6th, 2019

The New Virtual Crackdown on Sex Workers’ Rights: Perspectives from the United States– April 2019-Page

Bella Robinson – COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) Talks #Decrim #SexWorkIsRealWork-March 2019

COYOTE-RI Interviews Scott Cunningham- Baylor University- March 2019

Coyote Retreat at Jamar Hookah Bar, in honor of International Sex Worker Rights Day. March 2st, 2019

How Many Sex Trafficking Headlines are Bogus? Lots of them! –March 1st, 2019

No, on RI S0096: Adult Entertainment Performance Tax 02/18/2019

Does entering prostitution mean, you have seven years to live?- February 27th, 2019

Robert Kraft, Meet Bella Robinson!- February 25th, 2019

Bella Robinson – Executive Director COYOTE RI – Decriminalizing sex work. Interview with the Matt Allen radio show

ADVOCACY GROUPS SUPPORT NEW BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPACT OF SEX WORK LAWS- February 12th, 2019

Representative Williams’ bill would establish a commission to study the decriminalization of prostitution -February 12th, 2019

Global Implications Of FOSTA, By Meghan Peterson (3rd place winner of Slixa’s essay contest) Feb 2019

Bella Robinson’s February Newsletter- February 2019

NEWSLETTERS

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

Coyote September 2018

COYOTE August 2018

Confronting the legacy of slavery- March 29th, 2018

Trojan Scholar Spotlight: Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights at USC October 23rd, 2018

SEX WORKER ZINE

WHAT IS ZINE? BY COYOTE (SLIDESHOW)

COYOTE ZINE

zinev3

PRESENTATIONS

Texas Christian University Presentation by Coyote

How Abolition gets Trafficked

COYOTE RI observes the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Bella Robinson discusses the impact of criminalization on sex workers and advocates for decriminalization to ensure their safety and rights during the observance of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
(December 18, 2018) Link

Ohio State University- Naming (In)Justice- October 18th, 2018

Meeting People Where They Are: A Harm Reduction-Based Approach to Services for Sex Workers –Sept 16th, 2018

News About Violence Against Sex Workers from Around the USA- Sept 2018

Meeting People Where They Are: A Harm Reduction-Based Approach to Services for Sex Workers- Sept 16th, 2018

Anti-Trafficking Laws Are Hurting, Not Helping, but Sex Workers Are Fighting Back -August 24th, 2018

COYOTE Rhode Island: SESTA/FOSTA = Death- JULY 28TH, 2018

SESTA/FOSTA = DEATH #AIDS2018- July 28th, 2018

What Do You Do When Proud Boys and Other Hate Groups Show Up at Your Bar? July 23rd, 2018

Watch Out Congress, US Sex Workers are Coming for Their Rights- Historical Sex Worker Summit- LA June 2018

National Sex Workers’ Summit Culminates in Manifesto Calling for Decriminalization of Prostitution- June 25th,2018

The Deadly Consequences of the Anti-Sex Trafficking Law– June 4th, 2018

Providence rallies against criminalization- June 4th, 2018

Taking back our neighborhood, Rally Against Criminalization Rally – June 2nd, 2018

International Sex Workers Day in RI- June 2nd, 2018

June 2st,2018 Facebook event page

The truth about decriminalizing prostitution– June 6th, 2018

Coyote RI speaks at the Poor Peoples Campaign Rally- Video included- May 22nd, 2018

Confronting the legacy of slavery- 2018

Rhode Island sex workers and the prospect of a union- April 6th, 2018

Whitewashing Abolition: Race, Displacement, and Combating Human Trafficking

Testifying for the NH Senate Judiciary Committee in support of NH HB 287

(Left to right)

Bella Robinson, Jill McCracken, Siouxsie Q James, Representative Elizabeth Edwards and Leslee Ann Petersen,

Women March Rhode Island Includes Sex Workers 2018

The biggest pimp is Uncle Sam- Jan 22st, 2018

Criminal Justice Reform: Cash Bail iii Jan 16th, 2018

Jan 9th, 2018

After 2 years of hard work. HB 287, establishing a committee to study issues related to changing prostitution laws in New Hampshire, passes the House.

Now to get it passed in the Senate and then sex workers will finally get a seat at the table.

Major props to Rep Elizabeth Edwards-Appell

https://legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB287/2018

The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition -Elena Shih- February 13th, 2017

Bella Robinson: Outlaw Poverty, Not Prostitution May 8th, 2017

Allied Media Conference June 15th- 2017

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers 2017 Coyote RI Dec 19th, 2017

The Woman Project Interviews: Bella Robinson, Executive Director of Coyote RI November 28, 2017

Interview with Bella Robinson by Emily Rehmet of Brown University– Oct 2017

September 27th, 2017 Bella Robinson from Coyote RI Presented at Brown University to Dr. Elena Shih’s Trafficking Class.

NH #HB287 #DecrimNow- Sept 5th 2017

We are so grateful to the courageous activists who came to Concord today to support HB 287 at one of its subcommittee hearings. This bill would create a study committee to examine the costs and benefits of alternative legal approaches to sex work.

1st photo- From left to right: Reverend Sarah Carpenter, me, Laurel, Bella Robinson from COYOTE RI, Eris Vayle and Melanie Dante from the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, and Professor Joelle Ryan of UNH.

Prostitution decriminalized: Rhode Island’s experiment by BY ELANA GORDON- August 3rd 2017

#Porcfest 2017- June 22st 2017

Criminalized Survivors Panel at No Perfect Victims Convening 2017
Survived & Punished Project

Bella Robinson – Framing the narrative- No Perfect Victims

COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH BELLA ROBINSON- COYOTE RI

State level tickets against Cranston panhandling ordinance protesters dismissed By Steve Ahlquist on May 11, 2017

While on April 17th 2017 the city council voted yes 12 to 0 to pass the CSA, and yet on April 28th they voted 5 to 7 to table the bill until June 1st. This makes you wonder what the police have on some of the city council members that could make them change their vote at the 11th hour. The government is behaving like a criminal enterprise.

Here is some great coverage, with videos of our community screaming NO JUSTICE NO PEACE NO MORE RACIST POLICE

Bowing to pressure from police union, Providence City Council fails to pass Community Safety Act By Steve Ahlquist on April 28, 2017

April 17th 2017, Coyote attends the city council meeting and witnesses the passing of the “Community Safety Act” (CSA)

April 10th 2017 Living my best life, spending the day with Alex Andrews from Swop Behind Bars

April 10th 2017 Alex Andrews from SWOp Behind Bars presents to students at The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice (CSSJ) at Brown University

APRIL 9th 2017

At #clpp2017 and sex workers well welcomed and engaged in the reproductive rights movement talking about mass incarceration, motherhood, community and women’s healthcare! Knowledge is power!

Friday April 7th 2017 “Screening for the film Scarlet Road” by Rachel Wotton, Trailer here

Rachel Wotton and Bella Robinson

Coyote RI & Dr Elena Shih presenting at The Boston Labor Conference Saturday April 1st 2017

Dr Elena Shih and Bella Robinson presenting “Policing Modern Day Slavery: Sex Work and the Carceral State in Rhode Island” at American Association of Geographers 2017 in Boston

March 30th 2017

I went to the post office to check Coyote’s PO Box, and found this lovely thank you card from PrYSM’s in my mail box, with these cool stickers. It is nice to be appreciated and to be welcomed into this fabulous family.

March 23rd 2017 Bella Robinson was in the Petteruti Lounge at Brown University yesterday for “‎Brown SHEEC‎ to Sex Week 2017: Liber8 | Celebr8“, to talk about her work as Executive Director of COYOTE RI and as a sex worker rights activist and to answer your questions!

March 25th 2017, Coyote RI gave a great speech on Sex Worker Rights! FB photo album of the Rise Up Rhode Island Rally here

Rise Up Rhode Island Rally respectful, but no less resolute– By Amanda Milkovits-Mar 25, 2017

Lunch & discussion on sexual violence with Bella Robinson-CoyoteRI, at the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center! March 8th 2017- 1:00pm-2:30pm. 26 Benevolent St Providence RI 02912

Todays event on sexual violence at the Sarah Doyle Womens Center turned out really good. Thank you Myacah Sampson for inviting me and organizing the event. I also want to thank everyone who attended and supported RI Sex Workers today.

January 22st 2017 Bella Robinson (Coyote RI ) takes on the NH Criminal Justice and Safety Committee in support of NH HB287 (around minute 56)

Ridiculous Cops Oppose HB287, the Prostitution Study Committee Bill-

Sub committee meeting

Tip hat to Savannah Sly- SWOP USA-COYOTE RI Dedicated to Sex Workers everywhere, in behalf of International Sex Worker Rights Day- March 3rd 2017

We are a coalition of directly affected and people of color led organizations, building a Rapid Response Network called AMOR.-Organizations involved include Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), Fighting Against Natural Gas (FANG Collective), Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics RI (COYOTE, RI), Colectivo Sin Fronteras, and the Refugee Dream Center. We will need support from individuals and organizations together to keep our communities safe. March 4th 2017

Bella Robinson and Naomi Blech- Storycorps– July 16th, 2016

Policing Modern Day Slavery- 2016 (doc player)

Bella Robinson & Norma Jean Almodovar-The Coalition Live! 1/9/16

Prostitution Decrim Debated by New Hampshire Lawmakers

In Support of Sex Worker Rights- January 24th, 2016

Story Corps- COYOTE RI is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. 2016

Three female lawmakers want to decriminalize prostitution in New Hampshire. But Rep. Dick Marston has “a problem with this bill from a woman’s point of view.” by Elizabeth Nolan Brown Feb 1st, 2016

Bella Robinson – COYOTE RI – Presenting on sex worker rights at UNH April 7th 2016

Policing Identity: Intersections of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the PIC (A Recap in Tweets) April 27th 2015

On Mother’s Day, Remembering Sex Worker Moms by Katherine Koster 05/08/2016

BRIGHT STAR May 11th 2016

Major props to Emily Schell, another Brown University student that I had the pleasure of collaborating with this semester.- May 2016 https://decriminalizenow.wordpress.com

Desiree Alliance- Addressing Justice, New Orleans July 2016

I am a former escort. Trust me, criminalizing prostitution doesn’t help Matthew Lawrence November 3rd 2016

#IDEVASW Providence, RI Dec 17th 2016

Bella Robinson & Maxine Doogan, Sex Worker Rights Nov 12th 2015 ESPLER v GASCON

Bella Robinson- Fighting for Our Sisters in the Erotic Community- UALE NE Summer School For Union Women. Sister Solidarity July 14th, 2015

Rhode Island’s First Annual International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers– Dec 7th 2015

Mark your calendars for International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers By Andrew Stewart on December 14, 2015