VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers! Please join POWER and our allies for a candle light vigil from 5 ? 5.30 December 17 at the Human Rights Memorial, Elgin and Lisgar, followed by an informal gathering at the Second Cup, 216 Elgin (look for the red umbrellas!). Why join us? - Because female, male and transgender sex workers continue to be harassed, robbed, raped, beaten, and killed in cities across Canada on a daily basis. - Because 171 female sex workers were murdered between 1991 and 2004. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Annessa 22743 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 count me in :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
belladonna 279 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 cool! I'm going too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Megan'sTouch 23875 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 Looking forward to meeting you ladies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Winnipegcub 21293 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 Erin, if I was there I would proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with you. I hope a broader group from the community shows its support and whether involved in the industry or not this is just something that we should all stand up for. I think about you and friends often but will make special reflection at that moment and wish you success. Winnipegcub December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers! Please join POWER and our allies for a candle light vigil from 5 ? 5.30 December 17 at the Human Rights Memorial, Elgin and Lisgar, followed by an informal gathering at the Second Cup, 216 Elgin (look for the red umbrellas!). Why join us? - Because female, male and transgender sex workers continue to be harassed, robbed, raped, beaten, and killed in cities across Canada on a daily basis. - Because 171 female sex workers were murdered between 1991 and 2004. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Megan'sTouch 23875 Report post Posted December 18, 2009 Thank you to everyone who came out to make this event a success. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Annessa 22743 Report post Posted December 18, 2009 there were a lot of great words spoken at the gathering. I got a warm and fuzzy feeling when people walking by on Elgin stopped to listen and see what was going on... it made me think that perhaps the next time they flip through the newspaper and hear about a murdered prostitute on one page that instead of flipping to the sports section next, they'll pause and think "what if that girl was my daughter, or mother, or friend?" and think about it differently change happens in little steps Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest S***e Report post Posted December 19, 2009 Unfortunately, I only got back to Ottawa yesterday and I missed this important event. I would have been there as well. I am totally against violence directed towards any person or living creature. Protecting oneself and their loved ones is another matter, however. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capital Hunter 18263 Report post Posted December 19, 2009 Great thread. I was there in spirit (I was exhausted after work, sorry). Don't mean to hijack this great thread but is there (or should there be also) an International day to end violence against women period?. All over the world, women are victims to violence :-x (not limited to sex workers). Whether it is the boyfriend or the husband (the one who has pledged to protect her!!!), or the close or distant family member or (rarely) a total stranger. Just look at the so called honor killing occurring so frequently and in some parts of the world, women are treated as second class citizens in many regions, stripped of their basic human rights as to choose what to wear or whom to marry or associate with. They don't have the right to divorce or equal inheritance. If they come out to protest or demand equal rights they are arrested (some even shot), put in jail and raped. Those (male) majority who support them also would have similar fate. We are in 21 century for God's sake and I find all above backward and disgusting. Again I apologize if I hijacked the thread. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Megan'sTouch 23875 Report post Posted December 19, 2009 In my opinion, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers exists because the violence experienced by sex workers is unique. I gave a talk to a sociology class at one of our universities (of which I am a grad) and I told the students the following: "As an upper-middle class white young woman in university, if I claimed I was raped while on campus wearing my 'student hat' the police would be all over my case and it would likely receive media attention. I would also undoubtedly receive community support. However, if I were raped while doing what I do/did to support my schooling, that is sex work, the police would likely be uninterested or I myself would be investigated, it would not receive media attention, I would receive considerably less community support, and many people would blame me for the rape." Let us also not forget that there are male and transgender sex workers as well. To answer your question "Is there an international day to end violence against women?" that requires one simple google search :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest S***e Report post Posted December 19, 2009 The Pickton case in the lower mainland of BC fully illustrates and supports this Megan as does any other act of violence perpetrated against any sex trade worker who is denied protection of the police and by the justice system. I say this not to be patronizing to anyone or to the cause. As a mature male, I have always found violence against sex trade workers as unacceptable and never justifiable for inaction. In my opinion' date=' the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers exists because the violence experienced by sex workers is unique. I gave a talk to a sociology class at one of our universities (of which I am a grad) and I told the students the following: "As an upper-middle class white young woman in university, if I claimed I was raped while on campus wearing my 'student hat' the police would be all over my case and it would likely receive media attention. I would also undoubtedly receive community support. However, if I were raped while doing what I do/did to support my schooling, that is sex work, the police would likely be uninterested or I myself would be investigated, it would not receive media attention, I would receive considerably less community support, and many people would blame me for the rape." Let us also not forget that there are male and transgender sex workers as well. To answer your question "Is there an international day to end violence against women?" that requires one simple google search :)[/quote'] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capital Hunter 18263 Report post Posted December 19, 2009 Yes you are right. It is November 25. Thank you. Yes you are also right. Violence against sex workers needs special attention for the reasons you described, in order to raise public awareness. As a brief complimentary comment, the majority of women (and I was referring to all 3 billion women) live in the regions of the world that not only a (campus or family) rape, beating or murder is not properly investigated, but also it is the authorities (or may be even the Law Enforcement) who are the ones behind the violence or purposely ignore it . In my opinion this issue needs serious attention too in order to raise public awareness and support. The number of victims in this case is beyond imagination (hundreds of millions of victims to male domination or abuse, may be billions). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest C*****tte Report post Posted December 20, 2009 The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers began in the United States in response to the Green River case which takes its name from a river south of Seattle where Gary Ridgway began dumping his victims in 1982. He is serving 48 consecutive life sentences. Most of the women were prostitutes. Ridgway said he targeted prostitutes ?because I thought I could kill as many as I wanted without getting caught.? He said he killed because he hated prostitutes and didn?t want to pay them for sex, and claimed he killed so many women he had a hard time keeping them straight. For more info: http://www.swopusa.org/dec17/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markian 106 Report post Posted December 21, 2009 I'm sorry I didn't hear about it sooner, I would have gone too... December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers! Please join POWER and our allies for a candle light vigil from 5 ? 5.30 December 17 at the Human Rights Memorial, Elgin and Lisgar. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
