SEX FOR MONEY NOT FOR PRISON TIME! Don't forget to CHECK OUT the national org site at WWW.SWOP-USA.ORG. SPEAKERS AND TRAINERS ARE AVAILABLE TO COME YOUR SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION. Email us.
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Music
LIL KIM, Eartha Kitt "Hey Big Spender," Peggy Lee "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend"
Movies
Television
check out more videos on http://swopla.blip.tv
Books
Heroes
Robyn Few, national founder of SWOP-USA, 2003. Carol Leigh/ Scarlot Harlot, Unrepentant Whore #1, creator of the term "sex work," Jenna Jameson, AND TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR:Outlaw Activists Against the World UNITE!
BACKGROUND:
SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT LOS ANGELES (SWOP-LA) is the Southern California branch of SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT-USA (SWOP-USA), a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of sex workers and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy. SWOP-LA began as SWOP-UCLA during the graduate school career of founder and director Mariko Passion on the University of California, Los Angeles campus from 2004-2006. After graduating with a degree in social justice education, Ms. Passion officially formed SWOP-LA in December of 2006 which was aimed at expanding beyond the privileged community of the University and working with the social and economically diverse population of urban Los Angeles.
MISSION:
The mission of SWOP-LA is to advocate sex worker rights, recognition, respect and visibility through social justice education, advocacy and outreach with a focus on women of color and LGBTQ (especially bisexual and transsexual) persons that may identify with the term “sex worker” and “queer” and those persons that do not. SWOP-LA’s focus and mission is an anti-oppression, anti-violence, HIV/STD awareness campaign that seeks to speak with those on the margins of society. Our outreach campaign would seek to include those working in the sex trade who are marginalized by the greater sex worker rights movement such as youth (14-25) street based workers, women of color, transgender workers, undocumented immigrant workers, and non English speaking workers, their clients, partners and families.
Who I'd like to meet: We are open to members who are male, female, transgender, non gender conforming and of any sexual orientation. We are open and supportive of sex workers who are currently or formerly working or transitioning. We do not view prostitution as a pathology or an addiction. We do not need to be saved, WE NEED RESPECT & JUSTICE. We are warriors, survivors, hustlers and outlaws. We have been around since the beginning of client, I mean man.
Only after the WHORE REVOLUTION, will there be respectful exchanges between man and woman, and a provider will be given the freedom and safety to be respected for the erotic services that she is professionally providing to her clients.
We are open to non sex worker allies, especially those folks who can get behind the concept of a WHORE REVOLUTION. (borrowed by emi koyama, eminism.org) We need to TAKE BACK what IS rightfully OURS. WE need SELF DETERMINATION of our bodies and sex. We must gain sisterhood with the REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE movement. The right to have or not have children. The right to have sex for free or for money without criminal or institutionalized violence gone unchecked. Time AND Resources to raise our children, to fuel our dreams. Busting the binary between MADONNA and WHORE. SISTERS and BITCHES. Bitches are your sisters and all sisters have been called a BITCH sometime in their life by some similar cat who thought he was JAY-Z...
We embody an anti-oppression framework conscious of racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, gender conformity, fat oppression, adultism, xenophobia, and ageism. So that's what we be about, word to your mother!
PLEASE DON'T SEND STUPID MESSAGES SOLICITING US FOR SEX. THIS IS AN ACTIVISM SITE, IF YOU WERE TRULY A POTENTIAL CLIENT YOU WOULD KNOW HOW AND WHERE TO CONTACT US FOR THAT. PEACE.
!!MAILING LIST FOR ALL SWOP-LA EVENTS, NEWS AND INFO IS NOT ON MYSPACE!!! It is done by subscribing to our public google group, enter in your email address in the space and be a part of the network RIGHT NOW!
Thank you for your wonderful work in harm reduction. May our nation come to its senses and begin seriously supporting such programs. Hope your needle exchange program and drop-in center open smoothly. hearts, Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta
December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This event was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe. Originally thought of by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington. International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence. During the week of December 17th, sex worker rights organizations will be staging actions and vigils to raise awareness about violence that is commonly committed against sex workers. The assault, battery, rape and murder of sex workers must end. Existing laws prevent sex workers from reporting violence. The stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by the prohibitionist laws has made violence against us acceptable. Please join with sex workers around the world and stand against criminalization and violence committed against prostitutes.
Celebrate Bisexuality Day also called Bisexual Pride Day is held annually on September 23[& traditionally celebrated with events through-out that week and week-end] and puts the Bisexual/Pansexual Community on the map with its call to Promote Visibility and Celebrate the Wonderful Diversity of ALL our Communities, Friends, Families, Allies and Lives with various sorts of GREAT EVENTS from Evening Potlucks, to Afternoon Picnics, from Panel Discussions to Dinner Dances and so much more.
So what are you or your group doing to celebrate this year?
Send us a myspace Comment and tell us all about what you will be doing this year. And Groups give us the Complete 411 on Who, What and Where so we can help you Reach Out and Invite in more of the Community in your area, [& remember this is the World Wide Web, so always include your City, State and Area-Code].
qteam would like to invite all trans and queer youth of color [ages12-25] to apply to our 3rd annual Project Media, Arts, and Culture: Digital Storytelling and Filmmaking training.
Project MAC will provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to make a short 5-minute film, the training will take place on April 11th-13th, and April 19th-20th.
To participate, please fill out the attached application and send it to qteam.
Feel free to contact qteam to receive/send an application:
Support and Join Victoria's Family, Community Leaders, and Elected Representatives.
When: Monday August 27, 2007 6pm - 9pm What: Community Candlelight Vigil to raise our voices against this INJUSTICE!
Where: 300 N. Los Angeles ST. Downtown Los Angeles
HIV + Medication = LIFE HIV + Discrimination = DEATH
Transgender women dies after being denied medical attention for over two months at the San Pedro Immigration Detention Center. This injustice comes after a series of reports of abuse and gross medical negligence against individuals under immigration custody.
For More Information for Victoria Please Contact Coral Lopez or Fredy Ceja 323-727-7896
I'm so very glad that we got to spend time together last week!!! And I'm sorry I didn't get to make it to the gallery closing. How did you do overall? xoxo jessica
Desiree Conference, Sex Workers, and the Disabled. Unfortunitly my financial sponsorship to do a presentation at this year's Desiree conference fell apart, but I can still share a bit of what I've learned here. I also wanted to share some thoughts and ideas below.
When talking about the disabled, we need to remember that the term refers to many groups of people including: blind, deaf, disabled since birth, injured veterians, recently disabled, and a population that is getting older. These groups have physical limitations that sex workers need to understand. I've learned the painful way this year that mainstream disablity groups often don't want to work with sex workers. A solution may be to have a group of sex workers adopt the running of a yearly workshop on disability at the desiree conference, has need, they'd do fundraising for printed materials, videos, and if needed, speakers. the United Kingdom has a group that does this.
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