Author Archive

An Open Letter to AIDS United et al:

Sex worker “focused” is not sex worker-led (20 Dec 2021)

We are writing this open letter in defense of all sex workers and in the spirit of finding solutions to long-standing dynamics in the HIV/AIDS sector globally that have led to the marginalization of the leadership of sex workers who are most affected and impacted. Please sign on here to future actions.

On December 16, 2021, without any discussion, communication or connecting of campaigns, AIDS United, Sex Workers Project (SWP), Reframing Health and Justice and the Postive Women’s Network (PWN), based their letter campaign and “movement-building” on policy work done by a coalition of sex worker-led organizations. See also, this statement by AIDS United on December 17

We are aware that our organizing and policy work in HIV and AIDS forums is carefully done, based on more than 30 years of experience and is held in high regard. It makes sense that other groups would want to build upon our groundbreaking work. 

We want to be clear about what has occurred so close to the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This is not about building on the work of others to strengthen sex workers’ voices (which, of course, we do support), this is blatant theft. The organizing and social capital of our work on HIV/AIDS policy and justice are being taken by privileged groups with unlimited access to resources who were in no way involved and with no consultation. And, this has been done by groups that gatekeep funding, have millions of dollars, and use respectability politics surrounding sex work.

We want to be very clear that while we are highlighting a specific instance we are not surprised that our work and organizing has been appropriated. The astro-turfing of work done by sex workers is something that happens frequently. This letter is not only about documenting what happened to us. We hope it serves as an example to other communities of sex workers that have had this happen to them already and for future sex worker rights organizers. This coalition presents a question for all to consider: Who will be at the table for furthering sex worker HIV policies? This question presents a bigger issue on who gets chosen to sit at the table that we built? For these mentioned groups to have a hand in policy-making and not include this coalition disregards our roles as leaders. This should give all in the sector pause.

Adding our organizational links to the letter is not recognition. It portrays sex workers as coming into this policy work when we are clearly leaders in this fight. Our organizations specifically mentioned in our NHAS open letter (one of the links used), that our rights and principles would no longer allow “advocates” to speak for us, but yet, this appropriation of our work clearly shows that our demands were not honored. Every one of the mentioned organizations has leadership that knows there is no greater offense than grifting work off marginalized populations. 

In the spirit of solutions we list the following remedies. AIDS United, SWP, PWN and Reframe Health and Justice must take down the letter/form, publicly apologize and support the work of grassroots organizations that did this work unfunded when the issues were not yet accepted. We are here waiting for your call so you can make this right and we look forward to working with you. Additionally, each organization involved in this must change their internal policies so something like this can never happen again. Each organization should pay the sex workers most impacted by these issues to advise them on how to make these changes. Our leaders and organizers have put their lives on the line for this work without payment for decades. If funding has been obtained by the intellectual and written appropriation of our work, then our groups’ deserve compensation. Monetary compensation is very important to our organizations as it literally allows our survival to sustain the work we do towards human rights for all. We refuse to allow more privileged groups and non-sex workers take from us now because they suspect that sex worker rights has become a popular issue and catching funders and donors attention. 

For people and organizations who are not closely associated with this work, you may wonder why we didn’t try to handle this internally. The answer is we have tried without success and now after this incident, we will not hold secrets when the community of sex workers and trans-led organizations continue to suffer from erasure, astroturfing, and appropriation. We tried to get AIDS United to return our messages for years–almost a decade–after we observed numerous policy missteps and erasures. We made countless efforts to connect with AIDS United as sex worker leaders and Black trans leaders. We even had AIDS United staffers speak to policy directors on our behalf to no avail. Other organizations involved in this action, such as Reframe Health and Justice, have repeatedly been advised privately to stop taking the work of grassroots organizations as their own. And, we have all of these years of reaching out documented in our archives; We have the receipts. 

Our work is our work and we must be acknowledged as such. UN UPR Recommendation 86 is also the work of sex worker-led groups. The legwork of organizing sex workers representing in Geneva for the 2010, 2015, and 2020 Universal Periodic Review was done by sex workers.  

Our roots in this work go very deep and it is an affront to every organization listed here that the seminal work of Black trans leader Sharmus Outlaw is also being taken without acknowledgement. It is foundational in whorephobia and transphobia to erase us from our own history. In 2011, many years into her advocacy, Sharmus addressed the Global Dialogue on HIV/AIDS and shared our joint policy agenda. She was also a central part in globally organizing, presenting, and participating in the many IAS conferences. This work cannot be erased.

Sincerely,

BPPP

Desiree Alliance

The BSWC

NJRUA 

The Outlaw Project

“Centrado” en las trabajadoras sexuales no es lo mismo que dirigido por trabajadoras sexuales (20 de diciembre de 2021)

Estamos escribiendo esta carta abierta en defensa de todas las trabajadoras sexuales y con el espíritu de encontrar soluciones a las dinámicas de larga data en el sector del VIH/SIDA a nivel mundial que han llevado a la marginación del liderazgo de las trabajadoras sexuales que son las más afectadas e impactadas. Por favor regístrese aquí para acciones futuras.

El 16 de diciembre de 2021, sin ninguna discusión, comunicación o conexión de campañas, AIDS United (SIDA Unidos), Sex Workers Project – SWP (Proyecto de Trabajadores Sexuales), Reframe Health and Justice (Replantea la Salud y Justicia) y Positive Women’s Netwotk – PWN (la Red de Mujeres Positivas), basaron sus cartas de campaña y la “construcción del movimiento” en trabajo político realizado por una coalición de organizaciones dirigidas por trabajadoras sexuales. Consulte también esta declaración de AIDS United del 17 de diciembre.

Somos conscientes de que nuestro trabajo organizativo y político en los foros sobre el VIH y el SIDA se realiza con cuidado, basado en más de 30 años de experiencia y goza de un gran respeto. Tiene sentido que otros grupos quieran construir sobre nuestro trabajo innovador.

Queremos dejar claro lo que ha ocurrido tan cerca del Día Internacional para Poner Fin a la Violencia contra las Trabajadoras Sexuales. Esto no se trata de la construcción sobre el trabajo de otros para fortalecer las voces de las trabajadoras sexuales (que, por supuesto, apoyamos), esto es un flagrante robo. El capital social y organizativo de nuestro trabajo sobre políticas y justicia sobre el VIH/SIDA está siendo tomado por grupos privilegiados con acceso ilimitado a recursos que de ninguna manera estuvieron involucrados y sin consulta. Y esto lo han hecho grupos que controlan la financiación, tienen millones de dólares y utilizan políticas de respetabilidad en torno al trabajo sexual.

Queremos dejar muy claro que, si bien estamos destacando una instancia concreta, no nos sorprende que nuestro trabajo y organización se haya apropiado. El astroturfing del trabajo realizado por las trabajadoras sexuales es algo que ocurre con frecuencia. Esta carta no se trata sólo de documentar lo que nos sucedió. Esperamos que sirva de ejemplo para otras comunidades de trabajadoras sexuales a las que ya les ha pasado esto y para futuros organizadores de los derechos de las trabajadoras sexuales. Esta coalición presenta una pregunta para que todos la consideren: ¿Quiénes estarán en la mesa para promover las políticas del VIH para las trabajadoras sexuales? Esta pregunta presenta un problema mayor sobre quién es elegido para sentarse en la mesa que construimos. Para que estos grupos mencionados participen en la formulación de políticas y no incluyan a esta coalición ellos ignoran nuestros roles como líderes. Esto debería dar una pausa a todos en el sector.

Agregar nuestros links organizacionales a la carta no es un reconocimiento. Retrata a las trabajadoras sexuales como parte de este trabajo político cuando claramente somos líderes en esta lucha. Nuestras organizaciones mencionaron específicamente en nuestra carta abierta de la NHAS (uno de los links utilizados), que nuestros derechos y principios ya no permitirían que los “defensores” hablen por nosotros, pero, sin embargo, esta apropiación de nuestro trabajo muestra claramente que nuestras demandas no fueron cumplidas. Cada una de las organizaciones mencionadas tiene un liderazgo que sabe que no hay mayor insulto que arrebatar el trabajo a las poblaciones marginadas.

En el espíritu de las soluciones, enumeramos los siguientes remedios. AIDS United, SWP, PWN y Reframe Health and Justice deben retirar la carta/formulario, disculparse públicamente y apoyar el trabajo de las organizaciones de base que hicieron este trabajo sin financiamiento cuando los temas aún no fueron aceptados. Estamos aquí esperando su llamada para que pueda solucionar este problema y esperamos trabajar con usted. Además, cada organización involucrada en esto debe cambiar sus políticas internas para que algo como esto nunca vuelva a suceder. Cada organización debe pagar a las trabajadoras sexuales más afectadas por estos problemas para que las asesoren sobre cómo realizar estos cambios. Nuestros líderes y organizadores han arriesgado sus vidas por este trabajo sin pago durante décadas. Si la financiación se ha obtenido mediante la apropiación intelectual y escrita de nuestro trabajo, entonces nuestros grupos merecen una compensación. La compensación monetaria es muy importante para nuestras organizaciones, ya que literalmente permite que nuestra supervivencia sustente el trabajo que hacemos en pro de los derechos humanos para todos. Nos negamos a permitir que los grupos más privilegiados y las que no son trabajadoras sexuales nos quiten ahora porque sospechan que los derechos de las trabajadoras sexuales se han convertido en un tema popular y atrayendo la atención de los financiadores y donantes.

Para las personas y organizaciones que no están estrechamente asociadas con este trabajo, es posible que se pregunten por qué no intentamos manejar esto internamente. La respuesta es que lo hemos intentado sin éxito y ahora, después de este incidente, no guardaremos secretos cuando la comunidad de trabajadoras sexuales y organizaciones lideradas por personas trans continúe sufriendo el borrado, el astroturf y la apropiación. Intentamos que AIDS United respondiera nuestros mensajes durante años, casi una década, después de observar numerosos errores y borrados en las políticas. Hicimos innumerables esfuerzos para conectarnos con AIDS United como líderes trabajadoras sexuales y líderes trans negras. Incluso hicimos que el personal de AIDS United hablara con los directores de políticas en nuestro nombre sin éxito. A otras organizaciones involucradas en esta acción, como Reframe Health and Justice, se les ha aconsejado en repetidas ocasiones en forma privada que dejen de tomar el trabajo de las organizaciones de base como propio. Y tenemos todos estos años de contacto documentados en nuestros archivos; Tenemos los recibos.

Nuestro trabajo es nuestro trabajo y debe ser reconocido como tal. La Recomendación 86 del EPU de la ONU también es obra de grupos dirigidos por trabajadoras sexuales. El trabajo preliminar de organizar a las trabajadoras sexuales para que representen en Ginebra para el Examen Periódico Universal de 2010, 2015 y 2020 fue realizado por trabajadoras sexuales.

Nuestras raíces en este trabajo son muy profundas y es una afrenta para todas las organizaciones enumeradas aquí que el trabajo fundamental de la líder trans negra Sharmus Outlaw también se esté tomando sin reconocimiento. Es la base de la putafobia y la transfobia borrarnos de nuestra propia historia. En 2011, muchos años después de su labor, Sharmus se dirigió al Diálogo Mundial sobre el VIH/SIDA y compartió nuestra agenda política conjunta. También fue una parte central en la organización, presentación y participación a nivel mundial en las numerosas conferencias de la IAS. Este trabajo no se puede borrar.

Atentamente,

BPPP

Desiree Alliance

The BSWC

NJRUA 

The Outlaw Project

#COVID-19 Resource: Community feedback on the Excluded NJ Fund

We learned via a New Jersey based community member and organizer that there is now potentially $1000 to $2000 available to people previously denied COVID-19 Relief (and we know that includes many sex workers, immigrants and related communities) via the New Jersey DHS Excluded New Jerseyans fund. We have been going through the form to see who is in practice eligible and how our communities of highly excluded people might be able to engage with this Fund. Read our notes below before applying. If you are located in NJ and would like to get some pointers to apply, then contact us via our support form.

Relief application eligibility criteria (must meet all):

  1. Person is ineligible or was excluded from federal covid-19 stimulus checks and pandemic unemployment assistance.
  2. Person must have experienced financial hardship including: Loss of income due to reduced hours or complete layoff, inability to work due to quarantine, inability to work due to child’s remote learning schedule, personal/family illness from Covid-19. Inability to pay bills due to loss of income is stressed.
  3. Person’s household income must not exceed $55,000.
  4. Person is a New Jersey resident over the age of 18.
  • ●  Application is on a rolling basis, while funds last.
  • ●  Applicants may add additional adults and dependents on to their existing application.
  • ●  Application does not require an SSN or proof of citizenship, but does require proof of identity.
  • ●  Eligible persons may be awarded $1,000-$2,000.
  • ●  Applicants must legally attest to the fact that they were excluded from federal stimulus and pandemic unemployment assistance.
  • ●  Info provided on application not disclosed to other [state] government agencies.
  • ●  Applicants are asked to state the cause of their reduced income or lack of income.
  • ●  Application seems to favor awarding recipients who are currently behind on their bills, medical payments, or funeral expenses and can demonstrate so.
  • Documents requested by the application:
    • –  Bank statements from April-May 2020, Dec 2020, and April-May 2021. (An application can still be submitted without a person having a bank account.)
    • –  Paystubs showing loss of income over 3-6 months during any period since March 2020.
    • –  Proof of rental or utility arrears.
    • –  Letter or eviction notice from a landlord.
    • –  Unpaid [medical] bills.
    • –  Proof of funeral expenses or death certificates.
    • –  Award letters from government social services agencies.
    • –  Proof of NJ residency, identity and age.

Town Hall for Rights on Dec 9, 2021

Dear Fellow Champions of the People Centered Movement for Human Rights,

Seasons greetings. We come to you with a request. We need your support and input into the reformation of a Member driven Human Rights movement. Thank you for all you’ve done this year to strengthen our mutual promotion of human rights. Next month we celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a TownHall meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9th at 2pm ET (virtual). Please save this date and time and let us know that you’ll plan to attend by Registration.  

Please also fill out the following short questions to let us know your human rights focus and interests: https://forms.gle/ZRYuoBgbYnVW3EKY8. We are re-committing ourselves to this empathic work with you and hope you will join us to exchange ideas on the next phase of this important movement for justice.

A group of human rights advocates, including the organizations listed below, are organizing to ensure that the spirit and work of our past collaboration continues. We have been meeting weekly and we are reaching out to fellow champions of our people centered movement to learn how we can support each other’s efforts going forward. Of note, an open invitation was submitted for sharing with the full USHRN membership weeks ago, but was not forwarded on by the board.

Background

In late October 2021, the US Human Rights Network was unexpectedly suspended for an indefinite period and the coordinating center staff was immediately terminated. This sudden interruption of activities comes at a crucial time as several international human rights delegations, convenings, binding decisions, and treaty reports are due. 

For some publicly available information about what has occurred please read an open letter about the pausing of the network from the former ED and a report from the Sex Worker Rights Working Group 

Looking Ahead/Opportunities

Because our collaboration is valuable to our important work, we are inviting you to an expanded collaboration so that a new network &/or process can emerge to fill the current gap. 

  • Mark your calendar for the TownHall meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9th at 2pm ET (zoom) and let us know that you’ll plan to attend with your Registration 

Again, thank you for your ongoing human rights advocacy in your center of influence. Moreover, we are grateful for our past mutual efforts. We look forward to your response and our continued collaboration.

Best Practices Policy Project

Charles Watts, Founder and CEO, Empathy Surplus Network USA

Desiree Alliance

Dr. Onaje Muid, Co Chair N’COBRA Health Commission

Greg Kennedy, Trustee, Empathy Surplus Network USA

Mary Gerisch

Robin Benton, US Human Rights Cities Alliance Steering Committee

Sandy Bernabei, Antiracist Alliance

Sex Worker Rights Working Group of USHRN

The Black Sex Workers Collective

Tomiko Shine, Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign

Vickie Casanova-Willis, PhD – Human Rights Educator, Activist

Women Lead Network

Women’s Rights Working Group of USHRN