Staff
Alexandria is a queer, disabled, sex worker and activist from Texas. They have experienced all aspects of sex work and enjoy expanding their knowledge and helping others stay safe. Experiencing both survival and the entertainment aspects in the their industry, they are so excited to keep their activism going for another 10 years.
When they aren’t volunteering with Parasol Outreach Project in Dallas, you can find them planning a local burn, singing a tune at a local show, or hiding under an unreasonable amount of blankets reading a book.
When they aren’t volunteering with Parasol Outreach Project in Dallas, you can find them planning a local burn, singing a tune at a local show, or hiding under an unreasonable amount of blankets reading a book.
Phoenix Calida is a former sex worker turned public speaker and podcast creator and host.
Her lived experience in survival and street based SW as a queer Afro Latina, and survivor of sexual violence and police brutality has molded her into an outspoken advocate for anti-racism, income equality, and sex worker rights.
As a WoC with chronic illness and mental health issues she is a passionate voice for mental health visibility, access to care, and speaking truth to gender and racial bias within healthcare frameworks.
Her lived experience in survival and street based SW as a queer Afro Latina, and survivor of sexual violence and police brutality has molded her into an outspoken advocate for anti-racism, income equality, and sex worker rights.
As a WoC with chronic illness and mental health issues she is a passionate voice for mental health visibility, access to care, and speaking truth to gender and racial bias within healthcare frameworks.
Velvet is a queer, non-binary immigrant from Ghana. They are a social worker, sex + pleasure educator, and Chicago-based Dominatrix. Velvet is best known for their BDSM practice that centers Black feminist theory, Marxist frameworks, and demands for reparations. They has been a sex worker and communist organizer for over ten years — their work has spanned reproductive justice, gender-based violence, sex work decriminalization, prison abolition, anti-imperialist movements, and LGBTQIAA+ sexual health and relationship education. Velvet has an MA in Women’s & Gender Studies, and a BA in Women’s Studies. They like to spend their free time reading revolutionary texts while snuggling their cats.
Board of Directors
The SWOP-USA Board of Directors is comprised of current and retired sex workers, as well as allies. While we do not require that anyone involved in SWOP publicly disclose their sex worker status (except for the President of the Board), we internally ensure that no less than 3/4 of the board consists of people with direct experience in the sex trade. Our current board maximum is 11 members, with each member serving up to two consecutive two year terms. The SWOP-USA Board or Directors is a working board, meaning that all members are active volunteers who see to the majority of the day-to-day affairs and projects of the organization.
Alex is a 53 year old sex worker alumni who has lived experience under criminalization of consensual sex work. She is the Co-Founder of SWOP Behind Bars and sits on the Board of Directors of NSWP as the North American Representative. Alex has been working with men, women and trans folks who have been incarcerated and also have experience in the sex industry and works to reduce the shame, discrimination and stigma of sex work by showing up at community meetings and town hall discussions on trafficking and using herself as an example to demonstrate that sex workers are just like everyone else. She has been called a “watchdog” of anti trafficking activity and is committed to the unification of sex worker rights in the United States.
Alex Corona is a transgender resource coordinator, HIV/PrEP advocate, sexual health educator, and sex worker in Milwaukee, WI. Alex has done sex work advocacy and outreach in Milwaukee and Chicago and is also involved in statewide HIV awareness and prevention movements such as the WI Health Department “HIV in Real Life” Campaign. Alex’s work focuses mostly on the LGBTQ+ community, primary the transgender population, and how to make the lives of these marginalized people better. She is the social media manager and PrEP Advocate for LetsPrEPWI and does PrEP navigation all over WI. Alex is a body and sex positive activist who works to destigmatize queer sexuality, fat bodies, HIV and STIs, and sex work in general. She is excited to join the Board of Directors of SWOP USA and to make a positive difference in the lives of people who engage in sex work everywhere.
(pronounced Kai-Ann) is a compassionate powerhouse performer, activist, organizer, community-based researcher and public figure in the trans and sex worker rights’ movements. As the Founder and Executive Director of G.L.I.T.S., she works to provide holistic care to LGBTQ sex workers while serving on the following boards: SWOP Behind Bars, Caribbean Equality Project, SOAR Institute and NYTAG. As an international public speaker, her presentations include The Desiree Alliance, Creating Change, SisterSong, Harm Reduction Coalition and the International AIDS Conferences and now PRIDE on FX. Ceyenne has published features in GQ, Vogue, TIME, ATMOS, i-D and many other publications. At the present time, Ceyenne is building her leadership academy and envisioning a medical center and combined housing unit in Queens,NY — building sustainability for the community like no other.
https://www.glitsinc.org/
Cocoa is a queer artist, activist and sex worker who has been around the block! Over the past four years she has worked with sex worker collectives and organizations in Austria, Australia, and New Zealand. Her background is in community organizing, research, and policy work. During her graduate studies she conducted primary research in New Zealand exploring the implications of decrim on the health, labor and human rights of sex workers and subsequent harms when migrant sex workers are excluded. Cocoa has worked in many sectors of the industry, and under a wide range of working conditions and legal frameworks. Drawing from her lived-experience in porn, stripping, brothel and escort work, informal sectors, and survival sex work, she advocates for decriminalization as the optimal framework to support safety, access justice and prevent exploitation. Cocoa fiercely believes that ‘only rights can stop the wrongs’!
Cris is a former escort who was spent most of his late teens and early twenties as a person experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Cris is a queer person who graduated from DePaul University with a focus on Communications in Social Justice and is an AmeriCorps, Public Allies Chicago alum. He has spent the majority of his 10+ year professional career focusing on harm reduction while supporting the LGBTQIA+ youth communities of Chicago as well as people with disabilities following Independent Living Philosophy. He also has experience as a former collective member of the Write to Win Collective (now part of the Transformative Justice Law Project) doing prison abolition work focusing on transgender and gender non-conforming folks in the Illinois prison system. Cris also has experience as a community organizer supporting Chicago’s queer young leaders through Lakeview Action Coalition and Center on Halsted.
Cris lives in Chicago with his adorable pitbull Gizmo and lives for the drag scene as well as spending time by Lake Michigan.
Koriandre Davenport is a sex worker, multidisciplinary artist, and community organizer. As a cultural organizer, they use different forms of artwork as a tool to inspire, agitate and prod at the radical imaginations of those around them. Their work centers pleasure in all forms from healthy sex practices and body positivity, to envisioning and working towards a future/present that normalizes liberatory sex education and the sex work industry. When they’re not working, Koriandre is usually performing at an open mic, buying new scented candles, or watching cat videos on Twitter
Simon is a Bay Area native with over 20 years experience in sex work. They started out as a survival street worker and eventually moved into the porn and modeling industry. Currently they work as a national escort. They are experienced in event planning, with an emphasis on benefits as well as community outreach. Having been an active member of local DIY scenes across the country has taught them a multitude of skills that has lead to successful and memorable events. As a non-binary queer person of color they hope their unique perspective can provide a much needed outlook to conversations surrounding sex work and advocacy.